Battlefield Britain - The Battle Of Britain 1940 DVD

Advantages: history gets a makeover
Disadvantages: none

...Making history exciting has always been a difficult task, it is by its very definition a relic of the past and as such has often been presented as such. To take a subject which until now has been presented as a series of dates and names, battles and marriages and make it exciting, is no mean feat. Marketing the subject to the in-crowd is easy, like any product they are already your captive audience and will always meet you half way, presenting you subject to the uninitiated and particularly the inquiring young mind, is the challenge. Peter and Dan Snow presenters of BBC's latest attempt rise to the occasion and their vehicle, Battlefield Britain, hits the target. Although the BBC have long been the premier producers of natural history programs, it has been Channel Four who have held the high ground when it comes to history programs... Read review

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Advantages: Great aerial photography, stirring score, fine all-star cast
Disadvantages: Some subplots are a bit dire....

...to stand in for their 1940 forbears. Nor do I find fault with the now outdated visual effects; yes, some of the explosions (particularly of crashing planes and the big bombing raid on London at night) look cartoony, but, again, this film was made in 1969, not 2005...or even 1999. The MGM 2003 DVD release is a bit lacking in the critical areas of sound (it's okay but not exactly earthshaking) and extra features, since the only such offering is the original theatrical trailer. Heck, it doesn't even bring a chapter list or one of those trivia-filled booklets such as those in the MGM Home Entertainment DVDs of The Great Escape and A Bridge Too Far. Nevertheless, its restoration to widescreen places The Battle of Britain's DVD version head and shoulders above the fullscreen VHS videotape edition.... Read review

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Advantages: Stunning aerial sequences, great score, entertaining account
Disadvantages: Too many cooks

...The 1969 all-star big budget extravaganza 'The Battle of Britain' is recently arrived to DVD, albeit on region 1 only for the moment. Never fear though, it's an MGM release, and region 2 releases are never too far behind. It's arrival on DVD is extremely welcome, as a buffed up widescreen print finally allows one to be totally smitten with the flying sequences. Presented as intended, and making full use of the scope process, the air battles are naturally 'The Battle of Britain's greatest strength. Guy Hamilton (Goldfinger, The Ipcress File) brings the same effortless flow to the film that he used succesfully in his 1964 Bond outing. In recounting the heroic efforts of both the RAF and the Luftwaffe, he never lets the action overwhelm the story, while equally he never lets historical fact bog down a 133 minute production. Wilfred... Read review

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