The Dambusters being re-made.

[Wigsie]

and don't hold your breath; no one has been cast yet, and they are still at the development stage, looking for locations in New Zealand oh that will be historical accuracy out the window, building replica/model Lancs (+1 on the not accurate score) and not a frame has been shot yet....

I would wager my savings the cast will be shocking! the backers will demand at least 2 or 3 a list hollywood 'stars'.

Brad Pitt? Leonardo DiCaprio? George Clooney? Ben Afleck? maybe Jack Black will reunite with Peter Jackson? (actually they are all a bit old now but you get the drift). I am never sure whether its worse that they rewrite history and make it full of yanks or when they put the actors in and make them use dodgy british accents.

I may refuse to see it (take that global entertainment giants), but sure it will be mega buck utter tripe production.

 

[Yellow Fang]

Not only were there actually american and commonwealth airmen directly involved, but Barnes Wallis himself was almost destroyed by the loss of lives on the raid.

I don't doubt he was extremely upset. I think it was eight crews out of nineteen that never came back, so it was a dreadfully costly raid. The last time I watched it I was a bit annoyed when Bomber Harris said something like, 'Get some aircrew who have just finished a tour. Some of those keen lads won't mind doing an extra raid.' Bomber crew were required to fly two tours of thirty raids. On average IIRC, only 12% completed the first tour and 4% the second. Most of the rest were either killed or captured. Casualties were 50%. So I didn't think it was so kind of Bomber Harris to volunteer them for such a dangerous mission. The real success of the mission was that the squadron that was formed to carry it out went on to perform a number of other important raids, developing high precision bombing techniques, dropping Tall Boy and Grand Slam bombs also developed by Barnes Wallis.

 

[Chuffy]

There was an American in the original because one of the most experienced pilots in the squadron was an American, plus there were various Commonwealth aircrew as well. Read "The Dambusters" by Paul Brickhill for an account.

Nicky Nils I think (without referring to my battered 28yr old copy). There were Kiwis and Aussies in the original squadron too.

And anyone who turns purple and starts writing letters to the Telegraph because the dog's name might be changed can go boil their precious head. If anyone can convince me that the dog's name, hmmm, what was it now? Oh yes, NIGGER, has any more relevance to the story or the truth about what happened than the brand of underpants worn by the cast of the film then I'm all ears.

 

[Radius]

Despite this not contributing to the conversation, has anyone noticed how easily almost every non bike related thread either degenerates into silly slanging matches or self-righteous face-offs, no matter how trivial the topic? How often do you think this would happen in real life conversation? Would you turn to statistics, and follow through arguments that clearly have no forseeable cessation merely because both parties think they're right?
People criticise the 'Tea?' thread, in all its fey and cyber-light-hearted-cake-eating goodness, but it most certainly is by far a less taxing and less stressful place to be.
You could tell me not to open these threads, but when every thread turns into this, you might as well tell me not to come to the forum any more. If it wasn't for the really nice people and good friends I'd made here, I'd be tempted.

I never wanted to post that, but I think it's time for me to say it, because it's how I feel.

 

[Black Sheep]

There was an American in the original because one of the most experienced pilots in the squadron was an American, plus there were various Commonwealth aircrew as well. Read "The Dambusters" by Paul Brickhill for an account.

i've got a copy of that somewhere, got a copy of the film too!

i wouldn't be surprised if they used radio controlled models for flight scenes of the squadron as they can be very realistic, especially with the budget that they'll have.


with regards to the script, stephen fry is a complete history buff so i think its fairly safe.

 

[Black Sheep]

The last time I watched it I was a bit annoyed when Bomber Harris said something like, 'Get some aircrew who have just finished a tour. Some of those keen lads won't mind doing an extra raid.'

its how it happened,

it was quite some time before they actually did the raid

 

[Andy in Sig]

I would wager my savings the cast will be shocking! the backers will demand at least 2 or 3 a list hollywood 'stars'.

Brad Pitt? Leonardo DiCaprio? George Clooney? Ben Afleck? maybe Jack Black will reunite with Peter Jackson? (actually they are all a bit old now but you get the drift). I am never sure whether its worse that they rewrite history and make it full of yanks or when they put the actors in and make them use dodgy british accents.

I may refuse to see it (take that global entertainment giants), but sure it will be mega buck utter tripe production.

I read an interview with Jackson where he said that for the sake of authenticity he was probably going to have to recruit some unknowns. For instance he pointed out that some of the New Zealand aircrew members were in their teens and therefore if he was going to get it right he was going to have to look for some Anzacs of that age. Even Guy Gibson was relatively young at the time of the raid. From what I've read there are good grounds to be optimistic about this film.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I am never sure whether its worse that they rewrite history and make it full of yanks or when they put the actors in and make them use dodgy british accents.

Dodgy in what way? Not many people tend to speak in those war-time, upper-middle-class accents any more. Even British actors of today would have to learn it.

 

[mikeitup]

Talking of remakes...I heard they're remaking The Taking of Pelham 123. Why don't they leave perfectly good films alone?

It' easy money. they can use the existing screenplays, get a popular cast etc.
They don't have any originality in Hollywood any more.
Lets hope they don't eff it up. Remember U-571?

 

[PaulB]

And anyone who turns purple and starts writing letters to the Telegraph because the dog's name might be changed can go boil their precious head. If anyone can convince me that the dog's name, hmmm, what was it now? Oh yes, NIGGER, has any more relevance to the story or the truth about what happened than the brand of underpants worn by the cast of the film then I'm all ears.

They've already said that they're damned if they do and damned if they don't (change the dog's name). A compromise may be reached as Gibson often referred to the dog as "nigsy" and they may go with this, apparently, A BBC showing of the film with the offending word bleeped out was lambasted by the censorship body who called it totally unecessary and it also spoiled the continuity and flow of the film.

 

[Andy in Sig]

Dodgy in what way? Not many people tend to speak in those war-time, upper-middle-class accents any more. Even British actors of today would have to learn it.

Which is not difficult. There are elocution coaches who specialise in teaching actors accents. Someone will have to go over the script very carefully though. Apparently the more recent something is historically, the more difficult it is to get the dialogue right i.e. not to let our modern vocabulary get into it.

 

[Andy in Sig]

The whole issue of the dog's name could be defused if a prominent black personality were to publicly say that it is a matter of historical record (and was used as the codeword for the successful breaching of the first dam) and therefore it should be seen in that context.

 

[Mr Pig]

The whole issue of the dog's name could be defused if a prominent black personality were to publicly say that it is a matter of historical record (and was used as the codeword for the successful breaching of the first dam) and therefore it should be seen in that context.

Sense. Bottom line, it was the dogs name. I think it's a good thing to show that despite being clever and heroic these people were not perfect, they got things wrong sometimes, just like the rest of us.

 

[yello]

Let's take it for a moment that calling the dog 'nigger' IS racist. The film is set in a different era. All the film is then saying is that people were racist in that era, no? Is that not demonstrably true? Can't a film also reflect that times have changed? Or am I over simplifying?

For what it's worth, I'm inclined to agree Chuffy. Call the dog 'minge' if you like!

 

[Yellow Fang]

The dog's name is a problem. He got run over just before the raid, so Guy Gibson used his name as the codeword for mission accomplished on one of the dams. Guy Gibson was no doubt a bit racist, but is it right to cover up a hero's faults? I think I've read somewhere that Guy Gibson was suffering some sort of facial blemish at the time. I bet that won't appear in the new film. I suppose the film makers have to make some compromise between making an acceptably entertaining war film and an historically accurate reconstruction. Maybe it would be better to just omit the whole dog-codename thing.