Battle of Britain – the Walton score

I watched with the Walton score and it is different. I liked it and it made a change. I think the Walton score is “very British” in a stiff upper lip way where ats the Goodwin score is very “war movie”. Both work but in different ways.

I think that because the BoB film makers tried very hard to keep the story factual with no over dramatisation and tried to get the ‘feel’ right means that some people just compare it to more ‘exiting’ rubbish and dont understand.
Me … I think it is a great film with real aircraft and excellent locations and that the Goodwin score(for the most part) is excellent.
I also think that the Walton score(for the most part) is uninteresting and tedious,but as earlier posters say,it is difficult being objective when you have probably heard the Goodwin version so often.
Did Goodwin do the score for ‘Where Eagles Dare’ ? not a fave film of mine but I thought the opening sequence with the JU 52 flying through snow covered mountains was really great cinema with great music , not seen it for some time so could not remember the composer.

Couldn’t agree more 🙂

And yes, Goodwin did do the score for Where Eagles Dare.

I think that because the BoB film makers tried very hard to keep the story factual with no over dramatisation and tried to get the ‘feel’ right means that some people just compare it to more ‘exiting’ rubbish and dont understand.
Me … I think it is a great film with real aircraft and excellent locations and that the Goodwin score(for the most part) is excellent.
I also think that the Walton score(for the most part) is uninteresting and tedious,but as earlier posters say,it is difficult being objective when you have probably heard the Goodwin version so often.
Did Goodwin do the score for ‘Where Eagles Dare’ ? not a fave film of mine but I thought the opening sequence with the JU 52 flying through snow covered mountains was really great cinema with great music , not seen it for some time so could not remember the composer.

Good to hear mate.

See here for that thread. I did my best to put my view across. Feel free to add to it.

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7443&highlight=battle+britain

Originally Posted by Dave Homewood
Some Americans discussed this film on WIX recently and rated it as a B grade film, with bad acting, a poor script and compared it to Midway! Amazing the differences in culture when viewing films.

Dave:

Greetings and this Yank does not feel this way about BOB movie, solid film in all aspects. These reviewers just don’t get it !!! What site is this WIX your refering to ? No way this is a grade B movie !!!

Hope all is well !
BlueNoser352!

i just loved the opening sequence with the Genaral being driven through all them heinkels… sets up the whole film for me.. the only snag is the Merlin engined 111s, they just dont look right do they.. i know the film makers had no choice. when i watch it i have my surround sound turned right up, just to admire the beautiful sounds of the Merlin…

Some Americans discussed this film on WIX recently and rated it as a B grade film, with bad acting, a poor script and compared it to Midway! Amazing the differences in culture when viewing films.

I dont think I’ve ever read a good review of the film, they obviously just dont get it :rolleyes:

No problemo 😉

Thanks Daz!

Regarding proper composers, I am certain that years ago i saw a documentary sequence of real Battle of Britain footage set to the music of Debussy- La Mer Trois esquisses symphoniques (No.2 Jeux de vagues).

I’m almost certain it was that piece, if not, then it too would make a stunning tune to use as it has all the right notes for beauty, menace, battle, etc.

I ahve dug out my DVD for a watch with the other soundtrack again now, thanks to this thread. As an aside, have you ever noticed in the openbing scenes set in France, where Harvie is handing important documents to his Intelligence Officer, the IO looks just like Skull from Piece of Cake.

I have in mind another piece of music (which XN923 will have on the CD I’m sending him) called Time Forward! It’s by a Russian composer called Sviridov and was used for the opening of the TV series Spitfire Ace. It would be brilliant for something similar to what you described, Dave, if the film could be edited or shot the right way.

As for the IO – never noticed, but I’ll have a gander!

Regarding proper composers, I am certain that years ago i saw a documentary sequence of real Battle of Britain footage set to the music of Debussy- La Mer Trois esquisses symphoniques (No.2 Jeux de vagues).

I’m almost certain it was that piece, if not, then it too would make a stunning tune to use as it has all the right notes for beauty, menace, battle, etc.

I ahve dug out my DVD for a watch with the other soundtrack again now, thanks to this thread. As an aside, have you ever noticed in the openbing scenes set in France, where Harvie is handing important documents to his Intelligence Officer, the IO looks just like Skull from Piece of Cake.

I admit I awaited the restored Walton score with some anticipation, partly because the ‘Battle in the Air’ sequence is possibly one of the best pieces of film set to music ever and partly because I have always been nostalgic for the days when ‘proper’ composers (i.e. those that didn’t necessarily specialise in film music like you get these days) like Walton, Vaughan-Williams and Malcolm Arnold wrote film scores.

I think like most people I found parts of it like a totally different film, some good, others disappointing. The opening with the Ju52 is much more menacing, and the ‘march’ is less jolly than the usual version, and probably more fitting (if less catchy). The flip side is that Walton has nothing to match Ron Goodwin’s main ‘Spitfire’ theme, which ultimately is so iconic that it’s interesting the film stands up so well without it.

I actually liked the ‘don’t you shout at me Mr Warwick!’ sequence with no music telling me how to feel and just the sound of the burning hangar in the background, but again that scene is so iconic I can imagine how it would seem wrong to many.

Some Americans discussed this film on WIX recently and rated it as a B grade film, with bad acting, a poor script and compared it to Midway! Amazing the differences in culture when viewing films.

I wonder what they would describe as A-grade?! :rolleyes:

(And for some reason I have just remembered I’ve not seen Dark Blue World in a while…. That’s Sunday’s viewing sorted! :D)

A review on the channel 4 website slates the movie too! How dare they! You would never get that at the BBC!

That very tense moment where Section Officer Harvie yells at Mr Warwick has no music in the alternate score, and totally falls flat.

Some Americans discussed this film on WIX recently and rated it as a B grade film, with bad acting, a poor script and compared it to Midway! Amazing the differences in culture when viewing films.

I know EXACTLY what you mean mate. Watching the film with the Walton Score adds tension in some areas, yet detracts feeling from others. Battle in the Air is the fantastic realisation of a masterpiece score, whereas in other areas it turns IMHO into mediocre. It depends what mood i’m in to which version that I watch.

BARNOWL