battleofbritain

When it comes to films about the RAF and the Battle of Britain, this is the one to beat, and as of
today still reigns supreme. Filmed in 1969, with over three years in the making, this production was
headed by Guy Hamilton, the director of "Goldfinger." The production assembled a literal fleet of
over 100 vintage aircraft, including over 30 Spitfires, 50 Spanish Heinkels, and 28 Spanish
Messerschmitts.

With direct consultation from actual Battle of Britain veterans, pilots on both the English and
German side, Hamilton set about recreating the events of the battle to the last detail, meticulously
crafting costumes, mock-ups, using authentic settings, and leaving no major tactical or aesthetic
detail of the battle out.

An all-star cast of players included Laurence Olivier as Hugh Dowding along with Trevor Howard,
Susannah York, Robert Shaw, Michael Caine, and Christopher Plummer as British fighter pilots.
Put simply, this is a top-notch cast and all of them are visibly invested in this film, understandably
as they are all British. Olivier is the centerpiece, taking his inspiration directly from the actual Hugh
Dowding, who visited the set and watched Olivier perform. It is a brilliantly understated and human
performance.

Hours and hours of aerial footage was shot for the many air battles, and the scenes filmed with the
aircraft are so rare and impressive, that much of the footage created for the film is still recycled
today in other films about the Battle of Britain. The most notable examples of this are in the TV
miniseries, “Piece of Cake,” and “Dark Blue World,” both of which sneak in shots from “Battle of
Britain” in highly creative ways while at the same time, intermixing said footage with original material.

Technological limitations at the time make some of the optical effects dodgy, but the majority of the
aerial footage is 100 percent real and extremely impressive. The only lacking effects are tracer
fire, gun flashes, and debris - understandable given the limitations of the period - but the sheer
number of actual planes makes up for this without question.

More impressive is director Hamilton’s attention to historical logistics. He makes sure that every
event happens with the right personalities involved, which adds great authentic weight to the
production. Between using actual locations and a meticulous attention to background and prop
details, barring limitations on acquiring aircraft of course, Hamilton achieves greatness here.

Most of America still basks in the glory of WWII and remembers the sacrifices of our brave soldiers at Pearl Harbor, Omaha Beach, Iwo Jima, and in the skies
over Europe in the Flying Fortresses. However, few Americans know that before December 7, 1940, the United States was strictly neutral and isolationist.
Europe was begging for help, literally being overrun by the darkest evil ever manifested in man. The Nazis, it seemed, could not be stopped. As Poland, Belgium,
and Holland fell and the French surrendered, one tiny island nation found itself alone with its back to the sea, the last holdout against Hitler's armies.

They begged for help. The U.S. sent supplies, but remained isolationist in the grand scheme. Britain was alone, with a devastated army swimming back from
Dunkirk, and a badly outnumbered group of Royal Air Force pilots being the only line of defense against the still advancing Luftwaffe. As many have dubbed it,
this was history's narrowest margin.

These brave pilots, whom Winston Churchill dubbed "the Few," flew day and night against the seemingly endless Nazi bombers and fighters. In Hurricanes and
Spitfires, they held the line, but just barely - many dying in the skies or maimed beyond recognition. These were men defending their homes, with no thought of
running. Of course, there was nowhere to run to, except the Atlantic. These pilots' sacrifices effectively stopped Hitler's unstoppable advance. They faced
daunting odds, often 4 to 1, but they held their ground. Were it not for them, D-Day might never have been, nor North Africa, for there would have been no
effective staging ground to launch a counterattack against Fortress Europe.

In short, the RAF pilots who flew and died in The Battle of Britain gave freedom a slim chance of succeeding - they carved out hope with their blood. Take a
moment every September 15 to remember these men…every—single—pilot. They died so the world might live.

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. " - Winston Churchill