This opening was an experience in itself. Seeing all of the real planes, real actors was a treat, as was reading the names in the credits- I got quite a surprise seeing Adolf Galland’s name there.
Galland was a very highly respected fighter pilot & was engaged as an expert advisor on everything from equipment to protocol - & combat tactics for both sides. He was one of the very few who saw it all from start to finish. Saw everything - Flew everything - Survived everything.
@@grahampalmer9337 After the War he was released and hired by the Argentine Government to act as an Technical Advisor for our Air Force...he helped to organise the Fighter force which had been reequipped with 100 Gloster Meteors F.4
@@vinorob Also known as "Aces High" Ron Goodwin wrote some brilliant memorable music. I remember reading where he was at home in his garden when his wife shouted for him to come in when she heard the London Marathon using "The Trap" as its theme, now used every year since.
s g It's a MOVIE. Does it matter one iota if Spanish planes with a different engine were used? NO! I'm so sick and tired of all these people nit-picking about miniscule things in movies. HEY! Did you know that the chariots used in Ben-Hur were not the real ones used during Roman times? You're as big an idiot as that guy is a whiner! Comprehend THAT, mo-fo!
"Don't dictate to US, until you are marching down WhiteHALL !............and even then we won't listen !" always brings tears to my eyes, for a dear, late friend of mine who had been in charge of an Auxiliary Unit Patrol in 1940 told me that was EXACTLY their attitude ! ! and then, "Its unforgiveable !.......I lost my temper !"🥲🥲...WONDERFUL people !
The German planes in this film I recall were sourced from Spain as they were part of their current airforce. I bought the musical score as I was so impressed by it. I was in my early teens then. Just now I’m in Normandy and close to to invasion beaches. I’d recommend anyone to visit the area. Now in my 60s and my interest hasn’t changed.
Yep! it was like that! In fact Spain had just retired them from service. The german soldiers on reviewn appearing in this opening were Spanish conscripts during their military service arround the area of Seville where the geman planes of the movie were purchased.
I stand corrected, but in my defense I was thinking of a black and white photo in the book of the movie, which I read many years ago.......so much for memory
++David Shepherd No probs. I'd love to see a real Wellington flying. The Ju52 in the film is still flying AFAIK. It also appeared in the film "Where Eagles Dare", though how a Ju52 was going to fly through Europe in daylight was rather glossed over. In the book it was a Mosquito, which created its own problems.! I saw that Ju52 at Blackbushe Airport with one of the He111s from the film plus a Sea Fury and once flying over London.
I love this opening (actually 8 minutes into the film) but don't forget the opening to the Bridge on the River Kwai when the British POW's enter the Japanese work camp.
Must be one of the best opening film credits ever produced. Saw this in the cinema on release and this intro really wet your appetite for the coming film. Brilliant.
It wasn't a German march, it was written for the film in a German style with a emphasis on tubas, horns and glockenspiels. It was originally called "Luftwaffe March" but later renamed "Aces high march"
Immaculate tailoring, concise to the last detail. No high water hems, no tight waists or short backs, the shirt and coat sleeve lengths are precise, and the cuffs do not cinch the wrists. Those were the days when men knew how to dress, they wore subdued colors that by themselves would not even warrant a glimpse, but in combination with other hues of the same nature caused a contrast that pleased the eye, and gave the wearer a sense of dereguerre and civility.
A very underappreciated film. I saw this as a kid on TV as a kid in 1972 on CBS and thought it was the greatest war movie of all time. It is still amongst the greatest IMHO.
I guess some thing why those british war movies from the 60ies appear so authentic was, that all warfaring nations' staff was played by actors from those nation whose most had served in their respective armies during the real war. That enables them to naturally display the typical styles of their very individual military behaviour, in words, body language and all that. Films made today never reach that standard again.
That's quite true Michael. One of the most authentic war films is called "Their's is the Glory" which was made soon after the war. It is the same story as "A Bridge Too Far" and was actually filmed in the ruins of Arnhem before reconstruction began post-war. There are no actors in it - all the parts are played by the survivors of the actual battle. As one film critic later commented, at times you can see the fear in their eyes, they weren't acting the roles, they were re-living them!
Best comment ever on authenticity was by Richard Todd in the longest day. So called advisor said why did you do that it's wrong. What do you know? Todd replied I was with lovatts commandos
Remember seeing it at the flicks as a boy , I would be about 8 , I guess around 1970 . On Holiday in Southsea with mum dad my sister and two brothers . We thought it was great , I even remember us talking about how good it was in the interval , we had the little tubs of ice cream and tiny spoons . We lost one of my brothers only 14 years later in a car crash . This film brings back happy memories of him , ironically he had his accident in a Spitfire , a triumph spitfire though . I miss him every day, as all my family do .
I have just read your comment. I am very sorry for your loss. We are about the same age. I was born in 1959 and my dad took me to the cinema in Buenos Aires in 1969. Later on, my dad bought me little "Airfix" models of "Spitfire" and Me-109" to assemble. My dad passed away in 2016 aged 96. A real gentleman. Regards.
Mark Harrison So you think that just because a movie doesn’t make that much money, this means by default it is shit? Remember Tora Tora Tora? It was a box office FLOP, BUT IT IS STILL REGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST ACCURATE MOVIES RELATING TO THE SECOND WORLD WAR. So what is your point? Matter over mind????
@James Henderson You seem to be keen to get into every thread and repeatedly peddle your liberal leftie 'racist' comments. It was not racist and whether it made money of not has the square root of fuck all to do with the quality of the musical score, the accuracy, and the attention to detail. Kindly fuck off.
Saw this movie literally dozens of times as a kid growing up in the 1970s and 80s. Never tired of watching it and it still kicks butt to this day. Especially considering the terrible quality of even the so-called "best" war movies made in the last 25 years (and yes, that includes "Saving Private Ryan"). Hundreds of extras, uniforms/costumes that are period correct in every detail, and a whole lot small things that make the movies feel far more real.
In writing this march Ron Goodwin really outkrauted the Krauts. Magnifient piece of work. If I hadn't known any better I'd have thought it was a genuine German march dating back to WWII.
I know it's an eight years old comment but when you listen to a lot of german military march, you can definitively hear than this one doesn't match a german military march, I don't know how to say it but the feeling isn't there. On the contrary it looks more of a british march.
It is the expertise on display here that is breathtaking by modern film-making standards - no bloody blue screen, no whizz kid Korean geniuses faking it all with CGI, just real equipment and men. Yes, some of the cast had served in the war, but the movie also was able to use a plethora of experts led by Adolf Galland, the Luftwaffe air ace, while the British pilots included Wing-Comm Stanford Tuck and, with respect, Air Chief Marshal Harris`s deputy, Wing Commander Robert Wright. And then Ron Goodwin produces the best German march ever written by a non-German. Thanks to all involved.
Well in 1969 there were lots of vintage second world war two aircraft left for movie making. But today 55 years later that’s no longer the case. Today it’s either use CGI and green screens or no movie.
I was once in a hotel room in Vienna, doing a bit of channel hopping on the TV. I came across the film 'Battle of Britain' dubbed into German. It was a very bizarre experience!
A group of rich American aircraft-preservationists restored a CASA 2.111 into flying condition and then managed to crash it (fatally and totally). Something similar happened more recently with a veteran B-17.
They were available as Spain at this point was still ruled by the fascist dictator and personal friend of Hitler, Franco. Not sure I would be glad about this.
Benjamin Fisz found one Junkers Ju 87 Stuka. It was however too expensive to fix it to the flying condition. It was decided to mask couple of Percival Proctors to pose as Stukas. Finally, flying Stuka radio controlled models were used in film. It was a better solution.
This honour is awarded to Henry Hugh Pearson's "O Deutschland hoch in Ehren" (Oh Germany in high esteem), a song with a meaning comparable to "Rule Britannia" as an inofficial German national anthem. Even the nazis used it as background music for a newsreel showing the capture of Athens: th-cam.com/video/CeWS98AYTH4/w-d-xo.html
A great sequence - from Dunkirk, to the Luftwaffe bomber airfield, then to Berlin and the British embassy in Switzerland, and finally the RAF fighter command station. In those few minutes, the whole story of the lead up to the Battle of Britain, and what the battle would mean, is summed up. And that music - perfect. :O)
He's a diplomat, his job was to smooth talk Germany unil Britain could adequately defend itself. Britain needed time, it was his job to buy Britain that time but instead he challenged a superior foe to q fight. The German knew his weak spots, hit them all, and made him forget what his country needed from him. A really powerful scene.
I remember an episode of the classic TV series "Family Affair" in which Sebastian Cabot's character, a gentleman valet to Brian Keith...said something similar after an argument he had with a difficult person, "a gentleman never loses his temper".
@@genericfakename8197 No he told the Nazi just what he wanted to tell him. the OLD proverb" Don't count your chickens before they hatch' Just what the US did in Vietbnam
If you have ever wondered why the vehicle is exchanged at minute 03:10: Usually, the squadron leader of the unit drives behind the generals in the car to answer possible questions about the condition of the squadron. If the flight squad to be inspected changes, so does the squadron leader and thus the car. This procedure remains in the german Luftwaffe until today. Greetings from a fellow air force member GAF OF-D.
This movie ranks among THE very best of war action/drama films. While set in WW2, it had an "ahead of its time" feel to it, largely due to the style & skills of Harry Saltzman who, along with Albert Broccoli, co-produced the James Bond films (all of which had the same "ahead of time" effect); Sir Guy Hamilton, who directed this and the 007 films as well, and- last, but not least & more like most of all- Ron Goodwin with the musical part of it. A definite winning combination !!!
Goodwin at his very best sets the tone for the German air assault on a crippled England. What a jaunty march full of confidence and arrogance....because they had it. What an exceptional film that stands the test of time!
@@ChaoticModelmaker Not to mention the Royal Navy, which outnumbered the Kreigsmarine 10 to 1 in destroyers alone, plus cruisers, battlecruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers. The RAF didn't stop the invasion, the RN did, just by being there and not making a big song and dance about it. Mind you, I think the RN would have loved the Germans to have tried to invade, it would have been a slaughter.
