A young Dirk Bogarde scores highly in this British war drama (one of the best post-war films dealing with World War II) as a squadron commander of the Avro Lancasters, and the mission flying over Germany that led to a big victory for the British and ultimately all the allies. He has a touching romance with a young war widow (Dinah Sheridan) who is enlisted in the wrens, and instructs preparations for the mission that dominates the later part of the film.
While the film's a bit slow getting started, it gets really good with the air battles of the second half, and thus the first part doesn't seem to slow it down as important details of the first part become clearer later on. This film is very subtle in getting the viewer involved, not hammering them over the head with needless propaganda, reminding the modern viewer that with the war over, they didn't have to try so hard. Definitely one of the films that led Bogarde to becoming a big star.
While the film's a bit slow getting started, it gets really good with the air battles of the second half, and thus the first part doesn't seem to slow it down as important details of the first part become clearer later on. This film is very subtle in getting the viewer involved, not hammering them over the head with needless propaganda, reminding the modern viewer that with the war over, they didn't have to try so hard. Definitely one of the films that led Bogarde to becoming a big star.