DB7

Stumbled across this last night on BBC4, basically a talking-heads examination of post-war British war films and how quickly the 'united' effort displayed in the propaganda films was replaced by a return to the class structure and all the heroes were ex-public school officers. Also, apart from Ice Cold in Alex women were relegated to the role of weeping widows. Then came the US financed 'action' war film like Kwai and Guns of Navarone and the eventual airbrushing of the British from WWII; particularly Saving Private Ryan which only mentions us once (Monty) through it's entire length.

716Jones

As regards airbrushing the British from WWII, I don't think it's particularly fair to mention Saving Private Ryan. This was a film dealing with US soldiers operating in an American sector of operations. Why on earth would they have spent time discussisng the British? And I don't recall too many mentions of VIII US Bomber Command in The Dambusters! Mind you, DB7, I do take your point regarding films like U571, which deliberately falsified history. Maybe the propaganda film is making a comeback?

Dave

DB7

They looked at the Dam Busters and rightly pointed out the majority of the film is not about combat but Barnes Wallis' attempts to perfect the bouncing bomb. The film was in part sourced from Gibson's memoirs so it's hardly surprisig he features prominently. It's fairly unreasonable to compare an overnight miitary operation with Operation Overload which involved millions of men.

Forgot to mention the programme opened with Operation Burma and the ensuing furore.

Funny to think that this year we make our final lend-lease payment. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

plasticjock

The furore was seemingly mainly confined to the UK. George MacDonald Fraser, in his excellent book of life as a Fourteenth Army squaddie in Burma during the latter part of the Far East Asia Campaign, 'Quartered Safe Out Here', mentions than when he and his mates saw the film in a jungle clearing canvas tent, there was no uproar...just the usual profanities about Flynn and his 'legendary' manhood.

By the way, Fraser, who also authors 'The Flashman' series of books was also an in-demand scriptwriter during the seventies and early eighties and wrote a book a few years back, '"The Lights on at Signpost"' detailing his involvement in the film industry which makes interesting reading.

Rob Compton

Thanks Plasticjock. If anyone hasn't tried the Flashman series, if you have any interest in the past, you simply must...they're compulsive reading! To try to keep on topic, only one has been made into a film: "Royal Flash" with Malcolm McDowell - an honourable try, but I think this is a case where the stories are better left in one's imagination

rgds
Rob

Marky B

I mentioned before that Saving Private Ryan was not a history of the D-Day landings,but used them as a springboard for the story about finding a member of the Ryan family. I do agree,however,the line about Montgomery was uncalled for and out of context - if they wanted to mention such a thing about a soldier,then they should have used an American top brass.
Ta Ta
Marky B [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif[/img]

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

716Jones

I suppose it depends on whether you consider Operation Chastise (the dams raid) as an overnight military operation or as part of Bomber Command's continuing campaign. Also Saving Private Ryan wasn't a history of Operation Overload (sic) but a dramatised account of a small part of a small part.

Best not to get too sensitive about these things, eh. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

plasticjock

According to a report in The Sunday Express, Peter Jackson's next pet project is a remake of The Dam Busters and he has pledged that the original theme 'The Dam Busters March' will be used.

Marky B

Interesting. Will Andy Serkis play a CGI of Nigger?
Ta Ta
Marky B [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumbsup.gif[/img]

I am special. The heavens always open for me.