Memphis Belle *** (1990, Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, Sean Astin) – Classic Movie Review 1286

Producer David Puttnam and director Michael Caton-Jones’s honourable British-made 1990 film was inspired by Hollywood director William Wyler’s remarkable 1943 World War II documentary The Memphis Belle (made for the War Activities Commission) about a young American crew’s mission over Germany in a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber and tells the same story in fictionalised feature-film story form.

The story, written by Monte Merrick. involves The Memphis Belle’s 25th and last mission of the American B-17 bomber, which was based in England during World War II.

An ambitious, well-made and handsome-looking though uncomfortable film, Memphis Belle almost entirely concentrates on the American experience, alienating British audiences and perhaps giving a false impression of the war. But there is a tiny look-in for Lancashire-born Jane Horrocks as Faith, and Englishman Steven Mackintosh has an early role as Stan, a rookie.

It would be churlish, though, not to admit that there’s very good work from the distinguished young American contingent of Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, D B Sweeney, Billy Zane, Sean Astin and Harry Connick Jr  (in his film debut). And, with David Strathairn and John Lithgow also doing well as the American colonel and lieutenant colonel, the acting is well taken care of.

Though this is a good-hearted film that is meticulously made, always involving and often stirring, it somehow just fails to achieve the grand epic status that it seems to be aiming for.

It is co-produced by William Wyler’s daughter, Catherine, and dedicated to her father. Five B-17s were used in making the film, but one crashed and was destroyed, fortunately with no loss of life.

The Memphis Belle B-17 bomber is so nicknamed after the girlfriend of its stern and stoic captain, Dennis Dearborn, played by Modine.

Hollywood director Wyler’s remarkable 1943 WWII documentary The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (made for the War Activities Commission) details the mission over Germany of a B-17 Flying Fortress, piloted by Robert Morgan, out of a US base in England. Astonishing Technicolor pictures make this documentary valuable both as a film and a historical record, and the movie puts the viewer startlingly into the time and place in history. And it also has been a goldmine of stock images for a host of fiction movies.

(C) Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1286

Link to Derek Winnert’s home page for more film reviews: http://derekwinnert.com/