Battle of Britain

During World War II, the British Air Force faces overwhelming odds in their attempts to defend the skies over Britain and prevent a full-scale Nazi invasion.

Everything aerial about Battle of Britain is spectacular. The combat scenes, using actual restored World War II era planes, are breathtaking, as is the aerial photography during the bombing sequences. Indeed, in the air, the film is flawless, and it’s only when it goes to ground that the film struggles.

And struggle it does. First, there’s the effects. For as good as the aerial effects are, the ground ones are just as bad, particularly the staged explosions. It’s a jarring difference.

Then there’s the character problem. Despite featuring a near who’s-who of British working actors at the time including Laurence Olivier, Trevor Howard, and Michael Caine, the characters all feel flat and superficial. The story’s scope is huge, but it’s not told through any one character’s eyes and, as a result, the audience has no anchor to steady them through the narrative. Indeed, it seems as if the screenwriters think one or two clichéd dramatic sequences can suffice, but without any establishing characterization, the audience remains disconnected.

What this film really needed was a Howard Hawks or John Ford to handle the ground and character elements. The aerial stuff is perfect, don’t touch it, but either Hawks or Ford could have tapped the emotional undercurrent of the soldiers involved and connected the audience in a way that’s sorely lacking. As is, it’s still pretty to look at, but liberal use of the fast-forward button makes it even better.