THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN Movie Review

1969 Guy Hamilton

As long as Guy Hamilton's documentary-styled adventure stays in the air, it's near perfect. On the ground, however, the characters are such faint one-dimensional shadows that their dramatic problems barely register on the viewer's consciousness. Fortunately, the film spends most of the time aloft.

It begins in France, May 1940, as the German Blitzkrieg is driving the last of the British forces off the continent. Sir Hugh Dowding (Laurence Olivier) strongly suggests that the government reverse its decision to provide fighters and support to the French forces. It's too late for that, he says. All air power must be directed toward protection of England. He understands the size of the German forces opposing them and knows what it will take to win. “The essential arithmetic is that our young men will have to shoot down their young men at a rate of four to one if we're to keep pace at all,” he says. That's the essence of the air war that will be fought over the island and, most of the time, the filmmakers show how it is played out.

The pilots, played by such familiar faces as Michael Caine, Edward Fox, and Robert Shaw, are able to regroup and train younger replacements who are rushed through the system and placed into Spitfires with minimal experience. When the German bombing raids begin, they are assisted by radar installations and a fairly sophisticated system of ground-based observers. At first, the Germans are able to put significantly larger numbers of planes in the air. But the Heinkle He111 and Messerschmitt Me110 bombers are easy targets for the quick Spitfire fighters. The Spits are also more maneuverable than the Me109 fighters. The dogfights and bombing runs are captured in some truly spectacular aerial footage. Credit for it must be distributed among aerial and second unit director David Bracknell, aerial photographers Skeets Kelly and John Jordan, director Guy Hamilton, and cinematographer Freddie Young.

They're able to put the viewer in the cockpit of both the English and German planes and to show the swiftly moving air combat from a pilot's point of view with a rare degree of realism. The live action shots, models, special effects, and archival footage are intercut so deftly that it's hard to tell one from the others. The filmmakers are not as successful at differentiating the individuals involved. Once they're in action, wearing leather flying helmets, goggles, and oxygen masks, the fliers are indistinguishable. All of the Germans—including a buffoonish Goering—are caricatures. The only significant emotional conflict occurs between Squadron Leader Harvey (Christopher Plummer) and his wife Maggie Harvey (Susannah York), who refuses to give up her position with the WAAF at his command. The entire subplot is so trifling that writers Wilfred Greatorex and James Kennaway don't even bother to resolve it. At a convenient moment, it is simply over. Their concern is with the air war, and they show it about as well as anyone ever has.

Cast: Harry Andrews (Senior Civil Servant), Michael Caine (Squadron Leader Canfield), Laurence Olivier (Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding), Trevor Howard (Air Vice Marshal Keith Park), Kenneth More (Group Captain Baker), Christopher Plummer (Squadron Leader Colin Harvey), Robert Shaw (Squadron Leader Skipper), Susannah York (Section Officer Maggie Harvey), Ralph Richardson (Sir David), Curt Jurgens (Baron von Richter), Michael Redgrave (Air Vice Marshal Evill), Nigel Patrick (Group Captian Hope), Edward Fox (Pilot Officer Archie), Ian McShane (Sgt. Pilot Andy), Patrick Wymark (Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory); Written by: James Kennaway, Wilfred Greatorex; Cinematography by: Frederick A. (Freddie) Young; Music by: Malcolm Arnold, Ron Goodwin, William Walton; Technical Advisor: Adolph Galland. Producer: United Artists, Harry Saltzman, Benjamin Fisz. MPAA Rating: G. Running Time: 132 minutes. Format: VHS, Beta, LV, Letterbox, Closed Caption.