@@rogueriderhood1862 And the coal and steel and food and ammunition for the navy was supplied or financed by the largest empire in the world. Britain was not alone in WWII, even before the USA joined the war.
@@rogueriderhood1862 No, no, no. Navy would not stop Luftwaffe and good luck with keeping them on a Chanel or in ports. There was a reason why RAF was defending Britain instead evacuating everything but leaving Navy.
@WielkaStopa-qh1rr That is not the case, the Luftwaffe could not have done anything to stop the RN. Ships are very difficult to bomb, particularly if they are manoeuvring at speed as destroyers would have been. Additionally, the plan for Sealion called for a night crossing of the Channel, which would certainly have taken the Luftwaffe out of the picture. Can you imagine an invasion fleet of barges being toed at 4 knots being confronted by a force of destroyers at 30 knots? The destroyers wouldn't even have to fire their guns, manoeuvring at high speed through the fleet would have swamped and sunk the barges and drowned the soldiers. You might be interested to read 'Invasion 1940' by Derek Robinson, which goes into this at some length.
Fifteen years old the first time I watched it …..mesmerised, leading to a life time aloft, counting tens of thousands of flying hours from ultralights to Jets, no doubt inspired by ‘The Few’. Watched it a zillion times since, then again another zillion times with my eight year old son, who began to pretend to be a German pilot ! Another zillion times with my grandson, who was just as mesmerised as I had been, at a mere five years of age…..no kidding. He knew all the lines….’Booms a daisy, enough to make you weep’….’and.. you can make monkeys fly better than that ‘ ! We came off a rocky tour boat once with the family, when little Rohan rather relieved from the experience, piped up…..’well done chaps home and tea for us’ …….!! What a lifetime treat this wonderful Movie has been. As real as it had played been out.. In my seventies now, Sadly watching them leave us one by one. We’ll watch them for another Lifetime. They shall not be forgotten.❤
@@MarkHarrison733 To be expected with historical films not licking America hole, Dunkirk only made money because of Harry styles - still better films and more accurate then anything the yanks produce.
"The battle for France is over; the Battle of Britain is about to begin." Peter Jackson used that as inspiration for a quote from Gandalf in The Two Towers! "The battle for Helm's Deep is over; the Battle for Middle-Earth is about to begin."
I saw this at The Dominion, Tottenham Court Road. All up the front of the cinema was the film title. I was so excited and only 15. That was in 1969. In the film The Black Windmill, Michael Caine is on a bus going past that cinema, with the film emblazoned across the front of it.A film he starred in.
”Midway” was a hilarious assembling av scenens, cut from other movies. Just think of Charlton Heston: He jumped into a Dauntless, took off in an Avenger, fler in a Vindicator and crashed in a Panther (a jet!). All during the same flight...
@@YDDES actually they used actual footage of plane flights during the air battlescenes and Charleton Heston was not flying until the like the last 30 minutes into the movie. They also used Hellcats during that battle
The BIIGER Irony is that both the first and last Bf109's were powered by RR engines. The British lent the Germans some RR engines in exchange for 1 He 70
I love this piece of music. typically German. They are at that moment in time, riding high, the world at their feet they must think of themselves as nigh on invincible. Little did they realize the rug was going to be torn out from under them.
Imagine with all we face today, to think back on that Summer of 1940 and what Britain was staring at across the English Channel. It was a honestly frightening and defining time for England. You were either frightened to tears or energized by the challenge. And an immense challenge they did face as bombs rained down on London later on. Imagine being there in 1940.
divisioneight A "defining time for England" you say. You do know, I take it, that the rest of Britain was under threat as well? Hitler had intended, had "Operation Sealion" been a success, to make Edinburgh Castle a regional HQ for the Gestapo, and to have Holyrood Palace as his official residence on visits to that part of Britain. I also can't help but notice that you refer only to bombs raining down on London. Firstly, in RAF Fighter Command (aside from the over 500 volunteer pilots from the Commonwealth and elsewhere) there were pilots from Wales, Scotland and Ulster that were in the Squadrons in Number 11 Group area (the south-east of England), which bore the brunt of the Battle. In fact, from my own home city, 603 Squadron (City of Edinburgh) were moved down from RAF Turnhouse to RAF Hornchurch - in 11 Group's area in August 1940. It became the highest scoring squadron in Fighter Command during the Battle. Secondly, although London was the primary target for the Luftwaffe, many other towns and cities around Britain were bombed during the Blitz as well - Bristol, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Dover, Coventry, Newcastle, Swansea, Cardiff, Manchester, Glasgow (Clydebank), Belfast, etc. It is wearisome for those of us in the rest of the UK to always be told that this was "England's" victory, and that "the Blitz" was only confined to London. It wasn't.
Downfall Dolfy And do you know WHY the RAF bombed Berlin initially? No? I thought not. German bombers, albeit accidentally it later turned out, ditched their bombs over residential areas of London during an abortive raid early in the period of The Battle of Britain. And if you are going to point an accusing finger over the bombing of non-military targets, how about starting with the shelling of coastal towns in England - Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby - by the German Navy (December 1914), as well as German Zeppelin and Bombers bombing London during World War 1. And what about the Luftwaffe's bombing of the Spanish town of Guernica in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War (forgotten about that, had we?). Or their bombing of Warsaw (flattening would be a more accurate description) in 1939, or the bombing of Rotterdam in 1940? Oh, and had you also forgotten that it wasn't only London that was bombed during 1940/41 but most of the major cities of the UK (yes, not just in England, but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). So you point is what, exactly?
Downfall Dolfy The point is you are saying that the Germans were justified in bombing London because we bombed Berlin. But you don't seem to grasp that the reason we did so was because the Germans bombed London first. Understand? And my my point about bombings "in completely different wars (how were the bombings of Warsaw and Rotterdam "completely different wars? They both happened in WW2. ) And there is also the moral issue, which is why I pointed out that Germany had bombed and shelled civilian targets (ie., non-military targets) long before the British, or anyone else, did. Yes, that IS relevant because it means you can't simply suggest that in bombing London the Germans were somehow only getting their own back because the beastly British did it first. (And, as I pointed out, but you have forgotten, or didn't even know, they also bombed EVERY major population centre in Britain. Are you seriously telling me you knew nothing of the devastating bombing of Coventry, which destroyed the entire centre of the city?) The Germans were perfectly prepared to bomb innocent civilians when it suited them, both during WW2 and in earlier conflicts, so lets have no more of the "poor Germans, they only did it because we did it to them" attitude. There are plenty of videos on youtube about poor innocent German civilians killed by the RAF - and the USAAF. But nobody seems to think that the 60,000 innocent British civilians killed by the Luftwaffe in 1940/41 - before the RAF raids on Germany began in earnest in 1942 - are worthy of mention. Why is that? Don't they matter? Is it only German civilians we should grieve over? And as for "You don't have to act like I should know everything about the war you know." - well if you are going to argue about which side did what to the other, you damned-well SHOULD know. Its called "research".
I saw the movie in its entirety...pretty accurate description of the conflict that arose after France fell in the spring of 1940...most historians agree that this chapter in Great Britain's history is their finest hour....imagine being outnumbered and with limited resources. The United States was remaining neutral and won't be involved until December, 1941...a little island stood up against Hitler and won....if Hitler had beaten England,. ..the U.S. was next on his radar...this and the prevention of Germany developing "heavy water" for the Atomic bomb were some of the few key moments that helped win the war...if you read more about this historical time in Wikipedia and other sources, you'll realize how great a victory this was for England.
pst702 we had already defeated axis forces in the Middle East and east Africa and ultimately won the North Africa and Indian Ocean campaigns; as well as the battle of the Atlantic
The Australians had the first major WWII victories. Germany at Tobruk and Japan on the Kokoda track. Although prior to that the British did clean up the Italians in Africa.
To be honest, the 9th Division 2nd AIF was assisted in Tobruk with British artillery, armour and Indian troops - the first land victory against the Japanese was actually at Milne Bay (PNG) and not Kokoda
@18tangles Middle east and east Africa were done by 41 and as I said ultimately the other campaigns where won; North Africa was sped up by US forces and the US shipping industry helped with the merchant Navy losses
Hugely underrated WW2 film . At the time of release it was far ahead of its time . Very influential . The edit from German pomp to the gentle British embassy and “tea and cakes “ is superb.
The British were in a bit of a tight spot after Dunkirk but this movie overlooks Britain's many strengths. The British had an excellent radar network, observer corps, antiaircraft artillery, and an information processing system for RAF Fighter command to help guide their fighters to the incoming warplanes of the German Luftwaffe. The Fighter Command sector control could guide their fighters eliminating the need for endless patroling. This RAF air defense system allowed RAF pilots early warning without getting caught on the ground during airfield attacks. RAF Fighter Command Air Chief Hugh Dowding was a brilliant officer. He made this complex air defense system and sector command system work almost flawlessly. The Luftwaffe wasn't just fighting Hurricanes and Spitfires. The Luftwaffe was fighting a brilliantly coordinated and carefully managed air defense system. The RAF had shortages of fighter pilots but the Commonwealth countries made up the differences in pilots and kept the British RAF Fighter command in the fight. The main point forgotten here is the British had been rehearsing their air defense system since the middle 1930's, for a Battle of Britian type scenario. The German Kriegsmarine lacked many important destroyers, cruisers, and landing craft for any amphibious invasion of Britain. The Germans had suffered heavy naval losses during the Norwegian campaign in early 1940. Plus, RAF and French resistance over France during the Battle of Dunkirk caused further considerable Luftwaffe aircraft losses. The whole British Empire of Canada, Australia, India, South Africa, Rhodesia, and New Zealand were at war with Germany. Many occupied European Allied nations, with troops on British soil, offered these soldiers and trained pilots to help Britain. These countries included Poland, France, Czechoslavakia and various Scandinavian countries. The British had comparable fighter planes with the Hawker Hurricane and probably superior fighter planes in the Supermarine Spitfire. The British enjoyed naval superiority, which as long as the RAF challenged the skies over Britain, meant German naval forces would be blasted out of the water making any amphibious invasion extremely costly for Germany. So Operation Sea Lion was really a fictional German plan without the naval and logistical means to carry it forward. British resistance in Norway and Dunkirk had an accumulative effect with beneficial results in the summer of 1940. The United States started aiding the British soon after the fall of France. Lend Lease aid came later on after the Battle of Britain but lots of other aid went to the British during the Battle of Britain. FDR realized at somepoint, the United States would be forced to enter the war. So he understood, that helping the United Kingdom stay in the fight was actually furthering American interests. Many American manufacturers started switching over to Lend Lease military aid. The American industrialist base lacked many of the important machine tools and industrial components to convert a civilian economy to a wartime economy overnight. These conversions took time but were rapidly accomplished as was the military draft and calling up Guard and Reserve divisions for federal service. Many First World War artillery and infantry small arms were dragged out mothballs in depots and converted to modern weapons. The Americans did a few things right from the beginning to get ready for war despite strong isolationist sentiment. The most important aspect of the American Lend Lease program was to build the necessary QUANTITY of adequate military weapons through mass production. The Curtiss P-40 fighter was built in huge numbers with a majority going to the British Commonwealth, including the Soviet Union and Nationalist China.The M-3 tank was a Lend Lease tank built by Mr. Knudson, President of Chrysler in a new plant in Detroit exclusively for tanks. The M-3 tank had a 75mm gun in sponson with a 37mm gun in a turret. This awkard looking but still effective medium tank helped keep the British going in North Africa until the M-4 Sherman arrived during the Battle of El Alamein. The M-3 Grant tank went to the Soviet Union with about 1,000 seeing combat at Leningrad, Stalingrad, Kursk, and Petsamo. The British sent their old P-40's and all their old M-3 Grant tanks to Burma using them until the end of the war against the Japanese. The British Army used refurbished First World War artillery from Lend Lease from the United States in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy including the M-3 halftracks with 75mm guns for mobile artillery. The Americans provided enormous amounts of canned food stuffs, infantry small arms, vehicles and trucks, telephone wire and equipment, boots and uniforms, even locomotives and ships for the British Commonwealth and later the Soviet Union. None of America's weapons under Lend Lease were necessarily the best weapons of WW 2. But much of U.S. Lend Lease aid kept the British and the Soviet Union in the war. Much of the Lend Lease aid and weapons went to secondary theaters or theaters that were less critical to the war effort. But this is extremely important because it allowed the British and the Soviets to concentrate their best units and equipment in the main combat areas. So the legacy of the Battle of Britain is that of American Lend Lease aid to the British. British aid to the Soviet Union helped stabilize the front and win the Battle of Moscow. British aid to the Soviet Union mattered greatly in 1941. But no British aid could have made it to the Soviet Union until American Leand Lease aid came after the Battle of Britian.
Actually most important role which lend-lease played is not the weapons and trucks which they supplied to UK and USSR, but their aids on UK and USSR's industry. For example, official website of "Central Archives of the Russian Ministry of Defense", there were only about 1/5 of the materials which USSR received from Lend-lease were directly related to the military use, the rest 4/5 of the materials were related to the USSR's military industrial production, that's why Lend-Lease is Very crucial for USSR to survive and keep the war. That's also a reason why the importance of lend-lease is often understated by people and even some historians. Soviet production of tanks, guns and aircrafts were largely relying on the industrial raw materials (e.g. nonferrous metal, rubber, armor steel, and chemical raw materials) and machine tools provided by the Lend-Lease cuz they lost too many industries and equipments at the beginning of the war. For example, the construction of "Stalingrad Tractor Plant" (one of the major tank factories of USSR during WW2) was carried out with the assistance of the United States, and most of its equipments are made in USA. Therefore, Lend Lease improved the efficiency of USSR military industry and improved the productivity of weapons and ordnance goods dramatically (e.g. Lend-lease provided ordnance goods (like ammunition, artillery shells, mines, and assorted explosives) amounted to 53 percent of total USSR domestic production). Without lend-lease, USSR couldn't produce so many aircrafts, tanks, shells, bombs, and guns during the war, and so as UK
One of Britain's main strength,was the fighting power of the Commonwealth and the food and supplies we sent as well.We sent our blood in WW1 and went again in WW2 .The ANZAC's,Canada,India,South Africa,Rhodesia and many of the African Nations too.New Zealand was only a small country,but we fought every where on all fronts.In the air,at sea and on land.
The amount of time I have seen my little 6 year old brother march up and down the living room saluting the TV to this is uncountable 😂. One of the greatest war films made ever.
I like how they capture the sense of euphoria amongst the German high command and officers, having overrun mainland Europe and expecting to vanquish Britain in short order. They must have felt that they were standing on top of the world at that point. The young Luftwaffe pilots billeted in the French chateau, banqueting with fine wines after returning from each sortie, summed it up.
It is hugely ironic that Ron Goodwin, an Englishman, composed the Aces High March (the music that companies this video), which is quite possibly the finest German march ever, as part of a movie depicting the defeat of the German Luftwaffe by the British Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain, the event that was the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany.
What a great movie. Just to see all those Spanish Heinkel 111’s, (no CGI there) and Spanish built Buchón’s its an amazing sight to see. They were “loaned” (for a price) by Franco’s Ejército del Aire. He may have been a dictator, but his government contributed in the making of one of the best WW2 movies ever.
I read somewhere many years ago that all those Heinkel 111's were loaned from the Spanish air force for the making of this film. It is noticeable that they are all fitted with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, I can only surmise that the German industries were so heavily bombed that the original engines could no longer be produced after the war.
Spain had a few German engines but the supplies dried up at the end of the war. Rolls Royce had developed universal cowling and engine packages for several aircraft and these were adapted to the CASA aircraft.
Interesting - I have just viewed a video of this aircraft and the Merlin engine has rather distorted the sleek shape of the original aircraft. thanks for your comments.
+Damar158 Britain would rather consider why it is ranked the third on the list of so called "Nanny states" in Europe, and why it has laws and practices of internet censorship comparable to Russia, Turkey, China and Saudi Arabia. That does not come from the EU, that is something the UK government created itself. While the UK patronizes its own population, the London Financial District holds the largest laundry engine of the world's crime, drug and terrorism finance.. The City stands above all law and is protected by the government. These finance people are already in Whitehall now, and the UK government actually listens to them! Kick them out in stead of Brexiting!
I have watched certain scenes of the movie about five hundred times, especially those depicting Germans, not only because I am German myself but because they are so incredibly accurate!!! Especially Göring's personality, being capable of switching from menace to Joviality in just a second. Or the unconcerned German Pilots, seemigly considering war as more of an adventure or a sports match...exremely authentic!!! Many of us Germans really were that way a the time
Debbie. How djd I Miss this Movie? Because IT was Made In Colour. I was Used To War- Been Black@ White! Except George Stevens senior shot near end of War- IN Berline. Must watch Film now! Nearly 85yr. 😊
This is one of the best movies ever made. I can't think of any part that disappoints. Except when Christopher Plummer exits a cottage and a modern plastic door bell is in shot
@@Jeremy-y1treal aircraft dumbo. The only models were the Stukas as none survived to the 1960s. As for the actors ages, depends who you have in mind. In 1940 RAF Squadron Leaders were typically in their late 20s, going into 30s. Pilot officers and NCOs typically early twenties. Senior officers 40s plus. Dowding was past retirement age in 1940.young actors were used where available, thus those playing the Poles eg "Ox" were of the correct age: he was 19 at the time of filming. I was 20 then( played a Polish pilot)
The opening titles must have had the same budget as some 'B' pictures. Ron Goodwin's theme is spot-on! Many 1960s movies have amazing opening sequences and/or extraordinarily high production values. Lawrence of Arabia, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines, The Bond Films and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, to name a few. So much talent. the Actors would probably claim that their fees were sacrificed on the production value altar. The work is of such quality that it must be preserved forever. Thank goodness that the Film Industry had such amazing talent at that time.
Great classic ww2 movie, the best aviation film ever made, hope the new ridley Scott battle of Britain film gets produced and released in theatres sometime soon
A great rousing tune no doubt.I wonder if Guy Hamilton ever considered using the actual Luftwaffe song "Bomben auf Engeland" as the theme?I cant help thinking that would have been even better.But its fantastic as it is...I love the bit where the British guy tells Curt Jurgens to basically do one.
"The last little corporal who tried it came a cropper." One of the greatest lines ever. I don't know if it is historically accurate, but it oughtta be!
2:25 Upon further inspection I was surprised to see that the RAD (Reichsarbeitsdienst) was portrayed repairing the bridge. Probably the first and only time I’ve seen them in Ww2 movies.
The sheer, historically-accurate visual minutiae lavished upon this film is surely peerless and perhaps best exemplified at approx 2:30 mark of which briefly shows labourers repairing war-damaged infrastructure. Naturally most films would've simply requisitioned a few extras portraying German soldiers to strip to their vests to perform such a function. Here though they correctly depict the khaki-clad German Labour corp, 'Organisation Todt' instead! Inevitably 'Todt is _very_ rarely (if ever) represented in WW2-themed films for it's recreation requires distinctive/bespoke uniforms.... and here they're only on screen for a paltry couple or so seconds! As I say, an incredible, if not unsurpassed attention to detail.
Labourers? you mean Combat Engineers ,a vital arm of the military that never get the recognition they deserve for the hugely important work they do and before you ask,yes I`m a retired Combat Engineer so I might be a bit biased,so sorry not sorry.
Would you know if there is something special about the laborers shown at the 3:15 mark? They appear to be poorly dressed and digging a large ditch of sorts. Are they being disciplined?.
was at Port Cols airport USA waiting tor the Concord to make a stop. man a lot of people around present. a HE-111 made a pass over rw 28l in spring summer of 85.
I remember when they were filming the movie. Several Spitfires and Hurricances flew over our (Essex) house on a number of occasions. Probably based at Duxford. Ron Godwin wrote some of the best martial music ever to accompany WWII films, the score for 633 Squadron for example was one of the best, and I still hum it today. TBofB film although having many well known actors of the time, wasn't the best received and laboured in parts, but the areal sequences, and the score made up for it.
The movie opens with the German's theme instead of the now famous theme, because at this point the movie is still about their triumphant march to victory. But they'll figure it out soon enough.
Best airwar film ever. It has a naturalness and organic feel that you can forget with CGI and lots of fancy camera angles. The score too is sublime. They got it dead right with this film.
I first saw this in the cinema as a teenager, like Grand Prix and 2001. I love the bit where the general says "If I have to look at another bomber, I won't recommend you for a promotion." I don't know if it's true, but it feels real.
Just imagine what the world would be like now if the RAF had lost the Battle of Britian. There's a good chance Britian would have turned into another Vichy satellite of Germany, and the million or two German soldiers protecting the west would have joined the invasion of Russia. What ifs in WW2 are too numerous to even dwell on, but losing the Battle of Britian would have changed history.
The Battle of Britain was irrelevant as Hitler never intended to invade the UK. As soon as Stalin broke the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact on 28 June 1940 the OKW started preparing for Barbarossa.
Great film. I saw it three times in the cinema, once in Hamburg . Kenneth Moore dubbed with a German voice!!! The amazing thing was the audience cheered when the Brits shot a German plane down. Amazing cast, amazing action, and yes, it's a true story!! The music score is one of my favorites too.
@@wcstevens7 and in many cases, rightfully so. Destroying my generations prospects in the name of "sovereignty", which we never lost. The EU is the among the greatest things to happen to the UK, and you can fuck off if you think some gammons should have the right to take it's benefits away from us with a small majority victory.
@@patrickjohn33 Try taking that apostrophe from "it's" and putting it in "generations". Then you might want to remove the obscenity in the third line. There's really no need for it, you know. And finally, as a last general piece of advice, why not take your head out of your backside and do some thinking for a change before writing such twaddle?
The aircraft gathered for this film created the 33rd biggest airforce in the world at the time! One of the non-flying Spitfires was "gate guardian at my ATC headquarters. They gave us a Meteor NF-14 and a Vampire T-11 in it's place!
@MarkHarrison: Racist?? Mind pointing out to we historians where the racism appears? This is European HISTORY you muppet. The Battle of Britain was fought between The UK and Nazi Germany. The population of BOTH countries was overwhelmingly white. Whilst there were volunteers from all over the Commonwealth in the RAF, many of them were still under training. At the end of the film is a tribute to the few, including their countries of origin along with losses. There is also a breakdown of losses of the Luftwaffe too. THERE IS NO RACISM IN THIS FILM! Finally, if it's so problematic, why is it still considered one of the best war films ever made and still played regularly some 55yrs after it was made?!!
@@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBars Britain was occupying half of the world in 1940. It's why this film received such terrible reviews and flopped in every country, losing $10 million worldwide and bankrupting Herschel Saltzman.
The wonder of a film as memorable as this is that the attention to correct equipment is almost perfect. One of the highlights for me is seeing more than one, of the now almost 'extinct', Zündapp KS 750's in one place & being used.
As a proud former Serviceman of 30 year's, I am disgusted at the way successive Government's have degenerated the brave sacrifice our former colleagues made. Immigration alone has destroyed the UK. Vote Reform UK 🇬🇧.
You know course, millions of Indians and Africans who were part of the Commonwealth, fought in the Second War with honor and helped beat back the Japanese. Oh, they also fought in the trenches in World War One. But hey they didn’t earn anything for their descendants. Keep it up sparky it’s this kind of thinking that caused you to lose an empire. Arrogant, racist, uninformed and holding on to white supremacy lies.
Reform is just a bunch of re-packaged nasty British neo-Fascists. Please do not mix 2024 UK politics with 1940 Britain. Back then, the British Union of Fascists and its mouth piece the Daily Mail , were enthusiastic about Hitler.
@@SomberYeti Adolph Galland became a general when he was 30, and was one of Germany's most famous pilots. He shot down the most aircraft of anyone during the Battle of Britain who survived the war (beaten only by Werner Moelders), he was also the author of the First and the Last.
For the longest time I thought the opening tune was an actual German military march. Goodwin really nailed the style.
For "the longest time," eh? That would be about 13.8 billion years - since the Big Bang, when time began. Were you really around then? Are you God?
@@DieFlabbergast Its called exaggeration and it is a speech style dingus
@@DieFlabbergast why are you like this
It combines english elegance with german jaggedness...
@@DieFlabbergast I think I finally found Dwight Schrute's alternate youtube account.
This opening was an experience in itself. Seeing all of the real planes, real actors was a treat, as was reading the names in the credits- I got quite a surprise seeing Adolf Galland’s name there.
Lots of genuine veterans were advising on the film both British and German. Sadly almost all no longer with us.
I met him twice in the early 1990s. He traveled air shows in the US and EU giving talks
Galland was a very highly respected fighter pilot & was engaged as an expert advisor on everything from equipment to protocol - & combat tactics for both sides. He was one of the very few who saw it all from start to finish. Saw everything - Flew everything - Survived everything.
as a child I was brought up near RAF Manston & remember seeing several of the aircraft they were using for the filming
@@grahampalmer9337 After the War he was released and hired by the Argentine Government to act as an Technical Advisor for our Air Force...he helped to organise the Fighter force which had been reequipped with 100 Gloster Meteors F.4
One of the best movie scores ever. I'll put this movie on sometimes just to watch the beginning.
I do the same-and I turn the volume up!
1000%
Its called the luftwaffe March
@@vinorob Also known as "Aces High" Ron Goodwin wrote some brilliant memorable music. I remember reading where he was at home in his garden when his wife shouted for him to come in when she heard the London Marathon using "The Trap" as its theme, now used every year since.
LUFTWAFFE MARCH
Real cars, real airplanes , real actors ,what the hell more could you ask for?...
Wait, those were real He 111s?
Yes.. but Spanish build versions .. Same airframes but different engines . same with the ME109's used in the film
Ian Johnson SO???
At least they're not American trainers painted grey with a swastika! I think you are a big whiner!
Ian Johnson woah, i just knew of that. Thought that the heinkels were just mock-ups. 😅😅😅
s g It's a MOVIE. Does it matter one iota if Spanish planes with a different engine were used? NO!
I'm so sick and tired of all these people nit-picking about miniscule things in movies.
HEY! Did you know that the chariots used in Ben-Hur were not the real ones used during Roman times? You're as big an idiot as that guy is a whiner!
Comprehend THAT, mo-fo!
Sir David: "It's two lumps you take, isn't it?" It couldn't have been better said.
"Don't dictate to US, until you are marching down WhiteHALL !............and even then we won't listen !"
always brings tears to my eyes, for a dear, late friend of mine who had been in charge of an Auxiliary Unit Patrol in 1940 told me that was EXACTLY their attitude ! !
and then, "Its unforgiveable !.......I lost my temper !"🥲🥲...WONDERFUL people !
But Herr Hitler only had one lump
@@lordeden2732 Like you only having a mono neuronal cerebral set up ?
Sir David was Sir David Kelly, a Catholic Irishman from Dublin who was loyal to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, not a Sinn Feinet.
@@murrayaronson3753a freestater then..... sure they've always been loyal
"The last little corporal who tried [to cross the Channel] came a cropper!" Such a very-British retort!
Love that line.
Apparently it refers to Napoleon
@@WaltonSauce Which is why I love it.
Thanks to the Russians both times. Napoleon started his career as a lieutenant in the artillery, tho'.
@@jamesbussey2911 Napoleon couldn't cross the Channel because of Trafalgar, not because of the Russians.
The German planes in this film I recall were sourced from Spain as they were part of their current airforce. I bought the musical score as I was so impressed by it. I was in my early teens then. Just now I’m in Normandy and close to to invasion beaches. I’d recommend anyone to visit the area. Now in my 60s and my interest hasn’t changed.
Yep! it was like that! In fact Spain had just retired them from service. The german soldiers on reviewn appearing in this opening were Spanish conscripts during their military service arround the area of Seville where the geman planes of the movie were purchased.
Fake FW190s BF109s Junkers 87s Junkers 52s Junkers 110 Donier 88 and others
For me this is the best WW2 film ever made - no individual hero's, just told like it was. Ron Goodwin's opening musical composition is a masterpiece!
It also show the contributions of Polish pilots, and focusing on not one group of people but many.
After all, the *Allies* won WWII together.
I also love the fact that they used the correct aircraft, and that it was filmed partly from a Vickers Wellington
+David Shepherd Sorry, but the camera plane was a B-25. The last Wellington to fly was apparently in 1953.
I stand corrected, but in my defense I was thinking of a black and white photo in the book of the movie, which I read many years ago.......so much for memory
++David Shepherd No probs. I'd love to see a real Wellington flying. The Ju52 in the film is still flying AFAIK. It also appeared in the film "Where Eagles Dare", though how a Ju52 was going to fly through Europe in daylight was rather glossed over. In the book it was a Mosquito, which created its own problems.!
I saw that Ju52 at Blackbushe Airport with one of the He111s from the film plus a Sea Fury and once flying over London.
Easily the greatest opening ever for a war movie.
I love this opening (actually 8 minutes into the film) but don't forget the opening to the Bridge on the River Kwai when the British POW's enter the Japanese work camp.
If only those proud Nazi officers could have known.
Private ryan enters the room.....
Patton looks over
@@chrismiller5198 They were not Nazis.
Must be one of the best opening film credits ever produced. Saw this in the cinema on release and this intro really wet your appetite for the coming film. Brilliant.
brilliant score Goodwin did his homework , best bit of German music ever written by an Englishman
Unfortunately this was not written by Goodwin but rather was already a German march. The Luftwaffe March.
It wasn't a German march, it was written for the film in a German style with a emphasis on tubas, horns and glockenspiels. It was originally called "Luftwaffe March" but later renamed "Aces high march"
michael wain i
Alexander Baker original composition by Goodwin
I think Goodwin refines German jaggedness with some sort of British elegance and easygoing, but as a march it is a real masterpiece.
THE best film. EVER. Music, scenes, aerial filming, props, actors, locations, the list goes on. Only the English can make films like this.
@@nicknack4365 It was made in the 60s ya plank
@@spinaway and yet the comment is still very valid yer plank.
Immaculate tailoring, concise to the last detail. No high water hems, no tight waists or short backs, the shirt and coat sleeve lengths are precise, and the cuffs do not cinch the wrists. Those were the days when men knew how to dress, they wore subdued colors that by themselves would not even warrant a glimpse, but in combination with other hues of the same nature caused a contrast that pleased the eye, and gave the wearer a sense of dereguerre and civility.
