ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT IS MISSING
UK, 1942, 102 minutes, Black and white.
Godfrey Tearle, Eric Portman, Hugh Williams, Bernard Miles, Hugh Burden, Emrys Jones, Pamela Brown, Joyce Redman, Googie Withers, Hay Petrie, Robert Helpmann, Peter Ustinov, Alec Clunes.
Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
One Of Our Aircraft Is Missing is considered one of the finest war films made during the war, fine propaganda and morale-boosting for the British public.
The film focuses on the crash of an aircraft in Holland, flashbacks to give the background to the six men who crashed but bailed out, the rest of the film focusing on the Dutch Resistance and their courage in helping the airmen back to safety and to Britain.
The film has a very strong British cast of character actors of the time.
The film was written and directed by The Archers, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. This was their first collaboration in direction which continued for fifteen years. Their next venture was the satire on war and warmongering, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. Some of their post-war films received great acclaim: I Know Where I’m Going, A Matter of Life and Death, Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes. After filming Ill Met By Moonlight, each of the directors went his own way (although they collaborated in writing, including Pressburger contributing to the screenplay of Powell’s Australian film, They’re a Weird Mob).
The film shows a Britain that no longer exists – but highlights the British heritage, stiff upper lip, courage, and the collaboration that was possible during the Nazi invasions of World War Two.
1. This film is considered a war classic. Why? Its impact in its time, now? As a fit piece of British and war history? As a tribute to the memories of the war?
2. The film and its techniques of the early forties' black and white photography, sets, the presentation of Holland and Germany, the presentation of Britain, the aerial photography, the atmosphere of war and survival?
3. The value of the film in its time for morale-boosting, patriotism, encouragement to occupied countries? What impact does this have now?
4. The dramatic suspense of the structures the effect of the plane crashing, the crew missing, the flashback technique?
5. The presentation of the air bases, the nature of air missions, the dedication of the crew, the personalities, of the crew members, their backgrounds and their interaction? How well did the film introduce each of the members of the crew, their characteristics and personalities? Which characters came across most strongly? What values did they represent? British types? Heroism?
6. The success of the mission, but the necessity of bailing out? How well was this action sequence handled, the parachuting? The presentation of the British airmen using their wits and ingenuity for survival? Realistic and plausible?
7. The presentation of occupied Holland, the British trying to survive and escape, their exercise of leadership, taking stock of circumstances, their collaboration in effecting their escape?
8. How well did the film pay tribute to the Dutch help? The presentation of the Dutch, the meetings and the testing of the authenticity of the British airmen? The teacher and her taking charge and her help? The need for disguises? Their continually being moved on from group to group? The Germans signing documents for permission to move? The sequences in church, the help of the priest, the sports match and Dutch resistance? The strong help from the woman at the port, the Germans trusting her, their hiding the men in her house and helping them escape? How credible were these events? Did they show the reality rather than highlight the dangers and the daring?
9. The quality of the suspense in the film, the presentation of the dangers as real?
10. The impact of the final rescue and its overtones of patriotism?
11. How basic was the plot as an example of a successful war film?
12. The success of the mission, the values that the men stood for? War values and patriotism? The importance of this kind of film?
