The Battle of Britain on the Big Screen: The Finest Hour' Through British Cinema

During World War II, the British film industry produced several films about the war, including The First of the Few, which was the biggest grossing film of 1942. However, there were no British aviation war films until Angels One Five in 1952, which was well-received. The early Battle of Britain films focused on individuals, but with the release of Battle of Britain in 1969, the focus changed to the bigger picture. Matthew Wightman's docudrama First Light was first broadcast during the Battle of Britain's seventieth anniversary year and is considered the best portrayal of an individual's Battle of Britain experience. Dilip Sarkar examines the popular memory and myths of these productions and delves into the arguments between historians and filmmakers.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 09 December 2022
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

During the Second World War, the British movie industry produced a number of films concerning the war, all of which were, by necessity, heavily myth-laden and propagandised. Foremost among these productions was The First of the Few, which was the biggest grossing film of 1942. In the immediate post-war period, to start with, there were no British aviation war films. The first to be released was Angels One Five in 1952. It was well-received, confirming that the Battle of Britain was a commercial commodity. Over the next few years, many famous war heroes published their memoirs, or had books written about them, including the legless Group Captain Douglas Bader, whose story, Reach for the Sky, told by Paul Brickhill, became a best-seller in 1956. It was followed a year later by the film of the same name, which, starring Kenneth More, dominated that year's box office. The early Battle of Britain films had tended to focus upon the story of individuals, not the bigger picture. That changed with the release of the star-studded epic Battle of Britain in 1969. Using real aircraft, the film, produced in colour and on a far larger scale than had been seen on film before, was notable for its spectacular flying sequences. Between the release of Reach for the Sky and Battle of Britain, however, much had changed for modern Britain. For a variety of reasons, many felt that the story of the nation's pivotal moment in the Second World War was something best buried and forgotten. Indeed, the overall box office reaction to Battle of Britain reinforced this view, all of which might explain why it was the last big screen treatment of this topic for many years. It was during the Battle of Britain's seventieth anniversary year that the subject returned to the nation's screens when Matthew Wightman's docudrama The Battle of Britain was released. The film was a huge success, and it helped to revive interest in the Battle of Britain and its significance in the Second World War. It also helped to dispel some of the myths and propagandas that had been associated with the war in the past. In conclusion, the British movie industry produced a number of films concerning the Second World War, including The First of the Few, Angels One Five, Reach for the Sky, and Battle of Britain. While these films were heavily myth-laden and propagandised, they helped to shape public opinion about the war and its significance. The Battle of Britain in 1969 was a notable exception, as it used real aircraft and was notable for its spectacular flying sequences. However, for many years, the story of the nation's pivotal moment in the Second World War was something best buried and forgotten. It was only with the release of Matthew Wightman's docudrama that the subject returned to the nation's screens and helped to revive interest in it.

Weight: 536g
Dimension: 164 x 241 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399088237