Flyboys Movie: the aircraft

On Mon, 25 Sep 2006 16:06:06 GMT, "Dave" wrote:


"Ron Wanttaja" wrote in message
...


I think the movie handled the personal horrors of war in the air pretty
well. Some of the photography was great, too. I did enjoy the ground scenes at
the airfield.

Sounds like a pretty bad review Ron. I'm making the wife go and see it this
evening. I'm sure I'll enjoy it a lot more than some of the sappy bits of
treacle she's dragged me to over the years. I've never had any problem
suspending my "reality" filter for movies, I expect that reality makes for
pretty poor cinema.

I'll forgive the nits if a film avoids obvious cliches, but this one swerved to
bump through each one, just like a student driver on a potholed road.

Some of the obvious nits could have been avoided if they'd just had pilot
involved. In the "old days" when they had to use real airplanes to film movies
like this, there were people around who could tell the director that an airplane
just couldn't *do* the stunt he wanted. But when it's CGI..."Heck, let's have
him knock off the German's top wing by backing into it with his landing gear.
Make sure the gear isn't damaged, so he can land safely afterwards."

Sheesh.

I fully agree that some compromises usually have to be made for making a movie
for mass consumption. I'm not complaining (much :-) that the movie showed more
Fokker Triplanes that were ever *made* (oh, an exaggeration, but the type never
was common). I'm not complaining that the Triplanes didn't reach the front
until a YEAR after the film was set. The Fokker Triplane is a very identifiable
aircraft; using them for the German airplanes let the non-pilot moviegoer
instantly recognize which were the good guys and the bad guys.

However, I *will* complain about having all the Fokker Triplanes painted red.
That was an artistic decision completely divorced from historical reality. One
Triplane was painted all red. One very famous one. Not every single one of
them.

Historical accuracy in popular movies isn't a paradox. Take "Master and
Commander: The Far Side of the World." The film was very accurate...and a
cracking good yarn, too. If it hadn't been for those damn Hobbits, it would
have taken the best picture Oscar....

Well, we'll just have to see if the Germans get WWI aviation right....

http://www.redbaronmovie.com/

....though I admit some aspects of the synopsis are pre-engaging my
gag reflex. :-)

Ron Wanttaja

("Ron Wanttaja" wrote)
Historical accuracy in popular movies isn't a paradox. Take "Master and
Commander: The Far Side of the World." The film was very accurate...and
a cracking good yarn, too. If it hadn't been for those damn Hobbits, it
would have taken the best picture Oscar....

Well, we'll just have to see if the Germans get WWI aviation right....

http://www.redbaronmovie.com/


My college Latin professor also taught a Roman History course, during
(January) Interim. We spent three whole days going over the movie "A Funny
Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (1966).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060438/

He said it was one of the most authentic Roman Period movies ever made, from
a set design standpoint - it was even more accurate, on a number of fronts,
than Ben-Hur (1959)

....and funnier.


Montblack :-)

Marcus Vindictus: Don't you know your right flank from your left flank?
Captain Mucus: I'm sorry sir, I flunked flank.
Marcus Vindictus: You flunked flank? Get the flunk out of here!

Mel Brooks - History of the World: Part I (1981)

On Mon, 25 Sep 2006 21:50:25 -0700, Ron Wanttaja
wrote:

Some of the obvious nits could have been avoided if they'd just had pilot
involved.

David Ellison learned to fly when he was 13. He owns, inter alia, a
Hawker Hunter jet fighter.

The knock the wings off with the landing gear really happened...

There were many Fokker tripes painted red. Not all of them were red in the movie.

Many years of research went in to the movie, and the more outrageous happenings were left out, but the director said
that facts were indeed stranger than fiction...

"Ron Wanttaja" wrote in message ...
: On Mon, 25 Sep 2006 16:06:06 GMT, "Dave" wrote:
:
:
: "Ron Wanttaja" wrote in message
: ...
:
:
: I think the movie handled the personal horrors of war in the air pretty
: well. Some of the photography was great, too. I did enjoy the ground scenes at
: the airfield.
:
: Sounds like a pretty bad review Ron. I'm making the wife go and see it this
: evening. I'm sure I'll enjoy it a lot more than some of the sappy bits of
: treacle she's dragged me to over the years. I've never had any problem
: suspending my "reality" filter for movies, I expect that reality makes for
: pretty poor cinema.
:
: I'll forgive the nits if a film avoids obvious cliches, but this one swerved to
: bump through each one, just like a student driver on a potholed road.
:
: Some of the obvious nits could have been avoided if they'd just had pilot
: involved. In the "old days" when they had to use real airplanes to film movies
: like this, there were people around who could tell the director that an airplane
: just couldn't *do* the stunt he wanted. But when it's CGI..."Heck, let's have
: him knock off the German's top wing by backing into it with his landing gear.
: Make sure the gear isn't damaged, so he can land safely afterwards."
:
: Sheesh.
:
: I fully agree that some compromises usually have to be made for making a movie
: for mass consumption. I'm not complaining (much :-) that the movie showed more
: Fokker Triplanes that were ever *made* (oh, an exaggeration, but the type never
: was common). I'm not complaining that the Triplanes didn't reach the front
: until a YEAR after the film was set. The Fokker Triplane is a very identifiable
: aircraft; using them for the German airplanes let the non-pilot moviegoer
: instantly recognize which were the good guys and the bad guys.
:
: However, I *will* complain about having all the Fokker Triplanes painted red.
: That was an artistic decision completely divorced from historical reality. One
: Triplane was painted all red. One very famous one. Not every single one of
: them.
:
: Historical accuracy in popular movies isn't a paradox. Take "Master and
: Commander: The Far Side of the World." The film was very accurate...and a
: cracking good yarn, too. If it hadn't been for those damn Hobbits, it would
: have taken the best picture Oscar....
:
: Well, we'll just have to see if the Germans get WWI aviation right....
:
: http://www.redbaronmovie.com/
:
: ...though I admit some aspects of the synopsis are pre-engaging my
: gag reflex. :-)
:
: Ron Wanttaja