Description
In this episode of Rosie the Reviewer, we take to the skies for Battle of Britain (1969), Guy Hamilton’s sweeping recreation of the 1940 air campaign. We talk about the film’s impressive aerial combat scenes, its documentary-style storytelling, and the astonishing number of real WWII aircraft used on set.
From Christopher Plummer’s dashing Canadian pilot to Michael Caine’s brief but memorable role, we explore how the film mirrors Tora! Tora! Tora! in scope while giving overdue credit to the women of the WAAF. Expect plenty of radar talk, command tensions, and reflections on why this film might teach you more than it thrills.
Battle of Britain trailer
Other episodes mentioned
Ep 12 – Tora! Tora! Tora! – A Deep Dive into Pearl Harbor from American and Japanese Perspectives
We discuss the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora! about the attack on Pearl Harbor just to see how much Michael Bay ‘borrowed’ from it. Kidding! We giggle over the Star-Spangled Banner played at 8 times the speed. Kidding! This might be the most accurate film about WW2 events ever made.
Book Rec by Sam
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The Narrow Margin by Derek Wood and Derek Dempster
“If you’re really interested in makes and models of airplanes and types of engines and how many of each make and model were manufactured in which year, then you’ll enjoy the book.”
“The back half of the book is essentially a day by day account of the Battle of Britain. What got bombed, how many planes were lost on each side, how many sorties were flown. So it’s very thoroughly researched, very exhaustive.”
“I did learn a lot. It sorta grew on me toward the end.”
