Customer Reviews

The Memphis Belle - A Story of a Flying Fortress [VHS]

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is, quite simply, one of the best wartime documentaries shot during WWII. It chronicles the 25th mission of 'The Memphis Belle" a B-17 and its crew that flew early in the air war over Europe when losses were staggering and survival of men and machines was doubtful over a 25-mission tour. Shot by William Wyler, the film is in full color, much of it shot in combat conditions over Europe. The narration is excellent.
This is not a very long film, but it is a must for anyone interested in the air war. I highly recommend another documentary to better understand the air war if you enjoy 'Memphis Belle'. It is called "Pistol Packing Mama: The Missions of a B-17", also available through Amazon.com. Taken together, these two videos will give the general viewer an excellent idea of the dangers of flying early in the war and of the resiliency and courage of the crews.
Do not expect the camera work to be smooth in the aerial combat sequences. Remember that the plane was shuddering with the recoil of its guns and also under instense fire. Also, the cameraman was probably having second thoughts about coming along on the mission at all! To me, the camera work only intensifies the drama of the battle.
Highly recommended. Not to be confused with the Hollywood version of 1990, with the same title. This is fact, that one is historical fiction. Both are worth your time.

This wartime documentary celebrates the successful return of the B-17 bomber Memphis Belle, named after pilot Robert Morgan's girlfriend, from its twenty-fifth and final bombing mission over German soil, but it also makes clear the fact that this was only one of many such planes filled with heroic young men prepared to die for their country and for freedom. Director William Wyler basically takes the viewer through a typical day in the lives of the American men serving at an undisclosed air base in Britain. Ground crewmen prepare the B-17s for flight and load the bombs they will drop, pilots and crew receive their briefing on the mission ahead, death is delivered to the German homeland in the form of fire from the sky, and the pilots bring their bombers home - if they can. The bravery of the ten men who served onboard each B-17 bomber is beyond question; while these incredible airplanes earned the right to be called flying fortresses, each mission bordered on the suicidal. The bomber was a large and slow yet deadly aircraft; the pilots had to hold formation and concentrate on dropping their bombs amidst anti-aircraft fire from the ground, the pursuit and attack of much quicker German fighters, and constant bursts of flak all over the sky; with no fighter escort, the gunners stationed atop, behind, and astride each plane had their hands full trying to shoot down enemy planes. This film, built around actual combat footage taken from 16mm and 35mm onboard cameras, presents a telling and impressively realistic look at the incredible dangers all bomber crewmen faced.

Some speak about the propaganda aspects of this film. It is true that the war in Europe raged on when the film was released by the War Department in April 1944, and it is also true that Wylie used footage from several missions as well as some film from a second air combat unit, but the heroism on display here rises far above propaganda. To return home from a bombing mission was a small miracle in and of itself, as can clearly be seen in the extensive damage to both crew and aircraft for many of those that did make it back to the base. What makes the Memphis Belle such a legend is the fact that the crew took the plane out on twenty-five bombing runs and returned home each and every time. As the film shows us, this accomplishment earned all ten of the Memphis Belle's crewmen distinguished service medals, a visit from the King and Queen of England, and a trip back to the States to help teach future crewmen how to fly the B-17 bombers that continued to prove themselves instrumental in the eventual Allied victory over the Third Reich.

I might make note of the fact that this film is actually in color - not a vibrant sort of color but color nonetheless - and runs a little short of forty-five minutes in length. Those with an interest in aerial combat or World War II in general should find much to interest them in this inspirational look at the Memphis Belle and the brave American men who flew her.

This is not a movie but an Oscar winning documentary. This is the real deal not Hollywood make-believe. When you see a plane crash those are real people dying. If you want the Hollywood version DON'T BUY THIS, because I do not want to see people saying this is not want they expected and saying this film sucks, because it doesn't.

May God forbid all wars in the future.

