Everyone knows there were a huge amount of world war 2 films and documentaries being released even during the conflict, but one thing we don't see very often is one that's in color. Similarly to a British film, Target for Tonight, Memphis Belle takes viewers on a perilous journey over Hitler's Reich into the cold blue skies during a bombing mission. The title of this film refers to the specific b-17 flying fortress used on the mission. As the film starts, we see the crew prepare for takeoff from a base in England as bombs are loaded into the plane's fuselage. American planes attacking Germany by day around this time did so from very high altitudes, so high in fact that not using an oxygen mask would kill you in a matter of minutes. We're also shown how the nazis have been expecting an american bomber raid for some time, and are ready for it. They have large batteries of anti aircraft cannons and fighter planes to try and stop the allied attack. The germans have also fortified the pens they keep their submarines in to hopefully alleviate some expected bomb damage. The americans know they're up against a battle hardened enemy with tons of advanced weapons at their disposal, so their strategy is to send multiple, separate waves of bombers to attack targets in germany. Some of these formations will head to critical targets and others won't, so the germans will have a hard time guessing which one is poised to cause the most destruction. If the plan succeeds, the germans will send their planes somewhere they aren't needed, and they won't intercept the bombers in time. Once the actual attack is underway, amazing color footage of the mission is displayed. Bomber crews fire back at german planes that try to shoot at them from every conceivable angle, and the crew communicates to each other over an intercom to call out enemy positions. The bombers fly in a tight formation so that the close proximity of their guns helps one another. Like a group of zebras, staying together is the best defense they have. However, the predictable path of the formation allows german flak gunners thousands of feet below to accurately hurl explosive shells into it. Shards of metal go flying everywhere. At one point, a bomber in the formation is hit in the engine, and starts to drift away from the other planes. Like a horde of vultures, german fighters seize on the opportunity and attack the lone and defenseless plane. It's a hard thing to watch because the other bombers aren't allowed to go help. You stay with your flight path or you'll die too. After the mission is over, many planes return to england, but not all of them. Some of them show signs of catastrophic damage, such as one that had its entire rudder shot off. It still managed to return. Later on, many crew members are given the Purple Heart, a medal that is still given out today to servicemen who are badly wounded due to enemy action. Even the King and Queen visit the base to honor the men and their heroic actions that are helping to keep britain safe from Hitler. The film says how the damage the bombers caused to germany will definitely help the allied cause, since now, large amounts of weapons were destroyed that would have otherwise been used against the allies. While Memphis Belle might not be that outlandish in terms of its plot, it still manages to be one of the most important ww2 films ever. I liked how it gave audiences back then a glimpse into the horror that was aerial warfare over germany, as well as what pilots and crews had to remember in order to come back alive. The narration is strangely soothing for a war focused film, and as you see huge groups of bombers all over the sky, you get the feeling that you're part of this gigantic movement to liberate europe. I've seen many world war 2 films before this one, but Memphis Belle is one of the best. Given that it was directed by William Wyler, this doesn't surprise me.