It’s a war film not a tailoring exercise! Jesus! 😢
A very underappreciated film. I saw this as a kid on TV as a kid in 1972 on CBS and thought it was the greatest war movie of all time. It is still amongst the greatest IMHO.
Yes yes, very underappreciated
Underappreciated id say
Was always underappreciated, id say
Id say it was underappreciated
Underapreciayed, thats what this film is
I guess some thing why those british war movies from the 60ies appear so authentic was, that all warfaring nations' staff was played by actors from those nation whose most had served in their respective armies during the real war.
That enables them to naturally display the typical styles of their very individual military behaviour, in words, body language and all that.
Films made today never reach that standard again.
I would say that the war was not to long ago at that time and still fresh in in their memory what they had been trough.
you are correct in ever aspect Meier.
That's quite true Michael. One of the most authentic war films is called "Their's is the Glory" which was made soon after the war. It is the same story as "A Bridge Too Far" and was actually filmed in the ruins of Arnhem before reconstruction began post-war. There are no actors in it - all the parts are played by the survivors of the actual battle. As one film critic later commented, at times you can see the fear in their eyes, they weren't acting the roles, they were re-living them!
Best comment ever on authenticity was by Richard Todd in the longest day. So called advisor said why did you do that it's wrong. What do you know? Todd replied I was with lovatts commandos
Watch the Unknown Soldier from Finland on TH-cam. Battle Scenes stand alone. At 68 years old I wanted to fight with them !
Remember seeing it at the flicks as a boy , I would be about 8 , I guess around 1970 . On Holiday in Southsea with mum dad my sister and two brothers . We thought it was great , I even remember us talking about how good it was in the interval , we had the little tubs of ice cream and tiny spoons . We lost one of my brothers only 14 years later in a car crash . This film brings back happy memories of him , ironically he had his accident in a Spitfire , a triumph spitfire though . I miss him every day, as all my family do .
I have just read your comment. I am very sorry for your loss. We are about the same age. I was born in 1959 and my dad took me to the cinema in Buenos Aires in 1969. Later on, my dad bought me little "Airfix" models of "Spitfire" and Me-109" to assemble. My dad passed away in 2016 aged 96. A real gentleman. Regards.
Much much better than today's war films.
Yeah - that's why it lost $10 million worldwide.
Mark Harrison So you think that just because a movie doesn’t make that much money, this means by default it is shit? Remember Tora Tora Tora? It was a box office FLOP, BUT IT IS STILL REGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST ACCURATE MOVIES RELATING TO THE SECOND WORLD WAR. So what is your point? Matter over mind????
@@wd-type9643 Tora, Tora, Tora! One of my all time favourite war movies. So is the Battle of Britain come to that.
Three of my modern WWII favourites. One movie, two TV series. Saving private Ryan. HBOs, Band of Brothers and The Pacific.
@James Henderson You seem to be keen to get into every thread and repeatedly peddle your liberal leftie 'racist' comments. It was not racist and whether it made money of not has the square root of fuck all to do with the quality of the musical score, the accuracy, and the attention to detail. Kindly fuck off.
Im old enough to remember all this going on , what memories !!
When it was ok to be white, British and proud.
David Thomas Tf you talking about? Just enjoy the video and don’t bring that shit here.
@@davidthomas9190 Please just fuck off
Saw this movie literally dozens of times as a kid growing up in the 1970s and 80s. Never tired of watching it and it still kicks butt to this day. Especially considering the terrible quality of even the so-called "best" war movies made in the last 25 years (and yes, that includes "Saving Private Ryan"). Hundreds of extras, uniforms/costumes that are period correct in every detail, and a whole lot small things that make the movies feel far more real.
In writing this march Ron Goodwin really outkrauted the Krauts. Magnifient piece of work. If I hadn't known any better I'd have thought it was a genuine German march dating back to WWII.
Herr AKA German Army (Absent in the first film)
My dad thought it was from WW2
You're not alone in thinking that! - should have got an award for this alone, never mind all his other music. Brilliant composer.
I know it's an eight years old comment but when you listen to a lot of german military march, you can definitively hear than this one doesn't match a german military march, I don't know how to say it but the feeling isn't there. On the contrary it looks more of a british march.
It is the expertise on display here that is breathtaking by modern film-making standards - no bloody blue screen, no whizz kid Korean geniuses faking it all with CGI, just real equipment and men. Yes, some of the cast had served in the war, but the movie also was able to use a plethora of experts led by Adolf Galland, the Luftwaffe air ace, while the British pilots included Wing-Comm Stanford Tuck and, with respect, Air Chief Marshal Harris`s deputy, Wing Commander Robert Wright. And then Ron Goodwin produces the best German march ever written by a non-German. Thanks to all involved.
Well in 1969 there were lots of vintage second world war two aircraft left for movie making. But today 55 years later that’s no longer the case. Today it’s either use CGI and green screens or no movie.
I was once in a hotel room in Vienna, doing a bit of channel hopping on the TV. I came across the film 'Battle of Britain' dubbed into German. It was a very bizarre experience!
Did the Germans win in it 🤣
@@andrewpestotnik5495 "dubbed" -- not "re-edited" :)
@@DieFlabbergast good point
@@andrewpestotnik5495 No, thank god!
Who won then the germans
And all the German warbirds provided courtesy of Spain’s Ejército del Aire.
Glad they were still available during the days of filming!
A group of rich American aircraft-preservationists restored a CASA 2.111 into flying condition and then managed to crash it (fatally and totally). Something similar happened more recently with a veteran B-17.
They were available as Spain at this point was still ruled by the fascist dictator and personal friend of Hitler, Franco. Not sure I would be glad about this.
Benjamin Fisz found one Junkers Ju 87 Stuka. It was however too expensive to fix it to the flying condition.
It was decided to mask couple of Percival Proctors to pose as Stukas. Finally, flying Stuka radio controlled models were used in film. It was a better solution.
This tune is, possibly, the greatest gift from Britain to the German people. It glows with Germanic inspiration, from musical note to musical note.
Britain's greatest musical gift is "Living Next Door to Alice" by Smokie
We need a remix - perhaps performed by Harry Styles and One Direction.
I agree. It has some overtones of 'Prussian Glory' which I marched to on parade in the British Army (ironically) !
This honour is awarded to Henry Hugh Pearson's "O Deutschland hoch in Ehren" (Oh Germany in high esteem), a song with a meaning comparable to "Rule Britannia" as an inofficial German national anthem. Even the nazis used it as background music for a newsreel showing the capture of Athens:
th-cam.com/video/CeWS98AYTH4/w-d-xo.html
Well! Well!. Some people on here are rather touchy to say the least! I was merely commenting about the beauty of the tune - nothing else.
'Flight of Two Heroes' - a German March!
A great sequence - from Dunkirk, to the Luftwaffe bomber airfield, then to Berlin and the British embassy in Switzerland, and finally the RAF fighter command station. In those few minutes, the whole story of the lead up to the Battle of Britain, and what the battle would mean, is summed up. And that music - perfect. :O)
I have always loved those lines: "It's unforgivable. I lost my temper". Just verbally standing your ground is not losing your temper!
Lossiemouth Beach and to lose the argument
He's a diplomat, his job was to smooth talk Germany unil Britain could adequately defend itself. Britain needed time, it was his job to buy Britain that time but instead he challenged a superior foe to q fight. The German knew his weak spots, hit them all, and made him forget what his country needed from him. A really powerful scene.
"A gentleman never raises his voice" !
I remember an episode of the classic TV series "Family Affair" in which Sebastian Cabot's character, a gentleman valet to Brian Keith...said something similar after an argument he had with a difficult person, "a gentleman never loses his temper".
@@genericfakename8197 No he told the Nazi just what he wanted to tell him. the OLD proverb" Don't count your chickens before they hatch' Just what the US did in Vietbnam
If you have ever wondered why the vehicle is exchanged at minute 03:10: Usually, the squadron leader of the unit drives behind the generals in the car to answer possible questions about the condition of the squadron. If the flight squad to be inspected changes, so does the squadron leader and thus the car. This procedure remains in the german Luftwaffe until today.
Greetings from a fellow air force member GAF OF-D.
Now I always wondered why they did that swap. Thank you.
@@stevetaylor8698 You are very welcome!
Very interesting air force protocol. Thanks for the skinny. From an old navyman.
Nice detail :D Thx for sharing!
This movie ranks among THE very best of war action/drama films. While set in WW2, it had an "ahead of its time" feel to it, largely due to the style & skills of Harry Saltzman who, along with Albert Broccoli, co-produced the James Bond films (all of which had the same "ahead of time" effect); Sir Guy Hamilton, who directed this and the 007 films as well, and- last, but not least & more like most of all- Ron Goodwin with the musical part of it. A definite winning combination !!!
Goodwin at his very best sets the tone for the German air assault on a crippled England. What a jaunty march full of confidence and arrogance....because they had it. What an exceptional film that stands the test of time!
"We're not ready. We're on our own. We've been playing for time. And it's running out." Sounds familiar.
And that time Britain wasn't on its own; it could call the resources of Empire, ironically.
@@ChaoticModelmaker Not to mention the Royal Navy, which outnumbered the Kreigsmarine 10 to 1 in destroyers alone, plus cruisers, battlecruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers. The RAF didn't stop the invasion, the RN did, just by being there and not making a big song and dance about it. Mind you, I think the RN would have loved the Germans to have tried to invade, it would have been a slaughter.
@@rogueriderhood1862 And the coal and steel and food and ammunition for the navy was supplied or financed by the largest empire in the world. Britain was not alone in WWII, even before the USA joined the war.
@@rogueriderhood1862 No, no, no. Navy would not stop Luftwaffe and good luck with keeping them on a Chanel or in ports. There was a reason why RAF was defending Britain instead evacuating everything but leaving Navy.
@WielkaStopa-qh1rr That is not the case, the Luftwaffe could not have done anything to stop the RN. Ships are very difficult to bomb, particularly if they are manoeuvring at speed as destroyers would have been. Additionally, the plan for Sealion called for a night crossing of the Channel, which would certainly have taken the Luftwaffe out of the picture. Can you imagine an invasion fleet of barges being toed at 4 knots being confronted by a force of destroyers at 30 knots? The destroyers wouldn't even have to fire their guns, manoeuvring at high speed through the fleet would have swamped and sunk the barges and drowned the soldiers. You might be interested to read 'Invasion 1940' by Derek Robinson, which goes into this at some length.
