Target for To-night

This film I believe the was one of the first in a series made during the Second World war using only serving forces personnel and not actors . The crew of F for Freddie were skippered by Squadron Leader Pickard . I think one of the subtle messages that comes across is the informal method of command within the crew for they all knew that their lives depended upon the skills and performance of each other . The crew captain's role was to ensure they worked as a team and this film demonstrates aspect this well . It indeed would be interesting to know if any of the crew survived the war . Regrettably I do know that Group Captain Pickard , as he became , was killed in action about four years after the film was made . His last operation was the bombing of the Amiens Jail to release imprisoned French Resistance Fighters . The raid involved precision bombing by Mosquitoe Bombers to create breaches in the perimeter walls and demolish German Guard buildings . The raid was a success and over 100 Resistance Fighters escaped . Group Captain Pickard was killed during the return journey to England .

This is one of those fascinating documentaries that came out during WWII that made no attempt to be anything other than war propaganda.

It's so funny now to see people get all hot and bothered by films like "Fahrenheit 9/11" and crucify Michael Moore for pushing such a blatant agenda. They act like before Moore came on to the scene, no documentarian ever had a point of view or tried to manipulate audiences to think a certain way about an issue. Obviously, these people have never seen any of the propaganda films that came out around this time in world history, or for that matter any films by Frederick Wiseman, Leni Riefenstahl, Robert Flaherty or a hundred other documentary film makers who have been making movies for the last 80 years.

"Target for Tonight" is actually kind of laughable now, because it's SO heavy handed. But don't lost sight of its historical context and forget that this movie and others like it were deadly serious in their intentions.

Grade: A

It's a 47-minute documentary about the planning and execution of an air raid by RAF bombers on an oil dump in Germany. The performers are, we are told, the actual personnel who carry out such operations. We watch the slow beginning, as personnel go through their daily routines, maps are examined, checks are performed and the crews selected and briefed. It's not until halfway through that the planes take off, and if you're looking for it, another seven minutes before the cutting rate increases. Up until then, it's a steady 10-15 seconds between edits. At the 30-minute mark, the cutting rates increase; after a couple of minutes, each shot lasts three or four seconds. After the raid, the edits slow down, but the tension is maintained by moving shots.

It's directed by Harry Watts, who co-directed the landmark NIGHT MAIL for the GPO, and did uncredited work on LONDON CAN TAKE IT! Alfred Hitchcock did uncredited editing on it, and it shows a master's hand, punctuating the action with cuts, moving shots and sound effects. Everyone is calm throughout, the British doing-your-job attitude very much in evidence throughout. It's never flashy, but it's enormously effective.

I have seen "Target for Tonight" many times, as I am one of the lucky few to have an excellent 16mm original print of the film. I inherited it from a former director of Civilian Defense. It came mounted on the original WWII-issue wire reel. My print even has spare "replacement" footage of the head title, spliced in after the end of the film. One thing that always comes to mind when I view "Target for Tonight" is: These guys had guts! Whereas American raids were high altitude daylight missions, RAF missions were low altitude night attacks, which made bombing particularly difficult and the planes vulnerable to ground fire. Indeed, special lead bombers were sent ahead with incendiary bombs to set the area around the target on fire so the lead bombers could actually see their target at night. The subject of "Target for Tonight", the Wellington bomber "F for Freddie", shows considerable wear and tear. I suspect Warner Bros. may have produced this film: although their logo shield does not appear in the credits, the viewer may recognize the familiar musical intro theme common to most Warner films. The musical score is performed by the Royal Air Force Central Band and all actors in the film are real RAF personnel. If you have a chance to see this film, do so by all means. It is a great document of World War II. "Target for Tonight" won a special Academy Award: Best short documentary film of 1941.

I saw this film at a cinema in Chertsey, Surrey, England as a 6 year old and it has remained with me for 60 years. Only recently did I find out its title, although the exploits of F for Freddy are vivid in my memory. As a child I was unaware of the fact that it was made by the RAF themselves but I would suggest that it was a more realistic view of WWII than any of its successors. I would love to see it again and would recommend it to anybody who can get hold of a copy.