Battle of Britain

1969
PG
2h 12m

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

26K

YOUR RATING

Laurence Olivier, Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer, Robert Shaw, Trevor Howard, Harry Andrews, Curd Jürgens, Ian McShane, Kenneth More, Nigel Patrick, Michael Redgrave, Ralph Richardson, Patrick Wymark, and Susannah York in Battle of Britain (1969)

In 1940, the British Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle to prevent the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority over the English Channel as a prelude to a possible Axis invasion of the U.K.

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Historical Epic War Epic Action Drama History War

In 1940, the British Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle to prevent the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority over the English Channel as a prelude to a possible Axis invasion of the ... Read allIn 1940, the British Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle to prevent the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority over the English Channel as a prelude to a possible Axis invasion of the U.K.In 1940, the British Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle to prevent the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority over the English Channel as a prelude to a possible Axis invasion of the U.K.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.9/10

26K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 1 win & 1 nomination total

Videos2

Photos274

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Sir Michael Caine initially thought he was too young to play a squadron leader. However, veterans of the battle told him he was actually too old for the part.

Goofs
When ACM Hugh Dowding and the Air Minister are discussing relative aircraft numbers, the minister states, "We have radar." The term radar was not used in Britain in 1940. The term RDF was used. The term radar was invented by the US Navy in 1940 and held as secret until later in the war.

Quotes
Baron von Richter: David, we are not asking for anything. Europe is ours, we can walk into Britain whenever we like.
Sir David Kelly: If you think we're going to gamble on Herr Hitler's guarantees, you're making a grave mistake. All those years in England seems to have left you none the wiser. We're not easily frightened. Also we know how hard it is for an army to cross the Channel. The last little Corporal who tried came a cropper. So don't threaten or dictate to us until you're marching up Whitehall... and even then we won't listen.

Alternate versions
Some TV prints of the film retain the Transamerica/UA production logo, which is now frequently edited out of other UA films of that period.

Connections
Edited into Battle of Midway (1976)

Soundtracks
Battle in the Air
Composed by William Walton (as Sir William Walton O.M.)
Conducted by Malcolm Arnold

User reviews199

Featured review

Very good.

Never knew this movie existed until I happened upon it at the local video store. I decided to give it a chance. This movie can be compared to "Tora! Tora! Tora!" in that it gives one the factual perspective of the Battle of Britain and not some love story or "shoot'em up" action adventure set around the Battle of Britain. It is the absence of such elements that makes some viewers not enjoy this kind of film. However, if you are interested in seeing history played out on the screen, or are a history buff like me, you will enjoy this movie. The characters are not deep or complex and there is little character development, but in a movie like this, it is not necessary. There is a pretty useless subplot involving a man and his wife, but other than that, this film is not to be missed by those who enjoy WWII history.