The Dam Busters
by Michael Anderson
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Basil Sydney, Michael Redgrave, Patrick Barr, Richard Todd, Ursula JeansDirector: Michael Anderson
Brand: STARZ HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Cinematographer: Erwin Hillier
Editor: Richard Best
Producer: Robert Clark
Writer: R.C. Sheriff
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 2 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2012-01-06
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: LIONSGATE
Movie Reviews of The Dam Busters
Movie Review: Amazing movie...
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are a fan of WWII history then this is the film for you. It is the true story of RAF Bomber Command's raids on the Möhne and Eder dams. Additionally it's the story of 617 squadron's birth; which even today is one the RAF's most successful and highly decorated squadrons. The special effects are a bit primitive by today's standards; however because of this the actors actually have to act. If you can find it I strongly encourage reading the terrific book The Dam Busters by Paul Brickhill.
Some of the more interesting points of the movie are: The death of Wing Commander Gibson's dog, just before the raid. Then there is the somber silence we have for the crews who where lost. Like the missing crews at the mess table, or the "If I don't return letter" sitting on the desk. Then at the very end Guy Gibson telling Barnes Wallis after the raid that he needs "to write a few letters before turning in".
On the comical side there is the poultry farmer writing a nasty letter to the RAF. This poor man has the misfortune to live near one of the lakes that 617 squadron is using to practice over before the raid. The poor old fellow is just trying to make an honest living and support Britain's war effort, when there are dozens of 4 engine Lancaster Bombers roaring over his farm at 60 Feet off the ground day and night.
A minor word of caution to any viewers who are Black, the name of Wing Commander Gibson's dog refers to what once a legitimate colour (very dark chocolate brown) in Great Britain. As opposed to the more modern and now almost universal racial swear for people who are Black. Please remember this 1952 movie was intended to be a reasonable historically accurate movie, based upon the events of 1942.
Again a really top notch movie with some superb shots of the Lancaster Bomber.
PS. I wonder how many people who watch this film realize that there is now only TWO Lancaster's still flying? Sad but true.
Summary of The Dam Busters
A much-loved British classic, Michael Anderson's 1954 drama captures the tension and bravery of an audacious raid on the centre of Nazi Germany's industrial complex, and the quintessentially English combination of inventiveness and dogged determination. Split into two distinct sections, the film deals first with the fraught, but ultimately successful development of a new weapon by Dr. Barnes N. Wallis (Michael Redgrave). The second and pacier section deals with the mission itself during the British raid on the Ruhr Dams, and its associated costs for the enemy and for the British airmen. Adapted by R.C. Sherriff from Paul Brickhill's book Enemy Coast Ahead and featuring superlative special effects photography by Gilbert Taylor (to say nothing of Eric Coates' stirring theme tune), The Dam Busters was Britain's biggest box-office success of 1955. Shot in black and white to allow the integration of original footage of the bomb trails, the film boasts a 'gritty', documentary-style reality.This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.
Something of a cult item among British war movies, The Dam Busters turns a minor World War II incident into a heroic saga in the classic British style. A bombing raid is proposed on a strategically vital dam, but its position is inaccessible. Enter eccentric inventor Dr Barnes Wallis (Michael Redgrave in best daffy professor mode) who comes up with a genius idea--a bomb that will bounce on water like a skimmed pebble. Naturally the top brass dismiss it, but gallant Wing Commander Guy Gibson (Richard Todd) is persuaded, and he and Wallis forge ahead. The touches of carefully understated emotion now verge on self-parody, but it's hard not to get caught up in the narrative sweep, especially when the bombers take off on their mission and Eric Coates' stirring march hits the soundtrack. The model work, state-of-the-art for its early 1950s period, still looks impressive, and a moment involving a pet rivals the shooting of Bambi's mother. --Philip Kemp
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