Sort of based on a true story
Added 1/8/2010
The movie is "sort of" based on a true story. None of the things that happened to the Memphis Belle and her crew in the film
actually happened to the real plane and crew, nor do the characters in the movie much resemble the real crew of the plane.
But having said that, in many ways the film is chillingly accurate.
Just about everything you see in the film did happen in one form or other. Many things you see in the film were not uncommon, they
just didn`t happen to that particular plane and crew. And while the characters in the film may not be much like the crew of the
real Memphis Belle, finding people like them on any military base past or present is pretty common. As a matter of fact they are
almost stereotypical. The guy who "thinks" he is a ladies man, the guy who is scared half to death but will never admit it,
the guy who is always convinced he`s going to die, the guy who tries to be a mother hen to the rest, the quiet guy who wishes
everyone else would just shut up and do their job so they can all go home, the loud mouth, the glory hound, ect. They are all
out there. Remember that the vast majority of men who fight in a war, past or present, are very young. The traning and experience
have made them grow up fast, but the kid in them all is still there right below the surface.
As far as entertainment value, the film is excellent. It`s high adventure with good writing, a good plot and good acting.
It`s the characters and the story that make this a good movie, the war is just the background.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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FOR WHOM THE 'BELLE TOLLS
Added 12/19/2009
This WWII film is based on the true story of the Memphis Belle, a B-17 bomber and crew based in England and flying daylight (the most dangerous) bombing raids over Western Europe. They have flown 24 successful missions and one more and they'll be done and able to go home. They would be the first crew in the Eighth Air Force to finish all 25. The fatality rate of these daylight missions is so high as to almost be considered suicidal. Over 200,000 men were killed in air battles over Western Europe during WWII. Because of their size and flying relatively low over targets, they were especially vulnerable to being shot down. The bombs were dropped by visually sighting the target and dropping the bombs. Needless to say, there was a great deal of 'imprecision' in hitting their targets. If the lead plane was off target, the rest of planes following their lead would be wrong, also. In the film, we see how seriously this particular pilot took the commitment to hit military targets and avoid civilians, although that wasn't always the case (they're all Nazis as one crew member screamed in defiance). They Army and Look magazine have already lined up a 'victory tour' around the U.S. to promote the war once they finish their 25th mission. But have they jumped the gun? They draw the Bremen, Germany assignment, one of the most dangerous. Once the plane takes off on their final mission, you are drawn into this drama and it won't let you go. The film is also punctuated with some archival footage of aerial combat. Take the time to watch the heroics of these crews who put their lives on the line every mission and changed the course of WWII and, ultimately, world history.
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What do the critics know?
Added 11/2/2009
I remember when this movie first came out, the critics panned it for having "unrealistic" scenes of crew interaction while the Memphis Belle was on its last mission. As a former aircraft commander of a bomber crew, I can tell you that the crew interaction and banter between the crew members is the most realistic part of the movie! I highly recommend this movie not only as an example of what our young men sacrificed for our country at that time, but also a terrific story - even though it is not the real story of the Belle's last mission.
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Concise Review
Added 10/23/2009
Everybody seeems to love this movie, including those who aren't usually that into war films. One of the main reasons for this is the charactors. Offering up a very typical group of young men as the B-17's aircrew, I can't think of a more fitting reason to like this film. Hollywood aside, it needs to be remembered that while we hear the tale of these missions recounted by aged men now, in most cases they were just high school aged boys that braved unimaginable danger on a daily basis to serve their country. It's hard to realize fully what it takes for a young man to experience such a mission, hopefully make it back to base to see how many of your friends didn't make it, sleep, dream of home and family that you miss so much, get up the next morning and go do it all over again. A brutal, impersonal attrition of numbers that as parents, we could not imagine subjecting our "children" to. So, if there is one thing to be gained from watching Memphis Belle it should be a real appreciation for what many choose not to think about. Sure, it takes it's liberties but like The Battle of Britain, it's a great look back at important history that is beautifully presented with real aircraft...something that unfortunately will not happen many more times. Robert Morgan, pilot of the real Memphis Belle stated that more things happened in the one mission portrayed in the move than in all the missions he flew put together. Undoubtedly true, however the viewer has to understand that story telling sometimes has to be oversaturated to try to convey the overall scope of such huge events. After all, they're only going to get one shot at presenting this story. Fabulous musical score by George Fenton puts the iceing on the cake.Memphis Belle: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
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Their Last Mission
Added 2/3/2009
In the summer of 1943 the Allied Air Force bombers attacked Germany, the US by day, the British by night. This is the story of a bomber crew created for the 1990s. [You can compare it to "Command Decision".] Was daylight bombing the only way to win the war? Some say this bombing delayed a cross-channel invasion in 1943 and an earlier end to the war. The last B-17 to land explodes for a dramatic effect. Bombers dropped surplus bomb in the Channel before they landed. That idea of a chain of restaurants was anachronistic. Would those men talk about their mission to civilians? Would they drop all those balloons at a party? Rubber was a scarce resource. That box camera would have underexposed film. The sale of film was rationed in Britain.
