Runtime: 125 minutes
Directed by: Michael Anderson
Starring: Richard Todd, Michael Redgrave, Basil Sydney, Patrick Barr, Ernest Clark
From: Associated British Picture Corporation
Yes, I’ve known the name of the dog for years now…
The obvious big black dog in the room has to be addressed first. For those unfamiliar, The Dam Busters is a British film based on a daring raid during World War II. A key detail is that one of the main players has a Black Lab with a horrifying name by 2024 standards but during the time in the UK, multiple black animals used that name as it wasn’t seen as horrible during the time/place. After all, if you don’t know the original name of Agatha Christie’s novel And Then There Were None (and I don’t mean Ten Little Indians) be prepared for a shock once you look at the novel’s Wiki page! The dog’s name is said quite a few times during the first half; something bad happens to the dog and in the second half, its name is used as a code word during the mission, meaning the viewer gets to hear that offensive slur what seemed like at least twenty times!
Not a surprise then that not only did I have to visit The Bowels of the Internet to finally watch the movie because it can’t legally be found streaming in the United States, but there’s been a s---storm controversy over whether or not the dog’s name should be censored to Trigger (some airings have done this); Peter Jackson has wished for ages to direct a remake. I’m sure the dog’s name and how it should be handled is the reason why it hasn’t happened. Even the dog’s grave & its headstone is a source of controversy.
All this drama overshadowing the movie is unfortunate; its stiff upper lip attitudes & straightforward telling of the story won’t be for all but it enthralled me. The first half hour presents Barnes Wallis & his unorthodox idea for the destruction of German dams that would cripple their industry. After the idea is finally approved, the 617 Squadron is formed for carrying out the daring raid under nigh impossible conditions. Both the bomb and the scheme for delivering it need to be improved before the raid can commence.
The other aspect that has garnered notoriety through the years isn’t as shocking. Rather, it is how the Trench Run on the Death Star in Star Wars (and perhaps also the attack on the uranium plant in Top Gun: Maverick) were inspired by the last 30 minutes of this movie, when the raid occurs. George Lucas spliced together footage from World War II movies to create a more accurate representation for the action in Star Wars; he must have been a big fan of The Dam Busters as entire lines of dialogue are only slightly modified, let alone the scheme of multiple planes dropping multiple bombs in a pattern at a precise target where the next one steps in if a bomb fails. 1964’s 633 Squadron will be viewed one day as that is the other inspiration for the finale of Star Wars. At least this wasn’t Lucas using imagery from-ahem-Triumph of the Will for the final scene of A New Hope!
Divorced from a dog name of its time or its “inspiration” for an all-time classic, The Dam Busters was a clinical presentation of a story that was fascinating for my tastes. Some of the effects have aged real poorly but otherwise I was happy to have finally watched this war movie.
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