Memphis Belle, The (1944)
Director: William Wyler
Honors:
America celebrates it airborne heroes in this documentary
about an illustrious bomber and its crew. A common practice of the US War Department
during World War II, this government commissioned “documentary” depicts the
story heroism of the brave fighting men that put their lives on the line to
protect freedom and fight the good fight for their nation. This tale shares the
accomplishments of one particular bomber crew that first reached a certain
number of missions that earned them their tickets back home.
The Memphis Belle: A
Story of a Flying Fortress is a documentary depicting a common mission day for
the crew aboard a US bomber, focusing on the celebrated final mission of one
particular ship before its retirement. Being the crew of bomber during World
War II was one of great danger with many planes experience damage or even
casualties if they survived their missions. In order for a plane and its crew
to earn decommission, essentially retirement of the plane and a return ticket
home for its crew, it was required that the plane accomplish 25 bombing mission
.Up to this point not plane ever lasted that long, until the The Memphis Belle
came along.
With actual 16mm footage captured from real bombing missions
over enemy territory this picture shares the story of The Memphis Belle on its
successful 25th and final bombing mission, this one over Wilhelmshfen, Germany.
The picture depicts all the anxieties and drama of flying such a mission and
the adulation of returning with a mission completed. For the first time with
such great clarity and understanding we, the audiences, can watch this heroism.
Complete with experience of watching on coming anti-aircraft fire, battling
oncoming German fighter planes, and even watching the falling of fellow
aircraft during the mission this film does its best to bring home the struggles
of air warfare to the movie screen. In the end the crew completes their mission
and return to base is celebration, garnering a visit from the King and Queen of
England in congratulations for their great accomplishment.
Now The Memphis Belle does not fall under the category of a
“short” and it would not have the draw of a mainstream feature film, but it was
a motion picture that was fashioned for a specific purpose in mind. Produced by
the War Department under its “First
Motion Picture Unit” company, and distributed by major studio Paramount
Pictures, this feature was constructed as a purely morale building movie. This
falls in line with the definition of propaganda. Depicting our braves boys
fighting the good fight and coming out on top was imperative to the efforts of
building positive confidence for the greater American population back home.
Directed by the deeply respected Hollywood filmmaker William
Wyler, this picture has a bit of fantasy along with the captured facts within
the capsule of celluloid. Wyler in looking for a morale building story centers
on The Memphis Belle as it closed in on its 25th mission. Other
planes came within reach of this magic number, but eventually met their demise.
However, Wyler gravitated to “The Memphis Belle” because he felt a attraction to
the aircraft and its name and began planning the eventual shooting of this
picture.
With the aura of the film being based around this one
aircraft it would appear that The Memphis Belle and its crew would receive some
sort of special treatment, which in some senses could be considered true.
However, there was still a war to fight, and there remained that definite treat
in which Hollywood would never be able to fake or necessarily defeat. There
were still missions to be carried out and a real war to win, and a little movie
was not the priority for the Air Force. So in most was the Memphis Belle was
not treated an more special than any other craft. It was just lucky enough to
survive all of its missions and have it documented here in this polished up
capturing of the celebrated moments.
In planning of the documentary Wyler had three
cinematographers to film the mission’s actions. There was of course B-roll
footage shot prior of crafts taking off or men working various jobs on the ship
itself while no in the air. Assuring the crew that his cameras would not be in
the way, these filmmakers captured, without sound, 16mm color footage of the
very real dangers any bomber saw in any mission over Germany. Beginning with
the crossing over the sea to the first appearance of enemy flack, shrapnel
inducing explosives, we see the ever present danger these men must endure to
carry out even a simple bombing run.
Beyond these actual hand held moments of action, the feature
fleshes out the story. Anxious crewmen are
seen awaiting the return of The Memphis Belle and other fellow bombers back at
the base, and upon arrival we witness a visit from His and Her Royal Majesties,
King George IV and Queen Elizabeth congratulating the crew.
As with many documentaries, especially of that time, some of
the film is very staged. In fact the mission depicted in the picture was
actually The Memphis Belle’s 24th mission, one short of its final
which was accomplish shortly after, yet before the film’s release in April of
1944. However, this picture does illustrate much of what was real of these
missions. Even one of Wyler’s cinematographers while shooting images of The
Memphis Belle from another craft was shot down and the footage lost. Another
cinematographer was injured for the shrapnel and was attended to after they
landed. This feature was produced in the middle of danger.
After the real life moments were captured the film began to
take shape as Wyler and the US War Department would edit the picture, dressing
it up all nice to manifest a tale of how well the war effort was going. The
film is not all adulation as it portrays enough gruesome reminders of the cost
of war with injured men and even casualties, to remind audiences that freedom
is not free.
The Memphis Belle,
the film and the plane itself would become a symbol of the American Air Force.
It celebrates the heroism and bravery of those that fought and succeeded for
the US. The motion picture was yet another tool of American propaganda, serving
its purpose to boost morale and fade into the background after the war was won.
The plane itself has been kept and preserved by the US Air Force, and as of the
release of this post resides in Dayton, Ohio receiving much needed care, hoping
to one day be on public display as a vestige of heroism in World War II.
Despite the documentary being of relative obscurity, it
lives on a reminder of the war and how it was presented to the American public
during that time. It would inspire a 1990 feature film retelling of the heroism
of the men aboard the flying fortress, which met little fanfare. Being that
this orginal documentary was directed by one of the business’ more celebrated
filmmakers adds to its mystique as it found itself a permanent home in 2001 at the
Library of Congress as part of the Nation Film Registry for its cultural impact
in motion pictures in American history.
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