Quote:
Originally Posted by RCAF_FB_Orville
Predictably, my prophecy has unfurled ...
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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