That Dam Film Again
 

Idly flicking through the Freesat channels on Saturday and up pops the Dam Busters (again). It was immensely pleasing to see the film totally unexpurgated, to the extent that the inexorable lead up to the dog's demise had four or five instances of its real name being used. first by Gibson, then a Flt Sgt, then a mess corporal, another airman, the guardroom NCO - all shooing "Ni***r" (see, I'm too scared of the PC police to write what was spoken on public broadcast TV) on his way to being run over by the heartless bastard who didn't even bother to stop.

There were some great examples of displacement activity by the aircrew in the hours leading up to the launch for the raid; I think we've all done that in various ways in recent conflicts - not a lot changes in the human psyche over the years.

And the low flying sequences (although repeated a few times to give the impression of multi formations) were still impressive, given the era in which the film was made.

I'd watch it again...

Mister B

I saw it too and couldn't resist, Mr B. As we missed the start, Mrs C wants to get it on DVD! Life doesn't get any better than that!!

The low flying stuff was very well done and, although some of the special effects look a bit out of place today there were some toe-curling flying sequences.

Great film and a great tribute to Wallis and the Sqn.

Courtney

They actually announced before the film there was some racial words used in a historical context for accuracy........ simple and put the issue to bed.... Odd no one complains about Blazing saddles though isn't it.

The low flying, I read an article on the filming, they did the practice low shots in daylight flying at 60 FT as per the raid, but it looked awfully high on film so the director got them to reshoot it all at 30 FT!

Available on Blu-Ray too.

Just wish they would get on with the new version of it that is on hold.

The replicas for the film look good

Takeoff looms for Dambusters | Stuff.co.nz

Just intrigued, why do you think that a new version is needed?

I remember as a young child going to our community hall to watch that film when it first came out.. Hero worship!!

Could it be that the audience of today lack the imagination that we had regarding enterrtainment? To me those 'special effects' were not special.. They were real.

My son laughs at the likes of original version of Quatermass whereas I can remember being terrified when it was first released. Now the audience demands to see bullet holes when people get shot!! :sad:

Interesting to be reminded in the film that they got the bomb shape wrong - it was really cylindrical and not semi-spherical.

Equally coincidental was an episode of Foyle's War featuring sabotage and espionage at a NPL outstation where there was the proper shape bomb on a rig.

PN

When did "Upkeep" come OFF the Secret List? When that film was made it would still have been possible to have dropped "Upkeep" from a Shackleton ; hence the altered shape. There was also the smaller variant "Highball".

PN
Most of the footage shown of the bomb being dropped was of the Naval version for anti shipping known as 'Highball' which was never used in anger. I don't believe any footage of the 'Upkeep' was used, or if it was it was the first drop scene where it was crudely inked out of every frame.

I have the dam busters on DVD and watched it only recently. Although I have mixed feelings on the real raid in terms of loss of civilian life v very little damage to the enemy* I am always amazed at how much damage the Lancasters created during the raid.....................As the aircraft are rarely actually carrying the special bombs on the way to the target in the film! The aircraft belly shape is correct, which makes it even more noticeable that the bombs are not in place!

*I cannot appreciate how folks in the UK saw this at the time, and was not alive during WW2, so like all wars/conflicts it is very hard to see the prevailing attitude of the period at a later date. In a similar vain I was walking through the local park today and noticed the low wall which was still missing its railings that were taken taken in WW2.
Morale aside, I couldn't help thinking that the gas for the cutting equipment lost in this operation was just so much more important than the IRON railings that were taken, only to end up as so much scrap metal.

Duckbutt, the film is being made by Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame, he is an avid aviation buff, has a large collection of WW1 aircraft, the even produce range of WW 1 model kit, the rights to the film belong to Stephen Fry, another aviation buff.... Bar the changing of the mutts name to Digger so as not to offend I think they will do a damned good job of it....

As to the why remake a classic... Well the actual dams going in the film was a bit weak, but the rest just rang all the right bells.
But even though it added to the films atmosphere it was in black and white.... Kids today just do not do black and white and a full colour all singing and dancing big budget version will bring the story to life and bring forth a new generation interested in aviation, our past and respect for those that fought to protect this country......
The Lord of the Rings trilogy did some much to rekindle interest in everything J R Tolkien wise, perhaps the same will rub off from this film.

The Upkeep in the film was mounted on the Lancaster and was semi-spherical. I agree it was still classified when the film was made and presumably why they used the wrong shape deliberately.

I shudder to imagine a Shacklebomber with an Upkeep bouncing towards a Sverdlov.

Barnstormer, it may interest you that those wrought iron fences, and indeed the pots and pans were just a Propaganda exercise to make the population think they were helping the war effort.... In reality they were utterly useless for doing anything with, so All those historic fences were simply dumped, mainly in the channel!

Not a lot of people realise.

Scrap Metal - World War 2 Talk

I'm surprised non-ones tried to "colorize" the film
I can remember viewing the original version of King Kong on USA TV around 20 years ago - in colour. It had been computer "enhanced" and was surprisingly acceptable.. Maybe the film didn't appeal enough to USA audiences to make it worthwhile

Still remember the cut railings from my school and my Grand mother said a guy with a horse and cart used to come round collecting pots and pans.

Some time ago in Aeroplane magazine there was an article about
making the film. One of the RAF pilots who flew the Lancasters
said they actually flew them 'a bit' lower than the raiders!
Of coarse they did it in daylight, a filter turned it darker.
mmitch.

PN

You have no sense of adventure!!:eek:

mmitch

I assume that Pilot was Flt Lt Jerzey (Joe) Kmiecik

I'm sorry. I won't have that. The film is real and that's it! I saw Guy get into the aircraft and fly to the dam and bomb it. Please don't try to give me any of that "it was done with filters, clever angles", etc. That is how it was!!

Courtney Mil

Are you another, I think BEagle type, started off in some prop driven plane and ended up in FJ's 30 years later LOL:O