Quote:
Originally Posted by PeterPanPan
You make some good points, but why do you have to be so God damned rude? Why is anyone who disagrees with your opinion "full of sh*t" and a "sad b*stard" with "nothing better to do with their lives"? Your moronic words, not mine.
Your Tom Cruise piece is actually quite funny but I don't think anyone here has stated that that's what was missing from the drama. What was missing was budget and vision ... and excitement. Look, we're all flying enthusiasts here, so we're all going to have liked this drama a bit or a lot. But my wife, who doesn't share my interest, fell asleep during First Light. So did my mum. And a review in The Independent says First Light ... "achieved the implausible task of making the subject a tiny bit dull". It just wasn't gripping enough for many viewers, flight sim nuts or not.
There was so much more material in the book that could have been used but wasn't. The opening scene should, IMHO, have been a wide shot of a school cricket game in progress, with Wellum, as captain, in bat. He was a school boy at the start of this whole process, and this was not properly emphasised. Or what about his initial interview, or his being torn off a strip during flight training or watching one of his colleagues get killed on a night take-off during training, or watching his transition from tiger moth, to harvard to spit? Or developing his friendship with Peter Pease only to find out that he was killed soon after being posted to his Squadron? And of course, the incredible story of Wellum's time in Malta and the extremely risky carrier take-off in the Med? There was so much which could, no should, have been included. The bad weather flying scene, his first 109 encounter and his brief trip home were included and done very well, I must say.
The drama was indeed well acted and moving at times. Rubbing names off the chalk board in the mess was particularly poignant. The signed blackboard in the pub was a nice authentic touch too. I also agree that his first spit flight was extremely well done - my heart was racing with his as he was strapping in.
As for the bit of skirt ... yes, you put your finger on it. I am a gaylord and would have much preferred to see Wellum copping off with Kingcome. Band of Brothers didn't need any skirt to keep it interesting, authentic, exciting, moving and appealing to a large audience. It's almost as if the BBC thought they ran out of material and needed to fill it with some skirt, as you put it. My real reason though for feeling uncomfortable is that I have met Wellum twice and felt uneasy for him having to watch some of those scenes which I can only assume were made up as there is no mention of them in the book.
The TV version of First Light wasn't bad, it was just disappointing. However, if it inspires more people to read the book and get Wellum's story as he intended it, then I'm happy.
PPanPan
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Hello PanPan. First off, no need to get your knickers in a twist, I included many big grinning smilies (
) to indicate it was tongue in cheek and was actually laughing whilst typing it.....Chill out. I
do however think that people who scour film frame by frame for the slightest inconsequential 'inaccuracy' or 'anachronism' are a wee bit anal, and I stand by this 'moronic' assertion. Cheers.
Thanks for your lengthy description of events from a book I have already read (a few times) but can you explain how all of this could fit into a 1hr 20min production? I'll answer that for you, its quite impossible.
There was no "review" to speak of in the Independent (I read it). Unless of course you count a scant passing mention mainly comprising your quote as a "review". The majority of reviews have in fact been overwhelmingly positive. Regardless, the only "review" that matters to me is mine.
My real reason though for feeling uncomfortable is that I have met Wellum twice and felt uneasy for him having to watch some of those scenes which I can only assume were made up as there is no mention of them in the book.
Why feel uneasy? What on earth is so unusual about a bloke kissing his girl in a field or in a car? I wouldn't worry too much about it. I'm sure if he was that concerned about the 'factual accuracy' of whether he snogged Grace in a field, behind the bike shed, or not at all (unlikely).....He would have been up in arms about it. My guess is it wasn't too far off the mark. You do remember when you were 18, aye?
Since you and Wellum are good mates, let me allay your fears as to his opinion on the production.
"I think it is probably the most authentic rendering of what happened in the Battle of Britain to have ever been produced"
One can conclude from this that unlike you, he found it a satisfactory account. Maybe the BOB was just boring. But don't just take my word for it.
