What happens to a RAF crew who are caught behind enemy lines? That's the idea behind this war-time drama that also pits intolerant youth against experienced age.

The mission of the "B For Bertie" bomber crew is a raid on factories in Stuttgart - but they're forced down in the Netherlands, where they are totally dependent on their own resources and the help of the Dutch. One wrong decision can mean internment or death - for both parties, since many Dutch were tortured or shot for helping or hiding RAF officers who turned out to be members of the Gestapo in disguise.

The opening sequence is haunting - "B For Bertie" flies home pilotless, abandoned by its crew, only to crash into an electric power line and come down in flames.

The crew is a motley group and they introduce themselves to the camera. There's Hugh Burden as the skipper, Hugh Williams as the navigator, Emrys Jones as the wireless op, Bernard Miles as the front gunner, Godfrey Tearle (the oldest member) as the rear gunner and Eric Portman as the co-pilot.

Surprisingly for a W.W. II war movie, there are strong, pro-active roles for women. Actress Pamela Brown is outstanding as the schoolmistress who serves as interrogator, questioning the crew mercilessly. Joyce Redman plays a Mayor's daughter, and Googie Withers (who was known, up to then, only as a comedienne) is a brave port home-maker who conceals them until they can escape by night.

What's curious is that, over the years, the supporting cast - like Peter Ustinov and dancer Robert Helpmann - has attained fame while the so-called "stars" are lesser known. In case you cannot spot them, Ustinov plays the priest and Helpmann plays a Dutch traitor.

Director Michael Powell opts for complete naturalism, no music. There are only the natural sounds of a country at war. You can hear the ominous voices of Germans everywhere but you only see them in the distance, except in one sequence in a church. Ronald Neame's cinematography is excellent and the editing is superb - and why not? It's edited by David Lean, who later became a top-notch director.



Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS