Just a few thoughts from the first 5 minutes of this film-
1) "Roger That" is modern military slang, not used in 1943, yet we hear it 5-6 times in the first couple minutes of the film.
2) Constantly calling each other "Guys-" same deal...they might refer to each other collectively as "boys," but not "guys."
3) They are all Air Corps, yet one crew member wears an Infantry overseas cap, with light blue Infantry piping! WHY?
4) The interior set for the B-17 is far too bare, too clean- should be cramped and crowded with wiring and pipes, padded soundproofing insulation on the walls, pinups, thermoses, parachutes, flak jackets and helmets, spent brass, etc. Also, the uniforms, hats, parachute harnesses, etc., are far too clean for men who have not showered in months and wore the same uniforms until they fell apart in desert conditions.
At the end the filmmakers have a strongly worded tirade along the lines of "please forgive us that we didn't have the dough to use 12 real B-17s in the filming," etc., which is reasonable- but then they insult people looking for historical accuracy by calling them so many "rivet-counters." Yes kids, we know real B-17s don't grow on trees and you last names aren't Spielberg and Lucas...but a correct overseas cap costs $30, so before you cry to me about the unreasonableness of my expecting million dollar props, get the little details right...you have mechanics in July 1943 running around wearing Model 1944 pilots' flight goggles...which obviously didn't exist until a year later..incredible as it may seem, there is a simple solution to avoid using the wrong prop...just leave it out of the film if it's incorrect or if the right one is not available.., a mechanic wearing pilot's flight goggles just confuses the average audience, anyway.
One of the strangest omissions of the film- all of this bombing is in support of The Allied invasion of Sicily, which began 09 July 1943. The film begins on July 11, 1943- 48 hours later, while the outcome of the invasion was still very much in doubt- yet in 2 hours, no one mentions the invasion of Sicily, to whit, "how is the largest invasion of the war to date going?"
This is all the more puzzling in that not only is it implausible that not a single character would mention the biggest invasion of the war up to that time as it was taking place, but a few lines about the Invasion of Sicily would clue in the audience as to why these Yanks are flying out of North Africa to bomb Italy.
Good reactions- it takes place in North Africa and over Italy- interesting and uncommon, as most Americans think WW Two began and ended in Normandy on June 6, 1944. So give this movie a chance.
As to the rest of the film- the filmmakers' hearts were in the right place. There are some noticeable historical, authentic goofs but overall, it is a noble effort. Including historically accurate details like how superstitious the flight crews were, the still and the importance of hooch, the grouchy but dedicated mechanics, the EM's contempt for officers, etc. All deserve credit and praise. If you can hold your nose and overlook several historical errors, it's a decent effort and well worth watching. An aspect of WW Two (Americans based in North Africa, the Sicilian Campaign) that you just never see. Give it a shot!
1) "Roger That" is modern military slang, not used in 1943, yet we hear it 5-6 times in the first couple minutes of the film.
2) Constantly calling each other "Guys-" same deal...they might refer to each other collectively as "boys," but not "guys."
3) They are all Air Corps, yet one crew member wears an Infantry overseas cap, with light blue Infantry piping! WHY?
4) The interior set for the B-17 is far too bare, too clean- should be cramped and crowded with wiring and pipes, padded soundproofing insulation on the walls, pinups, thermoses, parachutes, flak jackets and helmets, spent brass, etc. Also, the uniforms, hats, parachute harnesses, etc., are far too clean for men who have not showered in months and wore the same uniforms until they fell apart in desert conditions.
At the end the filmmakers have a strongly worded tirade along the lines of "please forgive us that we didn't have the dough to use 12 real B-17s in the filming," etc., which is reasonable- but then they insult people looking for historical accuracy by calling them so many "rivet-counters." Yes kids, we know real B-17s don't grow on trees and you last names aren't Spielberg and Lucas...but a correct overseas cap costs $30, so before you cry to me about the unreasonableness of my expecting million dollar props, get the little details right...you have mechanics in July 1943 running around wearing Model 1944 pilots' flight goggles...which obviously didn't exist until a year later..incredible as it may seem, there is a simple solution to avoid using the wrong prop...just leave it out of the film if it's incorrect or if the right one is not available.., a mechanic wearing pilot's flight goggles just confuses the average audience, anyway.
One of the strangest omissions of the film- all of this bombing is in support of The Allied invasion of Sicily, which began 09 July 1943. The film begins on July 11, 1943- 48 hours later, while the outcome of the invasion was still very much in doubt- yet in 2 hours, no one mentions the invasion of Sicily, to whit, "how is the largest invasion of the war to date going?"
This is all the more puzzling in that not only is it implausible that not a single character would mention the biggest invasion of the war up to that time as it was taking place, but a few lines about the Invasion of Sicily would clue in the audience as to why these Yanks are flying out of North Africa to bomb Italy.
Good reactions- it takes place in North Africa and over Italy- interesting and uncommon, as most Americans think WW Two began and ended in Normandy on June 6, 1944. So give this movie a chance.
As to the rest of the film- the filmmakers' hearts were in the right place. There are some noticeable historical, authentic goofs but overall, it is a noble effort. Including historically accurate details like how superstitious the flight crews were, the still and the importance of hooch, the grouchy but dedicated mechanics, the EM's contempt for officers, etc. All deserve credit and praise. If you can hold your nose and overlook several historical errors, it's a decent effort and well worth watching. An aspect of WW Two (Americans based in North Africa, the Sicilian Campaign) that you just never see. Give it a shot!