Sky (1956), are here stylishly packaged as a World War II Classics pack. We Dive at Dawn tells of the encounter between a British submarine and a German warship in...
Sky (1956), are here stylishly packaged as a World War II Classics pack. We Dive at Dawn tells of the encounter between a British submarine and a German warship in the Baltic Sea. John Mills gives a dependable performance as the submarine commander, with Eric Portman the pick of a strong supporting cast. Director Anthony Asquith finds the balance between action sequences and "in situ" dialogue, and there's an evocative score from Louis Levy. The movie was an underrated film that deserves reappraisal, whereas Reach for the Sky (1956) was a box-office hit and remains a fondly regarded classic. Kenneth More is ideally cast as Douglas Bader, the gifted pilot who loses both legs in a pre-war air crash, only to play a major role in the Battle of Britain, rise to the rank of Group Captain and become a war hero. Based on Paul Brickhill's biography, this is an "official" history maybe, but Lewis Gilbert's screenplay and direction are historically accurate and informed by that very British humour of which More was a natural. The film is graced by a decent supporting cast, and a typically "widescreen" score from John Addison. On the DVD: The black and white prints look and sound excellent. Whereas We Dive at Dawn has 4:3 video aspect ratio, 15 chapter points and no subtitles, the later Reach for the Sky has vivid 16:9 anamorphic reproduction, 20 chapter points, subtitles and detailed biographies of More, Gilbert and Barder. The original theatrical trailer is included, but it would also have made sense to include an interview or documentary footage of Bader himself. Even so, this is an excellent starting-point for investigating a key area of British cinema.--Richard Whitehouse
World War II Classics 2 - We Dive At Dawn / Reach For The Sky DVD
Main specs
Actor(s): John Mills, Eric Portman, Reginald Purdell, Kenneth More, Muriel Pavlow, Lyndon Brook
Director(s): Lewis Gilbert, Anthony Asquith
Genre: War
Classification: Universal
Production Year: 1943
Colour: Black & White
Running Time: 3 hours 53 minutes
Video Category: Feature Film
Plot: In 'We Dive At Dawn' the men of the British submarine 'Sea Tiger' are sent into battle to target the German warship 'Brandenburgh'. 'Reach For The Sky' tells the story of Douglas Bader who as a young pilot officer lost both legs in a flying accident but went on to become a Battle of Britain Ace.
Release details
DVD Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Studio(s): ITV DVD; CINRAM LOGISTICS
Release date: 12/11/2001
No of Discs: 2
Catalogue No: 37115 01733
Barcode: 5037115017338
DVD Description
This double bill presents two British World War II classics: REACH FOR THE SKY and WE DIVE AT DAWN. See individual titles for details.
Languages
Main Language: English
Hearing Impaired Language: English
Technical information
Special Features: Interactive Menus, Scene Access, Original Theatrical Trailer, Biographies
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Full Frame, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital Mono English
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since : 14/05/2005
Compare World War II Classics 2 - We Dive At Dawn / Reach For The Sky DVD to other similar War
Similar products and search queries by other users
World We, World War We, World II We, World Classics We, World 2 We, World War II We, World War Classics We, World War 2 We, World II Classics We, World II 2 We, World Classics 2 We, World War II Classics We, World War II 2 We, World War Classics 2 We, World II Classics 2 We
Are you the manufacturer / provider of World War II Classics 2 - We Dive At Dawn / Reach For The Sky DVD? Click here