Several people have confused this wartime 'short' with the movie made in 1990. This Memphis Belle is a US propaganda file covering the last (25th) mission of the famous B-17 bomber named 'The Memphis Belle'. (after a young lady the crew met during training) During WWII US Army Air Corps bomber crews could be rotated back to the USA to training bases after 25 missions. As the anti-aircraft defenses around the Axis countries were the best in the world at the time, few crewmembers could make the magic number of 25. The Belle was the first to make it with a intact (read alive and uninjured) crew. The USAAC filmed this event through recreation and stock footage.

Dont get me wrong. Any WWII history buff should grab a copy of this film. It is a fathful and well done view of a mission in a B-17 over Germany during WWII. You just have to remember it was a propaganda film. But see this one before seeing the 1990 movie.

Yes, I have this video. It is quite good. Actually, it was made over a number of missions of ACTUAL aerial combat by AAF photo-journalist Major William Wyler. I suggest it highly. One word of admonishment, however---this documentary was filmed in 1943---and not 1944, as the "supers" at the top of the amz.com page indicate. The Belle's last mish was in May 1943, and in June returned to the States for a Bond Tour. Notwithstanding, this is a "5-star" war-time production! --2LT Jesse Irwin Carnes 16010 Composite SQ USAF-Aux (CAP)

This is the Original WWII Memphis Bell War Department Film. For any real WWII Buff - it blasts away Hollywood's fictional account produced recently. The film is made by war photographers on real missions with real footage showing the Air War in Europe over Germany and the B-17 Memphis Bell finishing her 25th Mission. Has all the pomp and circumstance of all the WWII, "V for Victory" type patriotic movies. For the 6.99 Price Tag BUY IT!

While this DVD doesn't come with all the bells and whistles that many do, the film itself is superb. Not filled with flashy expensive special effects, it instead takes advantage of actual footage from the war (in my opinion far more valuable). The story it tells does deviate at times from the real details surrounding the Memphis Belle and her crew, but it certainly doesn't lose the spirit. I recomend this film to anyone who loves the B-17 and the stories that surround these great old war birds. As an extra, check out "The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle : Memoir of a World War II Bomber Pilot" which is the autobiography of the Belle's pilot, Robert Morgan.

This documentary film is powerful in a way no Hollywood movie about the Memphis Belle can ever be--this film is real. Real people, drawn out of their ordinary lives, do extraordinary service in deadly conditions. Being a film done at the time gives an immediacy to the events. This isn't a 'look back', it's a 'look _now_' in the film's perspective and that strengthens the effect. Even the 'propaganda' aspects serve to enhance the moving effect (like the blood donor pitch--propanda? yes. intense and powerful? definitely.)

But a bad copy of the film on this DVD... The video level is overblown, wiping out much detail. The film transfer--actually it looks like a telecine/video transfer with scan lines painfully visible--is ghastly. If a new, better copy of Memphis Belle comes out, I'll be replacing this one.

Propaganda is generally lies and an effort to deceive someone. There are some amongst us who see propaganda in everything. There is no deception in this film and there are no lies. One reviewer claimed that it was shot from a B-25. NOT SO! The B-25 did not have the range to go to Germany and follow the bombers. It was filmed in actual combat, aboard B-17 bombers. I commend the one reviewer who referred to Bf-109s instead of Me-109s as the German fighters. This is a true story of a crew of gallant Americans who fought and were fortunate not to die for their country. I saw this movie when it was first released and I have seen it on video several times in the recent past. I have found nothing fake about it.

This movie was one the best I've ever seen.This movie directed by William Wyler was excellent.Not only does this movie tell about the "Belle" but it also tells about the real crew such as Robert Morgan(pilot), Vince Evans (Bombardier),John Quinlan(tail gunner),Cecil Scott(Ball Turret Gunner),Harold Loch (Top Turret Gunner/Engineer),Jim Verinis(Copilot),Tony Nastal (Waist Gunner),Bill Winchel (Waistgunner),and Robert Hanson (Radio Operator).This film was actually many different missions put together to make the Memphis Belles last mission(May 17, 1943).If you are as interested in the air war over Europe during World War two you will love this movie.