Monday, February 22, 2010

Dam Busters Good: Remake Idea Bad

I watched The Dam Busters on TCM today and was reminded why this will be a horrible remake.
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Here is how the original movie ends. One of the planes that got through and destroyed the dam and all the land and war industry around the dam. The cast climbs out in silence, gets hot tea and sits down in the mess hall. Many miss their comrades. A BBC radio program notes that the dam was destroyed and a huge part of Nazi Germany is without power and flooded. He also notes that 11 Lancasters (the bombers) are lost). The creator of the bomb and the Squadron Commander talk about the lose of life of the airmen. Before the Commander will attend a party (heard of, not seen) he "Has some letters to write."
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It is a quiet and poignant moment reminding us that success in war still has huge costs.
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It doesn't take a rocket scientist (or a bomb maker) to know that in the remake the US flyboys, including at least 3 minorities of some type, will land to giant cheers and applause. They will be carried away on the shoulders of their stout hearted, by hapless RAF friends to beer and USO cheers - as the movie ends to whoops and hollers. As the screen fades to black a small crawl will announce that this is almost true, but the Brits did it not Matthew McConnehay - just like U571.