Fifteen years old the first time I watched it …..mesmerised, leading to a life time aloft, counting tens of thousands of flying hours from ultralights to Jets, no doubt inspired by ‘The Few’. Watched it a zillion times since, then again another zillion times with my eight year old son, who began to pretend to be a German pilot ! Another zillion times with my grandson, who was just as mesmerised as I had been, at a mere five years of age…..no kidding. He knew all the lines….’Booms a daisy, enough to make you weep’….’and.. you can make monkeys fly better than that ‘ ! We came off a rocky tour boat once with the family, when little Rohan rather relieved from the experience, piped up…..’well done chaps home and tea for us’ …….!! What a lifetime treat this wonderful Movie has been. As real as it had played been out.. In my seventies now, Sadly watching them leave us one by one. We’ll watch them for another Lifetime. They shall not be forgotten.❤
This racist film was a huge flop.
@@MarkHarrison733 To be expected with historical films not licking America hole, Dunkirk only made money because of Harry styles - still better films and more accurate then anything the yanks produce.
@@Delogros This racist film flopped because it was boring garbage with an overage cast.
"The battle for France is over; the Battle of Britain is about to begin."
Peter Jackson used that as inspiration for a quote from Gandalf in The Two Towers!
"The battle for Helm's Deep is over; the Battle for Middle-Earth is about to begin."
Film quote.
@@davidedwards9097 Damn right Sir, well said!
There was no such quote in the book. You've been found out.
It's actually from the movie, not the book.
Vee are going to march into London whenever vee vish !
'Its 2 lumps you take isn't it'.
My Father took me to see this in the cinema 6 times. I love this film.
I saw this at The Dominion, Tottenham Court Road. All up the front of the cinema was the film title. I was so excited and only 15. That was in 1969. In the film The Black Windmill, Michael Caine is on a bus going past that cinema, with the film emblazoned across the front of it.A film he starred in.
One of the great realistic great war movies, along with Tora Tora Tora.
My favorite is Midway
”Midway” was a hilarious assembling av scenens, cut from other movies.
Just think of Charlton Heston:
He jumped into a Dauntless, took off in an Avenger, fler in a Vindicator and crashed in a Panther (a jet!). All during the same flight...
@@YDDES actually they used actual footage of plane flights during the air battlescenes and Charleton Heston was not flying until the like the last 30 minutes into the movie.
They also used Hellcats during that battle
"it's two lumps you take isn't it"
pachma ...He also said. " The British do not frighten easily " ....BLOODY RIGHT....THEY DON'T. !!!!!
Max never did finish his tea, in fact he didn't appear to touch it at all.
The Spanish copies of the HE111's (used in the film) CASA 2.111 from what I read had RR Merlin engines. The irony of the ironies.
The BIIGER Irony is that both the first and last Bf109's were powered by RR engines.
The British lent the Germans some RR engines in exchange for 1 He 70
I love this piece of music. typically German. They are at that moment in time, riding high, the world at their feet they must think of themselves as nigh on invincible. Little did they realize the rug was going to be torn out from under them.
Typically German, but ... composed by Ron Goodwin, an English composer and conductor known for his film music.
The German version opens with the "Badenweiler Marsch", not with this piece of music.
"Europe is ours. We can walk into Britain whenever we like... Now that didn't quite work, now did it...
N,,BUT WE WISH THEY DID
@@rontait2735we...
@@7belowzero it would have worked had they not invaded USSR.. it is more of Germans losing than allies winning
I have always like this peace of music since I first heard it by Ron Goodwin a good start to the film
War, not peace!
Imagine with all we face today, to think back on that Summer of 1940 and what Britain was staring at across the English Channel. It was a honestly frightening and defining time for England. You were either frightened to tears or energized by the challenge. And an immense challenge they did face as bombs rained down on London later on. Imagine being there in 1940.
+divisioneight I sure wish they'd stand up to the muslim menace that is threatening to overwhelm their wonderful country today.
divisioneight ..yes,it was the 'English'..on their own.
divisioneight
A "defining time for England" you say. You do know, I take it, that the rest of Britain was under threat as well? Hitler had intended, had "Operation Sealion" been a success, to make Edinburgh Castle a regional HQ for the Gestapo, and to have Holyrood Palace as his official residence on visits to that part of Britain. I also can't help but notice that you refer only to bombs raining down on London.
Firstly, in RAF Fighter Command (aside from the over 500 volunteer pilots from the Commonwealth and elsewhere) there were pilots from Wales, Scotland and Ulster that were in the Squadrons in Number 11 Group area (the south-east of England), which bore the brunt of the Battle. In fact, from my own home city, 603 Squadron (City of Edinburgh) were moved down from RAF Turnhouse to RAF Hornchurch - in 11 Group's area in August 1940. It became the highest scoring squadron in Fighter Command during the Battle.
Secondly, although London was the primary target for the Luftwaffe, many other towns and cities around Britain were bombed during the Blitz as well - Bristol, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Dover, Coventry, Newcastle, Swansea, Cardiff, Manchester, Glasgow (Clydebank), Belfast, etc.
It is wearisome for those of us in the rest of the UK to always be told that this was "England's" victory, and that "the Blitz" was only confined to London. It wasn't.
Downfall Dolfy
And do you know WHY the RAF bombed Berlin initially? No? I thought not. German bombers, albeit accidentally it later turned out, ditched their bombs over residential areas of London during an abortive raid early in the period of The Battle of Britain.
And if you are going to point an accusing finger over the bombing of non-military targets, how about starting with the shelling of coastal towns in England - Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby - by the German Navy (December 1914), as well as German Zeppelin and Bombers bombing London during World War 1. And what about the Luftwaffe's bombing of the Spanish town of Guernica in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War (forgotten about that, had we?). Or their bombing of Warsaw (flattening would be a more accurate description) in 1939, or the bombing of Rotterdam in 1940?
Oh, and had you also forgotten that it wasn't only London that was bombed during 1940/41 but most of the major cities of the UK (yes, not just in England, but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).
So you point is what, exactly?
Downfall Dolfy
The point is you are saying that the Germans were justified in bombing London because we bombed Berlin. But you don't seem to grasp that the reason we did so was because the Germans bombed London first. Understand? And my my point about bombings "in completely different wars (how were the bombings of Warsaw and Rotterdam "completely different wars? They both happened in WW2. ) And there is also the moral issue, which is why I pointed out that Germany had bombed and shelled civilian targets (ie., non-military targets) long before the British, or anyone else, did.
Yes, that IS relevant because it means you can't simply suggest that in bombing London the Germans were somehow only getting their own back because the beastly British did it first. (And, as I pointed out, but you have forgotten, or didn't even know, they also bombed EVERY major population centre in Britain. Are you seriously telling me you knew nothing of the devastating bombing of Coventry, which destroyed the entire centre of the city?)
The Germans were perfectly prepared to bomb innocent civilians when it suited them, both during WW2 and in earlier conflicts, so lets have no more of the "poor Germans, they only did it because we did it to them" attitude. There are plenty of videos on youtube about poor innocent German civilians killed by the RAF - and the USAAF. But nobody seems to think that the 60,000 innocent British civilians killed by the Luftwaffe in 1940/41 - before the RAF raids on Germany began in earnest in 1942 - are worthy of mention. Why is that? Don't they matter? Is it only German civilians we should grieve over?
And as for "You don't have to act like I should know everything about the war you know." - well if you are going to argue about which side did what to the other, you damned-well SHOULD know. Its called "research".
I saw the movie in its entirety...pretty accurate description of the conflict that arose after France fell in the spring of 1940...most historians agree that this chapter in Great Britain's history is their finest hour....imagine being outnumbered and with limited resources. The United States was remaining neutral and won't be involved until December, 1941...a little island stood up against Hitler and won....if Hitler had beaten England,. ..the U.S. was next on his radar...this and the prevention of Germany developing "heavy water" for the Atomic bomb were some of the few key moments that helped win the war...if you read more about this historical time in Wikipedia and other sources, you'll realize how great a victory this was for England.
pst702 we had already defeated axis forces in the Middle East and east Africa and ultimately won the North Africa and Indian Ocean campaigns; as well as the battle of the Atlantic
The Australians had the first major WWII victories. Germany at Tobruk and Japan on the Kokoda track. Although prior to that the British did clean up the Italians in Africa.
To be honest, the 9th Division 2nd AIF was assisted in Tobruk with British artillery, armour and Indian troops - the first land victory against the Japanese was actually at Milne Bay (PNG) and not Kokoda
use of radar by RAF made a difference. civilian coast watchers and the resolve of the English.
@18tangles Middle east and east Africa were done by 41 and as I said ultimately the other campaigns where won; North Africa was sped up by US forces and the US shipping industry helped with the merchant Navy losses
Hugely underrated WW2 film . At the time of release it was far ahead of its time . Very influential .
The edit from German pomp to the gentle British embassy and “tea and cakes “ is superb.
It was like a film from the 1940s, which is why it flopped so badly.
@@Jeremy-y1t Piss still boiling Mark !!!! Hahahaha
@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 Saltzman was bankrupted by the failure of this film.
During the 1940s he had funded Lehi and the Irgun.
Great film
My grandad liked the way the germans were portrayed ,not all monsters there were in fact like us
The Luftwaffe fighter pilots fought as gentlemen and very few were Nazis.
The Brits, and the Germans are similar in every respect.
@@alansbinnie1446 ...when they weren't strafing civilian refugees (and both sides enjoyed doing it when they had the chance).
@@alansbinnie1446 ha ha ha do you realize they started war from killing 100.000 of civilian Poles in one month?
