280. Spitfire; movie review

SPITFIRE
Cert PG
95 mins
BBFC advice: Contains moderate bad language

It will not be long before nobody is left to remember what it was like to be at war close to home.
I am not denigrating the sacrifices of those who have fought in The Falklands, Iraq or Afghanistan but they did not demand a nation to pull together in the face of potential invasion.
During the early 1940s, The Royal Air Force stood between freedom and rule by the Nazis.
And the tool which gave them a fighting chance was The Spitfire, the small plane which spearheaded the remarkable victory in the Battle of Britain.
Using contemporary footage and more up-to-date interviews, David Fairhead and Ant Palmer have created a tribute to the Spitfire and chronicled its importance in winning the war.
It begins its story during the 1920s when design teams were looking at creating planes to defend Britain.
This necessity was ramped up several notches during the 1930s as it became clear that war was on the horizon.
Academics discuss the how the aircraft broke the mold and became the favourite of the RAF while the pilots and ancillary crew talk about why it was such a game-changer.
The very name Spitfire has an emotional tug for the older generation while prompting admiration for ingenuity and bravery from those who didn't see it in action.
And I couldn't help thinking again that war is curious because, despite the deaths and injuries, it evokes a smile from those who tell stories about it.
The same is true here - perhaps it was because the Spitfire is a symbol of victory in adversity or perhaps they were just simpler times when the goal was clear and the brave and the brilliant rightly captured the headlines.

Reason to watch: We will never hear stories like it again
Reasons to avoid: Glorying in what is, essentially, a war machine.

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8/10

Director quote - David Fairchild: ""It took a huge team to defeat the Nazis and that team included RAF pilots but also fighter pilots from overseas. Many people came here from the commonwealth, from the conquered countries, it was a team effort and not just, as a lot of people think, plucky Britain on its own. It took a worldwide effort to defeat that menace and perhaps people need to think about that now."

The big question - Does the Spitfire remain the greatest fighter plane ever designed?

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