Quite, you brought civilization to the world.
Shame on the ungrateful natives for kicking you out. :rolleyes:
Especially since you taught them cricket….which I understand they’ve excelled at.

Mr Boyle.
I think it’s John isn’t it..?
Please correct me if I’m wrong.
I do though believe that by now we should be on first name terms.

You made me smile on a Saturday night.
Thanks.
A.

PS.Yes the Confederacy, didn’t we build them a rather elegant surface raider that you chaps sank in the Channel..?

And the UK broke the sound barrier first…(well according to the film).:D
U-505 is mentioned every time the subject of films historical accuracy is mentioned here.
To which I reply get over it and Error Flynn in Burma….films are just films.
Hollywood and Pinewood are there to make dollars, pounds, and euros.

If you want to protect history, I’d suggest there are plenty of examples of government-sponsored cases of less than candid history being taught around the world that are ripe for protest.

And it’s a well known fact that a Frenchman was the first person to fly an aeroplane.
Not even a Brazilian…:):confused::)

Oh Mr Boyle, how I love your humorous incisions to our little debates.
It’s a well known fact that America won the war for us and for that I’m eternally grateful, and I was always proud that my taxes at fifty Pence in the Pound went to pay for the interest on Lend-Lease.
:):rolleyes::rolleyes::);)

And as ever you’re correct.
The way the US Army treated the only black American fighter pilot in The Great War makes their machinations in the second great unpleasantness seem reasonably benign.

And of course, everything HMG has ever done is beyond reproach…….:rolleyes:

Cynically, I’d suggest Red Tails is a film that ticks a lot of white guilt boxes, that they hope gets the African American market (I don’t think it will, IMHO)

James,
yes, as did the betrayal of the black character in ‘Flyboys’. America did produce a black fighter pilot in The Great War, one Eugene Bullard, but the portrayal of the way he was treated in that film was nothing short of nonsense. Actually a film made on the real life events of Bullard’s life would make excellent cinema if handled well. I don’t expect to see it anytime soon though.

And a final thought regarding details vs the main story, and other good aviation films seen recently: You can get the flags wrong, make up the aircraft, change history and geography and even have your main character as a pig, and still have a great film that captures as time and place and an entertainment. Porco Rosso.

And thanks. I forgot that one.
When I was asked above about aviation films, I should have mentioned that one too…:):):)

So lets take the assumption that the pilots are being portrayed in a more modern and perhaps less military professional way than is accurate. If a large part of the target audience is young males (again, my assumption), does anyone think there is much merit in making such a change, if only to help the young audience identify with the characters more?

Two things there Linrey.
Firstly, isn’t that making the assumption that the audience isn’t intelligent enough to be able to distinguish–which doesn’t say much for the youth of today or modern educational standards (I’m sure that’s a debate for another place)?
Secondly, doesn’t it in some way cheapen the achievements of the real people?

In both cases, it’s wrong, because at the simplest level, the youth of today, as well as the youth of yesterday, deserve better.

No, as I suggested above, and certain people asserted that I was wrong, this is an exercise in profit.
And no, that doesn’t make the pursuit of profit a bad thing–let’s just not dress up one thing as another.
In this case, let’s not confuse bank accounts with a crusade to right the wrongs of history.

Andy.

Do you know for certain that the men of the 332nd Fighter Group did not have a “group hug”? Unless you were actually there, which I doubt, I don’t see how you can be certain something like this didn’t happen. Even if you were certain it didn’t happen I can’t see the point in getting angry about it.

OK, I’ll explain.
You’re correct, I have no evidence that they didn’t.
But I would assert that they probably didn’t.
This is based on the fact that male physical contact wasn’t considered the ‘done thing’ back in 1944. In fact I’d go as far as to say that men of that generation had an abhorance of physical contact with other men. This I believe was the product of the phobia about homosexuality, which at time was not only against the law, but the evils of which were promoted by the church and media. There was also a huge terror about it within the armed forces, mainly because so many young men were forced into close proximity with others for the first time (many with little or no sexual experience–hetrosexual or otherwise).

I think you’ll find men making physical contact with one another–even at the successful conclusion of a sporting event, or in this case the shooting down of the ‘beastly hun’ would be acceptable, as a post permissive society action. If you don’t believe me, watch old films of sporting events–or even old Hollywood films–you don’t get a lot of hugging in ‘Twelve O’Clock High’ or ‘Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo’. This is because it hadn’t yet entered society as an everyday acceptable part of male social interaction.

As to anger, read why in my post above yours.

Andy

My favorite scene ever: on the beach, when Anthony Hopkins kills the engine at the start and all the other bikers take off, then he gets it started and goes through them like an F-16 through a gaggle of Cherokees. (Necessary aviation content…)

“You live more in five minutes on a bike like that than some people do in a lifetime..!”

Incidentally many thanks to the JP pilot who flew over there yesterday whilst heading NW :).

I think possibly that was Tony Haig-Thomas.
A JP turned up at OW yesterday (early afternoon) and did a nice display, everyone turned out in the sunshine to watch.
A little while later I was informed that it was THT.
We now expect a missive from the Essex direction about 1) Why everyone was outside and not working. 2) The cars were badly parked in the car park c) something else spotted from a low flying JP..! :);):)

Looked nice though.

Andy

Andy – I work for a French company – all my colleagues are French.
I visit France on business every month – have done so for the last 15 years. When I die I will go straight to heaven as I have an Air France gold card – so purgatory exempt..
And I dont read the Daily Mail!

Brian,
fair comment and point taken.
I just didn’t want this thread to turn into a ‘let’s give the ****in’ Frogs a good verbal battering’ session, where people who’s total view of the planet is gained by believing what they read in the papers, sit back and trot out all the tired old nonsense.

You’re very obviously not one of those–so thanks.:):)

It’s just that wherever I go in the World, I find people mostly the same.
Same needs, same aspirations etc etc.

Andy