The Battle of Britain

Battle of Britain, The (1943)

*** (out of 4)

The fourth film in Capra's "Why We Fight" series takes a look at Britain and their entrance into the war. As with the other films in the series, the main goal here was to teach people in the U.S. why we're entering the war and bring them up on what's been going on overseas. Today we have much better documentaries about all these events so it's important to keep in mind that these were rather fresh when originally released and the information being passed here was all that was known then. Today, much of the information told here has been corrected but history buffs probably aren't going to be watching these for a lesson. The film remains mildly entertaining as a nostalgia trip because it gives us a chance to see what was being taught back while the war was going on. We get the typical clips of Hitler, various battles and things like that but the most interesting footage comes from the factories in England where we see all the extra work being done to help push the cause. Most of the stock footage is in bad shape but that's somewhat to be expected. Overall, I'm really not sure how much Capra had to do on the film and I doubt his fans will be the ones watching this. WWII buffs will probably want to check it out but others will either find it too stale or find more fulfilling documentaries out there.

With all of mainland Europe under his control Hitler prepares for the last obstacle in his way before heading for North America, Great Britain. With an overwhelming edge in aircraft Goering's Luftwaffe looks unstoppable on paper. Once in the air however the RAF tenaciously disrupts the paradigm by blowing the enemy out of sky air at a seven to one rate. The Battle of Britain rages on for a over a year as the Island nation is bloodied but unbowed providing crucial time for their American allies to produce more arms for the inevitable struggle.

Using more staged footage than the three previous documentaries in the Why We Fight series the Battle of Britain has a more propaganda like feel to it with the dramatized (some with unmistakable Warners music score ) scenes glaringly obvious to newsreel. In an ironic twist amid the devastation caused by German air attacks Beethoven's Seventh Symphony is employed to underscore the visual suffering. The story itself is one of remarkable courage by a defiant nation who refused to buckle under to the devastating attacks inflicted upon it by up until that point an invincible war machine. It is the 20th century version of the 300 Spartans.

There have been more exhaustively researched and better looking commercial efforts done on this battle since this film but the immediacy and motivation The Battle of Britain provided then will always make it a more valuable document of England during its "Finest Hour".