Battle of Britain (1969)

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writers:

James Kennaway (screenplay) and
Wilfred Greatorex (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 October 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History | War

Plot:

In 1940, the British Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle vs. the Nazi Germany Air Force for control of British air space to prevent a Nazi invasion of Britain.

Plot Keywords:

Luftwaffe | Nazi | 1940s | Royal Air Force | Bomber

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Harry Andrews	...	Senior civil servant
Michael Caine	...	Squadron Leader Canfield
Trevor Howard	...	Air Vice Marshal Keith Park
Curd Jürgens	...	Baron von Richter (as Curt Jurgens)
Ian McShane	...	Sgt. Pilot Andy
Kenneth More	...	Group Capt. Baker
Laurence Olivier	...	Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding
Nigel Patrick	...	Group Capt. Hope
Christopher Plummer	...	Squadron Leader Colin Harvey
Michael Redgrave	...	Air Vice Marshal Evill
Ralph Richardson	...	Sir David Kelly (British minister to Switzerland)
Robert Shaw	...	Squadron Leader Skipper
Patrick Wymark	...	Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory
Susannah York	...	Section Officer Maggie Harvey
Michael Bates	...	Warrant Officer Warwick

Also Known As:

The Battle of Britain (USA) (DVD title)

Runtime:

133 min | UK:151 min (original version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English | German | Polish | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Brazil:12 | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1969) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | West Germany:12 (f) | Argentina:Atp | Canada:G | USA:G | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Bentley Priory, Middlesex, England, UK

Company:

Spitfire Productions

Trivia:

Isla Blair has said in interviews a huge chunk of her part was cut from the final print.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Many of the female extras have 1960s hair styles.

Quotes:

Squadron Leader Skipper: Corporal! Re-fuel them immediately.
Corporal at French airfield: Yes, sir.
[Turns back to the other ground crew]
Corporal at French airfield: So anyway...
[continues his conversation]
Squadron Leader Skipper: Corporal - I don't mean with your blood! And re-arm them!
Corporal at French airfield: Yes, *sir*!
[Runs towards the aircraft]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "BBC Proms: Prom 2: Music from Great British Films (#1.7)" (2007)

A Historic event recreated with skill and wit.

Perhaps not many new viewers of this gigantic recreation are aware of the fact that this movie was filmed almost 30 years after the actual events took place.

The efforts to put History on screen were huge. Everything in this account of the facts, comes directly from those who were actually involved in it: from the British and German fighter aces to private Londoners, they all contributed to make this not just another "war movie", but rather a dramatized documentary with accurate precision.

This by no means signifies that it is just that. The sky battles were very carefully choreographed, in accordance to rules of combat, which were followed in the 1940s. Some planes were flown by the same veterans, so that when you see a Messerschmitt Bf-109 followed by Spitfire Mk 1, you know it's for real.

The technical efforts were immense and although the Messerschmitts have reworked engines and even the Heinkel He.111s have different aerials and engine specs, because they were updated by the Spanish Air Force for later use after World War Two, the difference is barely noticeable when one watches one of those spectacular aerial battles.

On the whole, this is a history lesson about how a people, isolated from the rest of the world, and in a minority position, withstood the overwhelming crushing machine of the Axis: the Luftwaffe.

More than a movie, this is a celebration to those brave people, both civilian and military, who did commit themselves against all odds, to resist and fight back a very aggressive and dangerous enemy.

This, together with "The Longest Day", "Sink the Bismarck!", "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and "A Bridge Too Far" is one of those rare examples to make history come to life again and should be considered as didactic material for schools.

An excellent multi-national cast and a skillful direction, make this a masterpiece of its genre.