The Dam Busters 4K 1955 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

In May 1943, a squadron of Lancaster bombers destroyed two dams in the Ruhr Valley in Germany using an original weapon—a "bouncing bomb." This film tells the story of the creation and use of this weapon.

Review 4K Movie

England during World War II. Visionary engineer Barnes Wallis approaches the War Office with an almost insane idea: he asks for assistance in developing a “bouncing bomb” capable of destroying the largest dams on the Ruhr River and thus crippling Germany's economic power. Wallis is politely dismissed, but over time he shows his work, which at some point catches the attention of the prime minister himself, and the project is given the green light. And now a secret squadron of bombers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Guy Gibson is being prepared to strike the Third Reich in the Ruhr. But before carrying out this secret mission, two dozen bombers will practice night flights at extremely low altitudes every day so that at least some of them can return to old England.

During the turbulent war years, the British and especially the Americans churned out heroic epics about how a handful of brave men in planes/ships/submarines destroyed hordes of Germans/Japanese, bringing victory in the war closer. During the war itself, such films were justified by the need for high-quality artistic propaganda, and there could be no particular questions about that. After the war, the Anglo-Saxons began to rewrite history, taking the laurels of the main victors from the Soviet Union. But as far as the historical accuracy of this film is concerned, it is one of those rare films where it is difficult to find fault. In 1943, a mere 19 British bombers did indeed perform a feat, destroying the two largest dams in the Ruhr basin, thereby dealing a serious blow to the entire German industry. The operation was technically audacious and even more daring in its execution. And it is precisely in Michael Anderson's production that all the technical and organizational complexities of this combat story are revealed step by step.

There are two main characters in the film: a perfectionist scientist played by Michael Redgrave and a pedantic fighter pilot played by Richard Thorpe. The first “seeks and finds,” while the second grimly watches over his subordinates, demanding their full commitment, and only in moments of relaxation does he allow himself to play with his beloved dog, who has the very politically incorrect name of Nigger. So these two march toward success, overshadowing all the other characters. And, by the way, when the melodramatic tears start flowing, “oh, what fine young men we are losing,” the lack of character in the secondary characters will play a cruel joke on the film. The viewer won't really understand who is falling and dying. Although, strangely enough, the film's main flaw is what earned The Dam Busters its only Oscar nomination: the special effects.
The editing itself, the group flights of bombers, the panoramic views in the film are all on par... But as soon as it came to showing anti-aircraft attacks, explosions on the water, and the explosions of the dams themselves, it all came across as simply crude amateurism. And yet it was already 1955, and colleagues in the industry were already producing something more spectacular in their visualizations of air flights/battles (one can recall the American film “Aircraft Carrier” or “The Destroyer of Dams” competitor in this category, “The Bridges at Toko-Ri”). Michael Anderson spent an hour and a half hammering out a fascinating plot about the preparation for the flight, only to deliver a completely lackluster picture in the last half hour, which belongs in the 1930s, but definitely not in the 1950s. However, this is not a reason to refuse to watch it. The film is undoubtedly good, and it almost documentarily repeats the real events of 1943.