Battle of Britain!

[Hagar]

Hi Pete. I assume you mean the 1969 classic feature film. This has been discussed here before at some length. I saw it the first time round, soon after the premiere. I've watched it many times since.

My opinion is still the same as when I first saw it - well made with a good script & storyline but I found the aerial ballet sequences over-long & a tad boring. (A good chance to put the kettle on for a cuppa.) They went to a great deal of trouble & expense but being a tad over-critical, the Spanish-built versions of the Bf 109 & He 111 never looked quite right. Anyone watching the film without knowing the history would assume that the He 111 was the only German bomber involved.

It's still an excellent film for all that & well worth watching.

PS. Like all good films it's much more impressive on a big screen at the cinema. TV somehow doesn't do it justice.

[SabreHawk]

Ahhh, I agree on this film too, I've had the DVD for some time now and watch it often. Yeah, and for all the money they spent making the latest "Pearl Harbor", it does seem to have done as good or better a job( especially considering it was made in the 60's)
But then I also think that back then they did alot of things with the "real stuff" & not just computer animated. A good example is "Grand Prix" amde in the 60's as well as opposed to todays "Driven".

[BFMF]

I've heard that the DVD version of the Battle of Britian isn't as good as the VHS edition

[SabreHawk]

Hmmm not really sure as I never seen the VHS ver. Gosh I should think it would be the same, but then well, the DVD ver. of "Das Boot" was pretty sliced up compared to the VHS, I mean hey, they did have some scenes in it that were not in the original,( the Brothel at the beginning) but some others were left out. Hmmm

[Katahu]

Have any of you people seen the "Tora Tora Tora"?

I love that movie. It may be old, but it's good.

However, I only saw it once on TV and after that, I wasn't able to see it again because I only have an antenna and I don't have the video or dvd of the movie.

I never "Battle of Britain". So, I can't give my opinion on that part.

[Katahu]

While making Tora Tora Tora, the director got really disappointed by the fact that one of the shots of the ships did not go as planned. Remember, they were using REAL ACTUAL WW2 ships and fighter planes. So, you can imagine the expense and careful planning that had to be made.

However, the entire movie was a complete HIT when it was released in theaters. Everyone loved it.

It's a representation of the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 7, 1941. The movie is a 100 times better than the modern movie "Pearl Harbor".

On a scale of 1-5, I give it a 5.

Have you also seen the movie "Flying Misfits"? It's a representation of the well known BlackSheep Squadron that was formed by Greg Boyington.

The movie does have some historical inaccuracies, but it was still good.

On a scale of 1-5, I give it a 4.

[Oso]

Remember, they were using REAL ACTUAL WW2 ships and fighter planes.

Hmmmm. I wonder where they got the Zeroes?

[BFMF]

I've got bothTora Tora Tora & Midway, although I havn't seen them for a long time

[BFMF]

Hmmmm. I wonder where they got the Zeroes?

Nobody said they were zeros, just WW2 aircraft

Weren't a lot of them painted T-6 Texans???

[ozzy72]

BoB is a GREAT movie. Dambusters is pretty good as well (barring the special effects....).

Ozzy

[Hagar]

I've heard that the DVD version of the Battle of Britian isn't as good as the VHS edition

I've not seen the DVD version. I did read that it reverts to the original film as shown at the cinema. The VHS version was edited & considerably different. I'm not sure which one they show on TV.

[quote]Hmmmm. I wonder where they got the Zeroes?

[ozzy72]

Agreed Hagar, but you have to remember in those days actors had to actually be able to act, and scriptwriters were people who were actually literate
Also I think with a lot of the 'old' war movies a lot of the people had really been there and done it, or those that had were around.

Ozzy

[Hagar]

Agreed. A cast of experienced actors doesn't guarantee success for any film but it can't do any harm. Here's a few of the star cast in the Battle of Britain.

[quote]Harry Andrews ... Senior civil servant
Michael Caine ... Squadron Leader Canfield
Trevor Howard ... Air Vice Marshal Keith Park
Curd J

[HawkerTempest5]

BoB and The Dam Busters are my all time favourite aircraft films. I think the use of real planes adds to that (every time I see BoB now I start looking for all the different types of Spits, MkII's, V's and IX's.) A great number of BoB aircraft are still around today on the Warbird scene. Indeed, BBMF's MkIIa was restored to flying condition for this movie.