Why We Fight: The Battle of Britain

Plot

The Battle of Britain documents the pivotal air campaign between the British Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe from July to October 1940. The film explains Hitler's strategic plan to invade Britain through Operation Sea Lion and how air superiority was essential for this invasion to succeed. Through extensive combat footage and narration, the film shows the intense aerial dogfights, the bombing of London and other British cities, and the resilience of the British civilian population during the Blitz. It culminates with the German failure to achieve air superiority, forcing Hitler to postpone and eventually cancel the invasion, marking Britain's first major victory against Nazi aggression and preserving the island nation as a crucial base for future Allied operations.

Historical Background

The film was produced in 1943, during a critical period of World War II when the United States had been fully engaged in the conflict for nearly two years. The Battle of Britain itself had taken place in 1940, before American entry into the war, making this film a retrospective look at a crucial Allied victory. By 1943, American forces were heavily involved in North Africa and Italy, and planning was underway for the D-Day invasion of France. The film served to remind Americans of Britain's crucial role as the first nation to successfully resist Nazi aggression and as the staging ground for future Allied operations. The timing was also significant because it came after the United States had experienced its first major defeats and needed reinforcement of the possibility of victory. The film was part of a broader U.S. government effort to maintain public support for the war effort as the conflict entered its most demanding phase.

Making Of

Frank Capra, already an established Hollywood director with classics like 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' to his credit, was commissioned as a major in the U.S. Army Signal Corps to create the 'Why We Fight' series. Capra assembled a team of Hollywood's best talent, including editors, writers, and composers, to work on the project. The production team faced significant challenges, including working with footage of varying quality, different film stocks, and material shot under combat conditions. Capra's innovative approach involved using the enemy's own propaganda footage against them, showing German films and then systematically debunking their claims through narration and counter-footage. The team worked long hours in Washington D.C. and Hollywood, often under pressure from military officials to deliver films that would be both informative and morale-boosting. The collaboration between Hollywood talent and military personnel was unprecedented and set a new standard for wartime documentary production.

Visual Style

The film's cinematography is notable for its use of authentic combat footage captured under extremely dangerous conditions. The visual material includes aerial dogfights filmed from cockpits, ground-level footage of bombing raids, and scenes of civilian life during the Blitz. The cinematographers, both British and American, used handheld cameras to capture the immediacy of combat, often risking their lives to get the shots. The film employs dramatic contrast between peaceful pre-war Britain and the devastation of the bombing campaigns. Aerial sequences showcase the beauty and terror of dogfights, with the sun glinting off aircraft wings against dramatic cloud formations. Ground footage emphasizes the scale of destruction through wide shots of burning cities and close-ups of civilian resilience. The cinematography effectively conveys the technological aspects of modern warfare while maintaining human focus on the pilots and civilians affected by the conflict.

Innovations

The film represented significant technical achievements in documentary production, particularly in its innovative editing techniques. The production team developed new methods for integrating footage from multiple sources with different film stocks and qualities. They pioneered the use of split-screen techniques to show simultaneous events from different perspectives. The film's sound mixing was groundbreaking for its time, combining narration, music, sound effects, and authentic battlefield audio into a cohesive whole. The technical team also developed new processes for enhancing the clarity of combat footage that had been shot under difficult conditions. The film's use of maps and animated graphics to explain military strategy was particularly innovative, making complex tactical concepts accessible to general audiences. These technical innovations would influence documentary filmmaking for decades to come.

Music

The musical score was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin, who brought his Hollywood expertise to the documentary format. Tiomkin's music enhances the dramatic impact of the visuals without overwhelming them, using leitmotifs to represent different elements of the conflict. The score incorporates both original compositions and adaptations of British patriotic music, including 'Rule, Britannia!' and 'Land of Hope and Glory.' Tiomkin used orchestral arrangements to convey the scale of the battle, with powerful brass themes for combat sequences and more delicate string passages for civilian scenes. The soundtrack also includes authentic sound effects from the actual battles, including aircraft engines, anti-aircraft guns, and bomb explosions. Walter Huston's narration is carefully balanced with the music and sound effects, creating a cohesive audio experience that guides the viewer through the complex events of the battle.

Memorable Scenes

• The opening sequence showing peaceful Britain before the war, contrasted with the sudden arrival of German bombers
• The dramatic aerial combat footage showing dogfights between Spitfires and Messerschmitts
• The scenes of London during the Blitz, with searchlights crisscrossing the night sky and fires burning across the city
• The sequence showing RAF pilots scrambling to their planes during an alert
• The final scenes showing the German failure and Britain's survival, with Churchill's famous speech about 'the few'

What Critics Said

Contemporary critics praised The Battle of Britain for its powerful storytelling and effective use of actual combat footage. The New York Times called it 'a vivid and compelling account of one of the war's most crucial chapters,' while Variety noted its 'dramatic impact despite its documentary nature.' The film's Academy Award win was seen as validation of the artistic merit of wartime documentaries. Modern critics and film historians have continued to recognize its significance, with many noting its sophisticated editing techniques and effective narrative structure. Film scholar Jack C. Ellis described it as 'a masterclass in propaganda filmmaking that transcends its immediate purpose to become a lasting historical document.' Some contemporary critics have also analyzed the film's techniques in the context of media studies, examining how it uses emotional appeals and selective editing to shape viewer perceptions. The film is frequently cited in academic works about wartime propaganda and documentary film history.

What Audiences Thought

The Battle of Britain was enthusiastically received by both military and civilian audiences. For American soldiers, many of whom would soon be fighting alongside British forces, the film provided crucial context about their allies and the stakes of the European conflict. Civilian audiences, who had followed news of the Battle of Britain through radio and newspapers, were deeply moved by the visual documentation of the events. The film's theatrical release was well-attended, with many theaters reporting sell-out crowds. Audience surveys conducted by the Office of War Information indicated that the film significantly increased public understanding of and support for the British war effort. Veterans of the Battle of Britain who saw the film praised its accuracy in depicting the events they had lived through. The film's emotional impact was particularly noted in British audiences, who saw their struggle recognized and celebrated on the big screen. The film's success in maintaining public morale during a difficult period of the war was frequently cited in government reports on the effectiveness of wartime information programs.

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