The Dam Busters
Jan. 29th, 2026 09:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chris_gerribSome time ago, I learned that the famous trench scene in the original Star Wars was based on the movie The Dam Busters. In fact, Lucas hired the special effects guy from this movie to be his director of photography for Star Wars. I was finally able to find a streaming version on Amazon, so I watched it last night.
First, the 1955 movie, filmed in black-and-white, is a docudrama about Operation Chastise, a 1943 raid conducted by 617 Squadron of the RAF's Bomber Command. The operation breached two dams in the Ruhr river valley, causing flooding and significant damage to German industrial production. Per Wikipedia, the movie is a reasonably accurate account of the raid.
Onto the movie itself. It's a very British thing, all stiff upper lips and let's have some tea. Richard Todd, a combat veteran who had parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, played the squadron commander and Michael Redgrave (of that family) played the scientist Barnes Wallis. The RAF fully cooperated in the filming, even resurrecting some Lancaster bombers which were actually in the air during all the flying scenes.
Other special effects, such as the flak (animation) and the dams (clearly models) were of their time. Also of it's time was that Gibson, the RAF squadron leader, had a black Labrador who he named a racial slur. In fact, there was a modern disclaimer before the opening of the movie.
What I found interesting is frankly how much of the final act - the attack itself - made it into Star Wars. I also noted that there was no redshirting here - the loss of life was addressed very directly. Overall, highly recommended.
First, the 1955 movie, filmed in black-and-white, is a docudrama about Operation Chastise, a 1943 raid conducted by 617 Squadron of the RAF's Bomber Command. The operation breached two dams in the Ruhr river valley, causing flooding and significant damage to German industrial production. Per Wikipedia, the movie is a reasonably accurate account of the raid.
Onto the movie itself. It's a very British thing, all stiff upper lips and let's have some tea. Richard Todd, a combat veteran who had parachuted into Normandy on D-Day, played the squadron commander and Michael Redgrave (of that family) played the scientist Barnes Wallis. The RAF fully cooperated in the filming, even resurrecting some Lancaster bombers which were actually in the air during all the flying scenes.
Other special effects, such as the flak (animation) and the dams (clearly models) were of their time. Also of it's time was that Gibson, the RAF squadron leader, had a black Labrador who he named a racial slur. In fact, there was a modern disclaimer before the opening of the movie.
What I found interesting is frankly how much of the final act - the attack itself - made it into Star Wars. I also noted that there was no redshirting here - the loss of life was addressed very directly. Overall, highly recommended.
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Date: 2026-01-29 06:40 pm (UTC)Fascinating; I hadn't known this. I watched a side-by-side comparison at YouTube and am now prepared to declare Star Wars to be the most successful fan video ever made. :)