First time watching this movie as a kid was a trip and half. Right up there with Jaws, my first Bond film and Battle of the Buldge.
same here
The British were in a bit of a tight spot after Dunkirk but this movie overlooks Britain's many strengths. The British had an excellent radar network, observer corps, antiaircraft artillery, and an information processing system for RAF Fighter command to help guide their fighters to the incoming warplanes of the German Luftwaffe. The Fighter Command sector control could guide their fighters eliminating the need for endless patroling. This RAF air defense system allowed RAF pilots early warning without getting caught on the ground during airfield attacks. RAF Fighter Command Air Chief Hugh Dowding was a brilliant officer. He made this complex air defense system and sector command system work almost flawlessly. The Luftwaffe wasn't just fighting Hurricanes and Spitfires. The Luftwaffe was fighting a brilliantly coordinated and carefully managed air defense system. The RAF had shortages of fighter pilots but the Commonwealth countries made up the differences in pilots and kept the British RAF Fighter command in the fight.
The main point forgotten here is the British had been rehearsing their air defense system since the middle 1930's, for a Battle of Britian type scenario. The German Kriegsmarine lacked many important destroyers, cruisers, and landing craft for any amphibious invasion of Britain. The Germans had suffered heavy naval losses during the Norwegian campaign in early 1940. Plus, RAF and French resistance over France during the Battle of Dunkirk caused further considerable Luftwaffe aircraft losses. The whole British Empire of Canada, Australia, India, South Africa, Rhodesia, and New Zealand were at war with Germany. Many occupied European Allied nations, with troops on British soil, offered these soldiers and trained pilots to help Britain. These countries included Poland, France, Czechoslavakia and various Scandinavian countries. The British had comparable fighter planes with the Hawker Hurricane and probably superior fighter planes in the Supermarine Spitfire. The British enjoyed naval superiority, which as long as the RAF challenged the skies over Britain, meant German naval forces would be blasted out of the water making any amphibious invasion extremely costly for Germany. So Operation Sea Lion was really a fictional German plan without the naval and logistical means to carry it forward. British resistance in Norway and Dunkirk had an accumulative effect with beneficial results in the summer of 1940.
The United States started aiding the British soon after the fall of France. Lend Lease aid came later on after the Battle of Britain but lots of other aid went to the British during the Battle of Britain. FDR realized at somepoint, the United States would be forced to enter the war. So he understood, that helping the United Kingdom stay in the fight was actually furthering American interests. Many American manufacturers started switching over to Lend Lease military aid. The American industrialist base lacked many of the important machine tools and industrial components to convert a civilian economy to a wartime economy overnight. These conversions took time but were rapidly accomplished as was the military draft and calling up Guard and Reserve divisions for federal service. Many First World War artillery and infantry small arms were dragged out mothballs in depots and converted to modern weapons. The Americans did a few things right from the beginning to get ready for war despite strong isolationist sentiment.
The most important aspect of the American Lend Lease program was to build the necessary QUANTITY of adequate military weapons through mass production. The Curtiss P-40 fighter was built in huge numbers with a majority going to the British Commonwealth, including the Soviet Union and Nationalist China.The M-3 tank was a Lend Lease tank built by Mr. Knudson, President of Chrysler in a new plant in Detroit exclusively for tanks. The M-3 tank had a 75mm gun in sponson with a 37mm gun in a turret. This awkard looking but still effective medium tank helped keep the British going in North Africa until the M-4 Sherman arrived during the Battle of El Alamein. The M-3 Grant tank went to the Soviet Union with about 1,000 seeing combat at Leningrad, Stalingrad, Kursk, and Petsamo. The British sent their old P-40's and all their old M-3 Grant tanks to Burma using them until the end of the war against the Japanese. The British Army used refurbished First World War artillery from Lend Lease from the United States in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy including the M-3 halftracks with 75mm guns for mobile artillery. The Americans provided enormous amounts of canned food stuffs, infantry small arms, vehicles and trucks, telephone wire and equipment, boots and uniforms, even locomotives and ships for the British Commonwealth and later the Soviet Union.
None of America's weapons under Lend Lease were necessarily the best weapons of WW 2. But much of U.S. Lend Lease aid kept the British and the Soviet Union in the war. Much of the Lend Lease aid and weapons went to secondary theaters or theaters that were less critical to the war effort. But this is extremely important because it allowed the British and the Soviets to concentrate their best units and equipment in the main combat areas. So the legacy of the Battle of Britain is that of American Lend Lease aid to the British. British aid to the Soviet Union helped stabilize the front and win the Battle of Moscow. British aid to the Soviet Union mattered greatly in 1941. But no British aid could have made it to the Soviet Union until American Leand Lease aid came after the Battle of Britian.
Actually most important role which lend-lease played is not the weapons and trucks which they supplied to UK and USSR, but their aids on UK and USSR's industry. For example, official website of "Central Archives of the Russian Ministry of Defense", there were only about 1/5 of the materials which USSR received from Lend-lease were directly related to the military use, the rest 4/5 of the materials were related to the USSR's military industrial production, that's why Lend-Lease is Very crucial for USSR to survive and keep the war. That's also a reason why the importance of lend-lease is often understated by people and even some historians. Soviet production of tanks, guns and aircrafts were largely relying on the industrial raw materials (e.g. nonferrous metal, rubber, armor steel, and chemical raw materials) and machine tools provided by the Lend-Lease cuz they lost too many industries and equipments at the beginning of the war. For example, the construction of "Stalingrad Tractor Plant" (one of the major tank factories of USSR during WW2) was carried out with the assistance of the United States, and most of its equipments are made in USA. Therefore, Lend Lease improved the efficiency of USSR military industry and improved the productivity of weapons and ordnance goods dramatically (e.g. Lend-lease provided ordnance goods (like ammunition, artillery shells, mines, and assorted explosives) amounted to 53 percent of total USSR domestic production). Without lend-lease, USSR couldn't produce so many aircrafts, tanks, shells, bombs, and guns during the war, and so as UK
One of Britain's main strength,was the fighting power of the Commonwealth and the food and supplies we sent as well.We sent our blood in WW1 and went again in WW2 .The ANZAC's,Canada,India,South Africa,Rhodesia and many of the African Nations too.New Zealand was only a small country,but we fought every where on all fronts.In the air,at sea and on land.
Superb score from Ron Goodwin! First time I heard it I thought it was an authentic German march. Till now I cannot get it out of my head!
My dad took me to see it when it came out . I was a little boy . Amazing. It started my love of history.
The amount of time I have seen my little 6 year old brother march up and down the living room saluting the TV to this is uncountable 😂. One of the greatest war films made ever.
I must have watched this intro 10 times... and the film abouty 20... Saw it in the cinema when it came out.... amazing
This racist film was a huge flop.
I like how they capture the sense of euphoria amongst the German high command and officers, having overrun mainland Europe and expecting to vanquish Britain in short order. They must have felt that they were standing on top of the world at that point. The young Luftwaffe pilots billeted in the French chateau, banqueting with fine wines after returning from each sortie, summed it up.
One of the best opening for a movie, all my childhood !
Never had so many,owed so much to so few..
One of the greatest speeches of WWII ever...
It is hugely ironic that Ron Goodwin, an Englishman, composed the Aces High March (the music that companies this video), which is quite possibly the finest German march ever, as part of a movie depicting the defeat of the German Luftwaffe by the British Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain, the event that was the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany.
As Churchill memorably said, it was not the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning
Oh, how I love those Junkers Ju-52 (Tante Ju)
4:52 Love how the music goes "Meanwhile, away from Germany..." :)
What a great movie.
Just to see all those Spanish Heinkel 111’s, (no CGI there) and Spanish built Buchón’s its an amazing sight to see.
They were “loaned” (for a price) by Franco’s Ejército del Aire.
He may have been a dictator, but his government contributed in the making of one of the best WW2 movies ever.
Seen on over my school
I read somewhere many years ago that all those Heinkel 111's were loaned from the Spanish air force for the making of this film. It is noticeable that they are all fitted with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, I can only surmise that the German industries were so heavily bombed that the original engines could no longer be produced after the war.
+Bruce Maclennan When you see the 111 taxiing to take off the Spanish roundels can just be seen under the Luftwaffe paint job.
+RustiSwordz - You are very observant, I had not noticed this but will watch for it the next time I view the movie. Many thanks.
Spain had a few German engines but the supplies dried up at the end of the war. Rolls Royce had developed universal cowling and engine packages for several aircraft and these were adapted to the CASA aircraft.
Also, rhe "Bf 109" fighters (actually Hispano "Buchons", a license built version of the Bf 109 G) had Merlin engines.
Interesting - I have just viewed a video of this aircraft and the Merlin engine has rather distorted the sleek shape of the original aircraft. thanks for your comments.
Has to be one the best introduction scenes of any war movie and made all the more so with the brilliant music.
No.
So don't dictate or threaten us until you are marching up Whitehall. And even then we won't listen!
+Damar158 Of course we've been letting them dictate to us via the EU for the last forty years...
+Damar158 Britain would rather consider why it is ranked the third on the list of so called "Nanny states" in Europe, and why it has laws and practices of internet censorship comparable to Russia, Turkey, China and Saudi Arabia. That does not come from the EU, that is something the UK government created itself. While the UK patronizes its own population, the London Financial District holds the largest laundry engine of the world's crime, drug and terrorism finance.. The City stands above all law and is protected by the government. These finance people are already in Whitehall now, and the UK government actually listens to them! Kick them out in stead of Brexiting!
rubbish.
Nothing like a good ol fact based piece of rubbish,
Yes, The City of Westminister, seperate from London, and has its own Police Force.
I have watched certain scenes of the movie about five hundred times, especially those depicting Germans, not only because I am German myself but because they are so incredibly accurate!!! Especially Göring's personality, being capable of switching from menace to Joviality in just a second. Or the unconcerned German Pilots, seemigly considering war as more of an adventure or a sports match...exremely authentic!!! Many of us Germans really were that way a the time
ASD?
@@Jeremy-y1t What does ASD mean?
Just for the record, there are eight minutes of film before we see the start of this fine video.
Debbie. How djd I Miss this Movie? Because IT was Made In Colour. I was Used To War- Been Black@ White! Except George Stevens senior shot near end of War- IN Berline. Must watch Film now! Nearly 85yr. 😊
This is one of the best movies ever made. I can't think of any part that disappoints. Except when Christopher Plummer exits a cottage and a modern plastic door bell is in shot
The actors were too old in this racist flop. The models looked so fake.
