Battle of Britain (1969)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

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 | 1940s | Nazi | Royal Air Force | Bomber

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

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:

The white "smoke" from damaged engines was made by injecting cooking oil into the exhaust manifold.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the Germans first start the daylight bombings of London, a group of boys is seen playing in the river. As the German bombers approach, two boys start to argue about the type of aircraft approaching. One boy says "Messerschimitt" and the other says "Heinkel". However, the subtitler translated it as "Iron Cross".

Quotes:

Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory: [protesting to Dowding] We were up, sir, trying to knock out the enemy air mass. It takes time to assemble forty or fifty aircraft at...
Air Vice Marshal Keith Park: [interrupting] It takes far too long! By the time your "Big Wing" is up, the enemies have already hit their targets and are on their way home.
Air Vice Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory: All that matters is to shoot them down in large numbers. I'd rather destroy fifty after they've hit their targets than ten before.
Air Vice Marshal Keith Park: Don't forget, the targets are my airfields, Leigh-Mallory. And you're not getting fifty. You're not even getting ten!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Harry Saltzman: Showman (2000) (V)

Holds Up Well

I recently reviewed this film after having not seen it since it was new. Being a 31 year military veteran I have a somewhat different frame of reference for watching films such as this. I look for things in a film many civilians never will. I don't think this one has ever been shown on TV in the US, at least not within a couple of decades, so it's certainly not overplayed here. Luckily, the tape I accessed was in excellent condition so it was crisp and new in appearance. It is still a very excellent film depicting one of Britain's most harrowing times and the unwavering heroism of those who fought so desperately to secure their victory. The film didn't enjoy many fine reviews when it was new as it was compared, as most war films are, to the plethora of fiction produced by the movie industry and REAL history usually comes off looking mundane by comparison. I have found this a similar oddity for many excellent films of war. This is one film that more than adequately stands the test of time and I would absolutely love to see a wide-screen DVD version of it offered. Although it helps to have an understanding of war in general, and in particular the second world war and the actual battle of britain, one can be ignorant of those facts and still come away well entertained. It is a wonderfully produced film, acted with talent and grace by a cast of performers who are now legendary. The sets, costumes and musical score are wonderful and perfectly compliment the cinematography. If I can find a copy I am going to add it to my library.