The assembled crews get their orders: Bremen, the aircraft factory. Strategic bombing picked the critical targets (like ball-bearing factories) to do the most damage. [Didn't they have alternate targets if the main target was clouded over?] Weren't the planes spaced far apart to prevent collision? They are attacked. A "lucky rubber band"? Some letters remind us of the real war. Anti-aircraft fire greets them as they approach the target. Was there such conflicts among the men as shown? The film shows actual film from the war to show bombs exploding. A dangerous maneuver extinguishes an engine fire. The damaged bomber makes it back to England. There is drama in the landing, but we should expect a happy ending.
The credits roll at the end, a lot of people are named. While the details of the story seem authentic, the tone of the story does not match the culture shown in the films of the 1940s. Overall, its worth watching as a dramatic story. There was a real "Memphis Belle" whose crew toured America to help sell war bonds.
The B-24 could fly higher, faster, and further than the B-17. It was not as user-friendly and all models were demolished for scrap at the end of the war. "The Wild Blue" by Stephen E. Ambrose has the story.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Sort of based on a true story
Added 1/8/2010
The movie is "sort of" based on a true story. None of the things that happened to the Memphis Belle and her crew in the film
actually happened to the real plane and crew, nor do the characters in the movie much resemble the real crew of the plane.
But having said that, in many ways the film is chillingly accurate.
Just about everything you see in the film did happen in one form or other. Many things you see in the film were not uncommon, they
just didn`t happen to that particular plane and crew. And while the characters in the film may not be much like the crew of the
real Memphis Belle, finding people like them on any military base past or present is pretty common. As a matter of fact they are
almost stereotypical. The guy who "thinks" he is a ladies man, the guy who is scared half to death but will never admit it,
the guy who is always convinced he`s going to die, the guy who tries to be a mother hen to the rest, the quiet guy who wishes
everyone else would just shut up and do their job so they can all go home, the loud mouth, the glory hound, ect. They are all
out there. Remember that the vast majority of men who fight in a war, past or present, are very young. The traning and experience
have made them grow up fast, but the kid in them all is still there right below the surface.
As far as entertainment value, the film is excellent. It`s high adventure with good writing, a good plot and good acting.
It`s the characters and the story that make this a good movie, the war is just the background.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
FOR WHOM THE 'BELLE TOLLS
Added 12/19/2009
This WWII film is based on the true story of the Memphis Belle, a B-17 bomber and crew based in England and flying daylight (the most dangerous) bombing raids over Western Europe. They have flown 24 successful missions and one more and they'll be done and able to go home. They would be the first crew in the Eighth Air Force to finish all 25. The fatality rate of these daylight missions is so high as to almost be considered suicidal. Over 200,000 men were killed in air battles over Western Europe during WWII. Because of their size and flying relatively low over targets, they were especially vulnerable to being shot down. The bombs were dropped by visually sighting the target and dropping the bombs. Needless to say, there was a great deal of 'imprecision' in hitting their targets. If the lead plane was off target, the rest of planes following their lead would be wrong, also. In the film, we see how seriously this particular pilot took the commitment to hit military targets and avoid civilians, although that wasn't always the case (they're all Nazis as one crew member screamed in defiance). They Army and Look magazine have already lined up a 'victory tour' around the U.S. to promote the war once they finish their 25th mission. But have they jumped the gun? They draw the Bremen, Germany assignment, one of the most dangerous. Once the plane takes off on their final mission, you are drawn into this drama and it won't let you go. The film is also punctuated with some archival footage of aerial combat. Take the time to watch the heroics of these crews who put their lives on the line every mission and changed the course of WWII and, ultimately, world history.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
What do the critics know?
Added 11/2/2009
I remember when this movie first came out, the critics panned it for having "unrealistic" scenes of crew interaction while the Memphis Belle was on its last mission. As a former aircraft commander of a bomber crew, I can tell you that the crew interaction and banter between the crew members is the most realistic part of the movie! I highly recommend this movie not only as an example of what our young men sacrificed for our country at that time, but also a terrific story - even though it is not the real story of the Belle's last mission.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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