A British film released in 1954, “The Dam Busters” is a dramatization of an
imaginative and daring air mission that occurred during World War 2 (The mission
really occurred, however, I’m not up in the history of it enough to give an
opinion on the historical accuracy of this portrayal). Dr. B.N. Wallis,
played by Michael Redgrave (if you do not know him from his own stellar film
career, you probably know of his daughters Lyn Redgrave and Vanessa
Redgrave), has an idea to halt the Nazi’s steel production by blowing up the
dams that supply the necessary water. The feat is harder than it may
sound, and the Doctor spends many long hours testing and adjusting his
theories. Like many, if not most (if not all) inventors, there are those
who don’t think his plan can work, and perhaps even question his sanity.
After all, what could come of the sort of experiments he’s performing? As
one character notes, “He spends hours and hours shooting golf balls up and
down; every now and then he breaks a window.”
Wallis’s plan involves dropping a bomb from an airplane in such a way that it
skips across the water and lands close enough to the wall of the dam to blow it
up. Many factors play into this - the weight of the bomb, the height of
the plane, and the timing among them. Finally, after failures and
rejections, Wallis’s plan is given the go-ahead.
Then, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, played by Richard Todd, comes into the
picture. Richard Todd, by the way, is among my personal favorite
actors. Handsome, dark haired and blue eyed, this not-so-well-known Irish
actor gave a poignant performance in the tearjerker “The Hasty Heart”.
Perhaps his greatest piece of acting was his moving portrayal of Peter Marshall
in “A Man Called Peter”. He also played Robin Hood in Disney’s live
action version of the tale, and was in a number of film noirs (or should that
be films noir?). Gibson (if you’re still following my narrative after
that side trail), is the man chosen to command the squadron that will carry out
the mission. Without knowing the target, he and his men train in low
flying over water.
Challenges and obstacles continue to impede the project until almost the last
minute, but finally, the squadron is on its way to complete the mission.
I’m generally not a big fan of war films. Unlike many people, action
scenes tend to bore me (with some exceptions), while dialog usually holds my
interest (provided it isn’t too very dull). This film has a mix of both -
the action being mostly towards the end. The special effects are
sometimes cheesy. However, I certainly do not feel that this spoils the
movie.
I feel obliged to mention that the film does contain some language, although I
suppose by today's standards it would be considered mild. While censorship
in America from about the mid ‘30s to late ‘50s did not allow swearing/cursing
(other than some notable exceptions), British censors were not so particular.
This film touches on many emotions - dedication to and belief in an idea, love
for a pet, comradeship, worry, grief, understanding. Michael Redgrave did
an excellent job as the quiet, unassuming inventor who believes in what he is
doing. Richard Todd was great as the cheerful, dog-loving Wing
Commander. There is a short appearance of Patrick McGoohan (another of my
favorites), later of “Danger Man” (a.k.a. “Secret Agent”) and “The Prisoner”
fame. This was one of his first film roles, uncredited.
I have noticed there often seems to be a certain something about British films
that I can’t quite put my finger on. Something of a haunting
quality. “The Dam Busters” is no exception. The camera shots of the
empty rooms towards the end were especially effective.
Overall, I found it an interesting and engaging film.