@@Jeremy-y1t 🤡🤡🤡🤡
@@nev7711 They should have cast actors who were the right age in this huge flop.
@@nev7711 This film funded terrorism.
@@Jeremy-y1treal aircraft dumbo. The only models were the Stukas as none survived to the 1960s. As for the actors ages, depends who you have in mind. In 1940 RAF Squadron Leaders were typically in their late 20s, going into 30s. Pilot officers and NCOs typically early twenties. Senior officers 40s plus. Dowding was past retirement age in 1940.young actors were used where available, thus those playing the Poles eg "Ox" were of the correct age: he was 19 at the time of filming. I was 20 then( played a Polish pilot)
Excellent musical opening to a war film, rivaled only by The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957).
They should have a remake of "Living Next Door to Alice" by Smokie as the theme song - perhaps performed by Harry Styles and One Direction.
Elmer Bernstein’s score to The Bridge at Remagen is excellent as well.
The opening titles must have had the same budget as some 'B' pictures.
Ron Goodwin's theme is spot-on!
Many 1960s movies have amazing opening sequences and/or extraordinarily high production values. Lawrence of Arabia, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines, The Bond Films and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, to name a few.
So much talent.
the Actors would probably claim that their fees were sacrificed on the production value altar.
The work is of such quality that it must be preserved forever. Thank goodness that the Film Industry had such amazing talent at that time.
Great classic ww2 movie, the best aviation film ever made, hope the new ridley Scott battle of Britain film gets produced and released in theatres sometime soon
Usual Scott historical butchery
A great rousing tune no doubt.I wonder if Guy Hamilton ever considered using the actual Luftwaffe song "Bomben auf Engeland" as the theme?I cant help thinking that would have been even better.But its fantastic as it is...I love the bit where the British guy tells Curt Jurgens to basically do one.
"The last little corporal who tried it came a cropper."
One of the greatest lines ever. I don't know if it is historically accurate, but it oughtta be!
No one probably said that, it was reference to Napoleon, who was an artillery corporal before his rise to power
Napoleon's forces landed in Wales, I think.
@@None-zc5vg No wonder he came a cropper
@@None-zc5vg You think inaccurately.
@@SantomPh Yes, that was obvious.
2:25 Upon further inspection I was surprised to see that the RAD (Reichsarbeitsdienst) was portrayed repairing the bridge. Probably the first and only time I’ve seen them in Ww2 movies.
The sheer, historically-accurate visual minutiae lavished upon this film is surely peerless and perhaps best exemplified at approx 2:30 mark of which briefly shows labourers repairing war-damaged infrastructure.
Naturally most films would've simply requisitioned a few extras portraying German soldiers to strip to their vests to perform such a function. Here though they correctly depict the khaki-clad German Labour corp, 'Organisation Todt' instead!
Inevitably 'Todt is _very_ rarely (if ever) represented in WW2-themed films for it's recreation requires distinctive/bespoke uniforms.... and here they're only on screen for a paltry couple or so seconds! As I say, an incredible, if not unsurpassed attention to detail.
Labourers? you mean Combat Engineers ,a vital arm of the military that never get the recognition they deserve for the hugely important work they do and before you ask,yes I`m a retired Combat Engineer so I might be a bit biased,so sorry not sorry.
Would you know if there is something special about the laborers shown at the 3:15 mark? They appear to be poorly dressed and digging a large ditch of sorts. Are they being disciplined?.
the start of a film is so important,this is well done
two lumps XD that response is magnificent
was at Port Cols airport USA waiting tor the Concord to make a stop. man a lot of people around present. a HE-111 made a pass over rw 28l in spring summer of 85.
As a plane model making 12 year old,it was as if Santa had made a movie just for me!
I remember when they were filming the movie. Several Spitfires and Hurricances flew over our (Essex) house on a number of occasions. Probably based at Duxford. Ron Godwin wrote some of the best martial music ever to accompany WWII films, the score for 633 Squadron for example was one of the best, and I still hum it today. TBofB film although having many well known actors of the time, wasn't the best received and laboured in parts, but the areal sequences, and the score made up for it.
its said that this film is the most accurate war film ever made
It is peppered with true vignettes... 'Don't you tell at me, Mr. Warwick' for example...
childhood movie. good memories. also these opening scenes are my favourite. Nostalgia!
The movie opens with the German's theme instead of the now famous theme, because at this point the movie is still about their triumphant march to victory. But they'll figure it out soon enough.
Brilliant film one of the best war films ever made and a cast of great characters
Great music also 🎶🎶
This terrible film was a huge flop.
@@MarkHarrison733 Why?
@@paulfri1569 It was awful.
@@MarkHarrison733 This is probably the best scene then 😊
Gave me goosebumps. The courage to stand up for what is right
Superb opening sequence and music. Shows what we were up against - and we still won.
We can walk into Britain whenever we like.
Britain: ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT
Best airwar film ever. It has a naturalness and organic feel that you can forget with CGI and lots of fancy camera angles. The score too is sublime. They got it dead right with this film.
This film was a huge flop.
We've been playing for time, and it's running out!
And you know what? He’s absolutely right.
I first saw this in the cinema as a teenager, like Grand Prix and 2001. I love the bit where the general says "If I have to look at another bomber, I won't recommend you for a promotion." I don't know if it's true, but it feels real.
Just imagine what the world would be like now if the RAF had lost the Battle of Britian. There's a good chance Britian would have turned into another Vichy satellite of Germany, and the million or two German soldiers protecting the west would have joined the invasion of Russia. What ifs in WW2 are too numerous to even dwell on, but losing the Battle of Britian would have changed history.
Europe would still be European.
The Battle of Britain was irrelevant as Hitler never intended to invade the UK.
As soon as Stalin broke the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact on 28 June 1940 the OKW started preparing for Barbarossa.
@@MarkHarrison733 Shut up, you're boring
Great film. I saw it three times in the cinema, once in Hamburg . Kenneth Moore dubbed with a German voice!!! The amazing thing was the audience cheered when the Brits shot a German plane down. Amazing cast, amazing action, and yes, it's a true story!!
The music score is one of my favorites too.
There are a lot of movies I love, but few that make me feel so proud to be British.
🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Of course I voted for Brexit
David Thomas ..Lots of folk voted for BREXIT. They have been treated disgracefully.
@@wcstevens7 and in many cases, rightfully so. Destroying my generations prospects in the name of "sovereignty", which we never lost. The EU is the among the greatest things to happen to the UK, and you can fuck off if you think some gammons should have the right to take it's benefits away from us with a small majority victory.
You should be proud .. Your nation stood up to a tyrant ..Pilots from all over The Empire helped drive back The Hun against incredible odds ..
@@patrickjohn33 Try taking that apostrophe from "it's" and putting it in "generations". Then you might want to remove the obscenity in the third line. There's really no need for it, you know. And finally, as a last general piece of advice, why not take your head out of your backside and do some thinking for a change before writing such twaddle?
The aircraft gathered for this film created the 33rd biggest airforce in the world at the time!
One of the non-flying Spitfires was "gate guardian at my ATC headquarters. They gave us a Meteor NF-14 and a Vampire T-11 in it's place!
This racist film was a huge flop.
@MarkHarrison: Racist?? Mind pointing out to we historians where the racism appears? This is European HISTORY you muppet.
The Battle of Britain was fought between The UK and Nazi Germany. The population of BOTH countries was overwhelmingly white. Whilst there were volunteers from all over the Commonwealth in the RAF, many of them were still under training. At the end of the film is a tribute to the few, including their countries of origin along with losses.
There is also a breakdown of losses of the Luftwaffe too.
THERE IS NO RACISM IN THIS FILM!
Finally, if it's so problematic, why is it still considered one of the best war films ever made and still played regularly some 55yrs after it was made?!!
@MarkHarrison: By the way, if it wasn't for the "FEW", anyone non-aryan would be a slave or not exist!
@@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBars Britain was occupying half of the world in 1940.
It's why this film received such terrible reviews and flopped in every country, losing $10 million worldwide and bankrupting Herschel Saltzman.
@@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBars "The Few" is a myth.
Britain caused all of the deaths.
The Allies used slave labour.
German hubris and British technological superiority contributed to the victory of the RAF over the Luftwaffe.
The wonder of a film as memorable as this is that the attention to correct equipment is almost perfect. One of the highlights for me is seeing more than one, of the now almost 'extinct', Zündapp KS 750's in one place & being used.
As a proud former Serviceman of 30 year's, I am disgusted at the way successive Government's have degenerated the brave sacrifice our former colleagues made. Immigration alone has destroyed the UK. Vote Reform UK 🇬🇧.
You know course, millions of Indians and Africans who were part of the Commonwealth, fought in the Second War with honor and helped beat back the Japanese. Oh, they also fought in the trenches in World War One. But hey they didn’t earn anything for their descendants. Keep it up sparky it’s this kind of thinking that caused you to lose an empire. Arrogant, racist, uninformed and holding on to white supremacy lies.
Get over it
Reform is just a bunch of re-packaged nasty British neo-Fascists. Please do not mix 2024 UK politics with 1940 Britain. Back then, the British Union of Fascists and its mouth piece the Daily Mail , were enthusiastic about Hitler.
More fool you for serving them
Thanks for the subtitles as well
The great gift to Britain came on December 7, 1941 ...
That old chestnut, lol. Yeah, we really needed help defending ourselves 14 months after we won the Battle of Britain...
That's right. We were late to the party but it sure made Sir Winston smile..
Yes, but when we got the final bill, he wasn't so happy - neither were the rest of us impoverished Brits!
As if the Marshall plan was small potatoes? Take that up with Germany..
It wasn't merely a gift to Britain or any single country but the world getting rid of the Nazis was a gift and a service to the whole of mankind.
For those wondering what the marsche was in the beginning was the "Luftwaffe Marsch".
2:54. Now that is a distinguished list of technical advisors!
lol the General is Adolph
@@SomberYeti Adolph Galland became a general when he was 30, and was one of Germany's most famous pilots. He shot down the most aircraft of anyone during the Battle of Britain who survived the war (beaten only by Werner Moelders), he was also the author of the First and the Last.
😎
Greatest flying movie ever made. And one of the greatest war films ever.
Hardly.
This and Grand Prix were two great films I loved as a kid😅