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New "Battle Over Britain" movie to be released


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This came up in The Guardian today. I'd seen it mentioned earlier on other websites. Can't really tell much from the trailer but I'm sure we'll all find it amusing for all kinds of reasons. At least the CGI looks somewhat better. The aircraft don't move around like hummingbirds on meth.

 

I'm happy to wait until it's out to comment. 

 

Enjoy?...

 

"Battle Over Britain" new movie review

 

Richard

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3 hours ago, R Palimaka said:

This came up in The Guardian today. I'd seen it mentioned earlier on other websites. Can't really tell much from the trailer but I'm sure we'll all find it amusing for all kinds of reasons. At least the CGI looks somewhat better. The aircraft don't move around like hummingbirds on meth.

 

I'm happy to wait until it's out to comment. 

 

Enjoy?...

 

"Battle Over Britain" new movie review

 

Richard

 

The trailer isn’t promising to me - patriotic mush. The action sequences look ok, but I would have thought you don’t shake a 109 flying straight and level.

 

You’re right about the amusement. For starters, at first glance, the lower surface camouflage is wrong - should be sky, not white/black. The lower wing roundels are moot, having been introduced mid-1940, so possible. And kissing your girl next to your Spit? 

 

Think I’ll stick with the ‘60s version thanks, but will probably have a gander at this one out of curiosity.

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5 hours ago, George said:

It's refreshing to see a new film on the Battle of Britain.  This film may not be a great film but it honors those who served and sacrificed.  

 

That is true, and it keeps their memory.

 

But it would be an even greater honour to get most of it right, and lose some of the gung-ho smalsh IMHO.

 

Hopefully they had good intentions, but just a little bit more effort would have given everyone a better result.

 

Having said that, it is out on DVD and I have ordered a copy. More out of curiosity, will see if it can be sat through to the end. Bought “Spitfire over Berlin” (or something like that) but thought that was absolute rubbish!

Edited by Pete Roberts
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On 11/28/2023 at 5:00 AM, Rob Owens said:

Like “Flyboys” (and many other war films) historical/technical accuracy is not the objective. . .

Certainly we recognise that, but i pose two questions;

 

Why insert a new yarn into significant historical events without respect for the actual participants' experiences - changes, mistakes, triumphs as well as sufferings and sacrifices - and of course their eventual outcomes?

 

What 'knowledge' is gleaned by new audiences viewing essentially false depictions of significant historical events?

 

My examples of war films deserving respect include The Cruel Sea, recommended by my stall-holder boss who had served in Royal Navy corvettes, Forest Gump, recommended by my cousin who said it was the only depiction of conflict in Vietnam that was true to his two infantry tours there and Band of Brothers, widely acknowledged to be truthful by veterans. There are others. How many 'flying' films do the business? Recommendations are welcome.

 

So, I am wary of dramas set in any war that do not aspire to high standards of personal and historical truth. I think historical twaddle is rarely benign and it can be virulently pernicious. Is there still hope that Sir Peter Jackson may strive to tell us a tale of the Great War in the air like it was? He has the skills, the knowledge and the integrity, plus a remarkable stock of props i believe.

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On 11/29/2023 at 7:58 AM, Shoggz said:

When it comes specifically to aircraft centric war movies, I still don't think the original 'Battle of Britain' has been beaten - certainly not in respect to the flying sequences.

 

I watched an interview with a USAF Academy staff instructor, who had been a fighter pilot, examine a number of air combat movies. He agreed that the Battle of Britain rated highest in his estimation. He explained that because they used large numbers of real aircraft the speeds, maneuvers and spacings in the combat scenes (with some exceptions for cinematic effect) were far more authentic than CGI is, at least at the moment. His comments about Pearl Harbor and Red Tails were funny and interesting. 

 

I don't think it would be possible to recreate a movie like the Battle of Britain today, even though there are far more restored flying examples available now. The German aircraft would present a bit more of a problem. It would likely have to include CGI. If only someone could explain aerodynamics to the designers, and how aircraft fly in real life. The cost of gathering and flying privately owned restored aircraft over the production period would be astronomical. Owners quite reasonably expect to be compensated for their time and use of the aircraft today. I think in 1968/69 the production company owned most of the aircraft. And although folks like us would flock (several times :)) to a well made modern version, I'm not sure the interest is there for the general public any more? Maybe if a super hero was involved. Although I really hope that I'm wrong about that.

 

Richard

Edited by R Palimaka
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1 hour ago, Shoggz said:

Yes, the production team (under the inestimable Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie) effectively bought a large chunk of the Spanish Air Force - it was something like the 9th largest 'airforce' in the world at that time, or something amazing like that!

 

If you look closely at the Heinkels, you can see the overpainted Spanish roundels. I believe they were going to modify some Harvards (?) to look like Stukas, but eventually went with large models, perhaps the one main reality problem when it came to aerial sequences.

 

In terms of reality in war, Saving Private Ryan got my attention. The opening scenes with the invasion of France were hard to watch, as are others through out the film, but I suspect closer to reality than some sanitised battle sequences in other movies. The BoB movie falls a bit short in its reality with some of its depiction of aircrew casualties - thankfully. (Splattering tomato sauce on goggles and flying kit!?) I did find the sequence when Chris Plummer is shot down in flames a bit stomach churning though.

Edited by Pete Roberts
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