Review: Spitfire

Spitfire, The Plane That Saved the World, is a 2018 documentary, made in commemoration of the Royal Air Force's centenary. It's an amazing history of the Spitfire airplane and the fighter pilots who helped win World War II's Battle of Britain.

Directed by David Fairhead and Anthony Palmer with Music composed by Chris Roe, the Cinematography by John Collins is breathtaking.

Darling Hubby and I once owned our own plane so anything about planes and flying appeals to us, but this documentary is stirring and emotional.

You truly grasp the importance of the contribution made by the outnumbered pilots who flew the Spitfire.

Outnumbered and outgunned by the Nazi air fleet, the pilots of the Spitfire managed to save England.

Charles Dance, most recently known for his role as Tywin Lannister in HBO's Game of Thrones, narrated the documentary.

(Executive Producers were Keith Haviland, Trevor Beattie, Christian Eisenbeiss, Mark Stewart, and Patrick Mills.

Of particular interest in the documentary is Mary Ellis who was a woman pilot in WWII. Like her counterparts in the U.S.A. during WWII, she wasn't allowed to fly combat missions.

Instead Ms. Ellis and all the other women pilots who served during the Second World War, flew the planes from factories to air bases or ferried them as needed from base to base.

Now 100 years old and in good health, Ms. Ellis told of signing her name on the last Spitfire she flew from the factory, just on a whim.

Her signature can still be seen on that plane, one of three that is still flown. The pilot in the documentary asked her to sign it again on camera, and she did.

This documentary is the best kind of history lesson. With actual newsreel footage from the era, the story is told in such a dramatic and personal way that it's gripping and compelling.

We watched Spitfire on Amazon Prime since it was a new release. If you're not a subscriber, you can rent it from Amazon. It's certainly worth the time, and it costs less than a dollar.

Takeaway Truth

The film is exciting and character-driven as much as it is a history of a remarkable aircraft. Definitely watch it. You'll be amazed at the plane, and the men and women who won the Battle of Britain.

No comments:

Post a Comment