Moviecut—One of Our Aircraft Is Missing

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One of Our Aircraft Is Missing

A British bomber is shot over German-occupied Netherlands. The crew parachutes down and struggles to escape with the help of the local resistance. The most notable aspect is its release date. It's war film released in the heart of WWII. There is the use of a real British plane and some convincing miniatures. The bomber part of the movie is a bit dry but the authenticity is quite compelling. The occupation part is compelling if a bit easier than expected. It's probably their uniforms. The soldiers do not take their uniforms off and thereby maintaining the rules of warfare. This is obviously done to show that the British fight by the rules. The men don't differentiate themselves within the group. All in all, this is a solid war film in the heart of a truly tough real world fight. As for the title, it's an example of something simple and memorable. That's why it's so often copied even as a joke.

A very professionally made film which avoids some of the more patronising aspects of other British WWII films. This is even more surprising considering that it was made at a very dark time in UK history. An excellent dialogue which is very well delivered by the actors.

While not as well-known, nor as highly regarded, as their other later works this is every bit as good as one would expect from the team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It's fairly predictable, flag-waving stuff following the fortunes of six British airmen shot down over Holland as they try to make their way to the coast and back to England. They are all well played by a stock company of British army types, though some of the 'Dutch' people they meet on the way, (Peter Ustinov, Robert Helpman, Googie Withers, Joyce Redman), leave something to be desired. The editor was David Lean and the photography was by Ronald Neame and they do a splendid job; it looks great and much of the airborne stuff has a documentary feel to it. It is also consistently tense and is actually better than the better known "49th Parallel".

A solidly engaging WW2 thriller from the Powell/Pressburger team. This one's a straightforward story about a bomber crew who go on a bombing raid over Stuttgart but who are forced to parachute out of their plane when it's hit by anti-aircraft fire. They land in Nazi-occupied Holland and are forced to put themselves at the mercy of local resistance members in order to escape. A premise like this is ripe for suspense and ONE OF OUR AIRCRAFT IS MISSING doesn't disappoint in this respect. The story has a ring of authenticity to it and is enlivened by the stalwart efforts of the cast members who include Eric Portman, Bernard Miles, and Hugh Burden among their number. I thought that the special effects for the era - let us not forget this was made while the war was still going on - were very good. The bits in Holland tone it down a notch but the story picks back up towards the climax, leading to a thrilling ending. There's very little to dislike here.

Good flick; a different perspective (night bombing) than most of the air force world war two movies-12 O'clock High or Memphis Belle, for instance. Worth the price of admission to see Peter Ustinov thin (and young!)

"B. for Bertie crashed on Sunday morning. 0431. But our story starts some fifteen hours earlier......." With that simple statement Powell and Pressburger take us on another journey into cinema. A group of wise-cracking RAF crewmen take off on a routine bombing flight. The plane is shot and the crew manage to parachute off the before the plane stalls and crashes. On the ground the men (minus the pilot) gather together. They first encounter a trio of children who ask "have you come to invade Holland?" The men are taken to the adults who debate about what to do with them. Truly inventive film is well thought-out and photographed. Interest never wavers. What could have been a run-of-the-mill war film was skillfully crafted into a film of humanity in the midst of inhumanity. Shameless Laudations!

During a raid on Germany a British bomber crew is forced to bail out after their plane is damaged. They land in Holland and are aided by the Dutch civilians. Interesting WW2 drama. Quite realistic: very plausible and accurately told. The RAF operational scenes at the beginning of the film are excellent and could be from an actual raid they're that realistic. Being made in WW2 you would think it would be quite jingoistic and propaganda-filled but writer-directors Michael Powell and Eric Pressburger manage to keep things reasonably balanced. No big names in the main cast but it is worth spotting a 20-year-old Peter Ustinov in a minor role. This was his film debut and he is not recognisable. Look out for the young Dutch priest. The crew also includes a not-yet-famous David Lean as editor.