Intensely moving
The Second World War wasn’t always going in favour of the Allies. Germany did an efficient job of demoralizing Great Britain with bombing raids: the so-called blitz. And so the Allies fought back in kind, making Bomber Command pivotal to eventually winning the war.
But it wasn’t any kind of bombing, from any kind of plane, that gave the Allies eventual supremacy in that theatre: it was the introduction of the Avro Lancaster. Its four engines, and large bomb-load capacity made it a efficient war machine. Its responsive controls made it a darling of pilots.
The same team that recently brought us Spitfire, David Fairhead and Ant Palmer, have returned with Lancaster.
At the heart of this feature is the surviving pilots and crew, who speak openly and movingly about their experiences during the war. These include, not just RAF, but also Canadian, New Zealand, Jamaican, and Australian crew. The surviving men of 617 squadron talk about their special mission, that became known as “the dam busters”.
This film is an exploration of a magnificent airplane, and its role in Bomber Command. But it is also an interrogation of the whole Allied bombing strategy, and the moral complexities of war. For example, one of the interviewees is a German woman who was living near Dresden during the war. As with Spitfire, there is incredible archival footage, some of which has possibly not been seen by the general public. There is also footage of one of the remaining airworthy Lancasters, based at RAF Coningsby. And holding it all together is the sonorous narrative by the ever-reliable Charles Dance.
Lancaster is an intensely moving, intelligent, beautifully-paced, piece of documentary film-making. One for the history buffs, the aviation enthusiasts, and anyone who enjoys great factual cinema.
Lancaster screens as part of the Cunard British Film Festival at Palace Nova Eastend and Prospect, until November 16th.
Click here for more information, and to book tickets.
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