What is Guy Hamilton's 1969 film entitled Battle of Britain? The short answer is that it's a cracking yarn about a British triumph over a foe that dares to try and attack the nation, spreading hate and evil in the process. I think Guy Hamilton, with this project, has made something that combines an historical retelling; that balances front-line subject matter with command centre subject matter; shows us how the Battle of Britain and consequent bombings affected all sorts of people and just generally delivers on an action level as well. The film is a celebration but at the same time a reminder; it is a recognition, but at the same time an action film and it does hold up in it own little way.
I love one of the posters for the film the IMDb and has listed on the film's page and indeed, Wikipedia contains the same image. It's a long and whispy British flag running rings around a black and red Nazi flag of similar style as one climbs victoriously into the sky and the other dives helplessly towards impending doom. The British plane is quite literally running rings around its German opponent and the whole thing sums the film up quite nicely, establishing who is involved; that dogfights will be a big part of the film and that the smart, nimble Brits will win through against their lumbering counterparts whose only way is straight down.
The glorious triumph over a more powerful enemy is set in motion very early on, as the British higher-ups react nervously and unsure of resulting reactions to certain events. I'm tempted to say 'we' but 'the British' are established as nervous and unsure of things whereas the Germans are cocky, confident and seem to be taking everything very lightly as they set their plan of action in motion following Sir David Kelly's rejection of a mutual agreement in neutral Switzerland with Baron von Richter. This further establishing of mentalities spills over into ground level, when the British are seen to be doing lots of planning and fretting whereas a lot of the German soldiers are jovial and laughing with one another following the victory over France and the apparent ease as to which I'm sure they thought they'd take Britian.
Like I mentioned, the film is told from both perspectives. You get a ground zero, real life account of what pilots might have felt and done at certain times prior to dogfights but additionally, scenes set in the strategic command rooms as certain threats and potential altercations are planned and are attempted to be foreseen. But the film also pauses and gives us a fair share of the civilian perspective, hiding out in tube stations and having to congregate in a town hall which in itself ends in disaster further embedding a feeling that war is Hell. This is, of course, related to the fact I feel the film is not only a tale of triumph but a sad and realistic depiction of what war is.
The dogfights that make up the film's fight scenes remain rather impressive. There is no dodgy weaving in and out of canyons as seen in more contemporary films such as Independence Day, a film that after seeing Battle of Britain, I can't help but feel was partly inspired by said film. Given the switch between showing everyday pilots doing what they do and the higher-ups trying to control the situation while action scenes are that supposed to have you in awe are played out around them. Both films also carry a certain 'this is us this is the enemy now watch how we beat them' feeling about them. Another similarity is the branching off to show other sections of the 'few' that aided the primary task force. The Polish pilots and their role is mercifully included to a certain rich degree and they are given their own scenes as to which we get to see them add to the cause. Something similar happened in Independence Day but from memory, it was limited to some (ironically) Brits out in the Middle East helping out some Arabs or something.
The difference being: Battle of Britain = quite good; Independence Day = not as good. There are some obvious things that stick out such as the accidental bombing of London by a German plane being given a mere scene; such a pivotal event, I feel, perhaps needed a little more than what was given. Then there are the scenes in which airfields are bombed by the Germans and Hamilton obviously felt the need to just blow up as many things as possible: grass, buildings, planes, tarmac, runways all sorts. This is the one thing that sticks out now and ages the film a little more than what it should. The number of explosions and the placing at such close proximity seem illogical, unrealistic and just unnecessary. Less would very much have been more.
But on the whole, it's just good fun with lots going on from different perspectives and a definite switch at some times from 'War is Hell' to 'Look at these fantastic stunts'. The closing statistics and the Churchill quotation offers an overall reminder of what the film was about in case we were caught up in the dogfights; and then the war continued for four and a half more years. 'Never in the field of human conflict ......' indeed.
I love one of the posters for the film the IMDb and has listed on the film's page and indeed, Wikipedia contains the same image. It's a long and whispy British flag running rings around a black and red Nazi flag of similar style as one climbs victoriously into the sky and the other dives helplessly towards impending doom. The British plane is quite literally running rings around its German opponent and the whole thing sums the film up quite nicely, establishing who is involved; that dogfights will be a big part of the film and that the smart, nimble Brits will win through against their lumbering counterparts whose only way is straight down.
The glorious triumph over a more powerful enemy is set in motion very early on, as the British higher-ups react nervously and unsure of resulting reactions to certain events. I'm tempted to say 'we' but 'the British' are established as nervous and unsure of things whereas the Germans are cocky, confident and seem to be taking everything very lightly as they set their plan of action in motion following Sir David Kelly's rejection of a mutual agreement in neutral Switzerland with Baron von Richter. This further establishing of mentalities spills over into ground level, when the British are seen to be doing lots of planning and fretting whereas a lot of the German soldiers are jovial and laughing with one another following the victory over France and the apparent ease as to which I'm sure they thought they'd take Britian.
Like I mentioned, the film is told from both perspectives. You get a ground zero, real life account of what pilots might have felt and done at certain times prior to dogfights but additionally, scenes set in the strategic command rooms as certain threats and potential altercations are planned and are attempted to be foreseen. But the film also pauses and gives us a fair share of the civilian perspective, hiding out in tube stations and having to congregate in a town hall which in itself ends in disaster further embedding a feeling that war is Hell. This is, of course, related to the fact I feel the film is not only a tale of triumph but a sad and realistic depiction of what war is.
The dogfights that make up the film's fight scenes remain rather impressive. There is no dodgy weaving in and out of canyons as seen in more contemporary films such as Independence Day, a film that after seeing Battle of Britain, I can't help but feel was partly inspired by said film. Given the switch between showing everyday pilots doing what they do and the higher-ups trying to control the situation while action scenes are that supposed to have you in awe are played out around them. Both films also carry a certain 'this is us this is the enemy now watch how we beat them' feeling about them. Another similarity is the branching off to show other sections of the 'few' that aided the primary task force. The Polish pilots and their role is mercifully included to a certain rich degree and they are given their own scenes as to which we get to see them add to the cause. Something similar happened in Independence Day but from memory, it was limited to some (ironically) Brits out in the Middle East helping out some Arabs or something.
The difference being: Battle of Britain = quite good; Independence Day = not as good. There are some obvious things that stick out such as the accidental bombing of London by a German plane being given a mere scene; such a pivotal event, I feel, perhaps needed a little more than what was given. Then there are the scenes in which airfields are bombed by the Germans and Hamilton obviously felt the need to just blow up as many things as possible: grass, buildings, planes, tarmac, runways all sorts. This is the one thing that sticks out now and ages the film a little more than what it should. The number of explosions and the placing at such close proximity seem illogical, unrealistic and just unnecessary. Less would very much have been more.
But on the whole, it's just good fun with lots going on from different perspectives and a definite switch at some times from 'War is Hell' to 'Look at these fantastic stunts'. The closing statistics and the Churchill quotation offers an overall reminder of what the film was about in case we were caught up in the dogfights; and then the war continued for four and a half more years. 'Never in the field of human conflict ......' indeed.