Leofwine_draca Another day, another 1950s-era patriotic British WW2 movie with an ensemble cast of respected male actors and the odd female face (namely the formly Dinah Sheridan here). Dirk Bogarde once again places the introspective lead character, a bomber pilot jaded by the pressures of the war and the endless toll of men and planes lost on a daily basis. This is a film that focuses almost entirely on human rather than wartime drama, although there's a bit of stock footage inserted here and there. The calibre of the acting is enough to see this one through, although in an overloaded genre the tale was done better elsewhere.

Gatorman9 I am surprised I haven't run across this one before discovering it recently on-line. What most of the other reviews have said is true. The bombing sequence at the end of the movie has a documentary quality to it readily evoking MEMPHIS BELLE -- not the disappointing 1990 movie, but the 1944, William-Wyler-directed wartime documentary released by the United States Army Air Forces during the war itself. It is also a highly detailed treatment that illuminates the RAF's night-time area bombing tactics far beyond else ever dramatized. By the same token, the entire rest of the film tends to be a straightforward representation of what it was like for participants in that phase of the war, remarkable as a movie for its minimization of histrionics. It deserves at least a bare minimum of a 7 on IMDb.

krishkmenon I had seen this film when I was in school where it was shown as part of educational films screened by one of my schoolmasters who had himself served in the Royal Indian Air Force in Burma.Today I own a copy on DVD. The exploits of people in Bomber Command is brought out with extreme accuracy to the screen by creating an atmosphere that is taut and realistic. Dirk Bogarde gives one of his best performances as the Wing Commander who is definitely cracking under the stress of command but does not want to accept it. The scenes where he gives Bryan Forbes a dressing down will certainly strike a chord where his sense of responsibility to the team is exposed. The accuracy of operations of RAF Bombers during night sorties right from the point of take off, to the tension of the ground staff till their return is brilliantly photographed. There are no clichés or extended heroics quite common in similar films but dark realism of survival during the war with the atmosphere of the airfields and aircrew intact. Being the son of an Air Force officer who did some war service in India the realism is striking. I would certainly recommend it to the younger viewers who need to study such situations.

ianlouisiana Unlike Fighter Command whose exploits were painted across the skies of Southern England during the endless summer of 1940,Bomber Command never caught the public imagination.These were not glamorous public school chaps with silk scarves and Brylcreemed hair downing a brace of Huns before tea,gleaming Spitfires and intrepid Hurricanes doing Victory Rolls whilst beating up the airfield as the Waafs waved out of the Control Tower.No,these were mainly working class grammar school boys sitting in freezing aluminium tubes, little more than lethal containers of H.E and volatile fuel,in the pitch dark 5 miles above Occupied Europe in skies full of white hot metal shards any one of which,at any second,could turn their aircraft into a fiery coffin.Some chewed the ends of pencils whilst calculating the target's co - ordinates on paper,some tracking the amount of fuel being used,others scanned the sky for enemy fighters.Some flew the plane which took considerable strength to keep on a straight and level course under ideal conditions,let alone being bounced around in a hazardous sky where your every instinct is to drop your bombs and race home ASAP.These men displayed dour,determined courage night after long night in a bitter war of attrition.A standard tour of operations consisted of 30 missions,their chance of survival a little over 30%. Wing Commander Mason (Mr D.Bogarde)has flown 87 missions,the equivalent of spitting in The Grim Reaper's face several times.He is determined to complete his third tour despite opposition from his Commanding Officer and the M.O."Appointment in London" tells the story of his fight to survive against all the odds. Superficially resembling the mighty "Twelve o' clock high",closer study reveals more differences than might be immediately apparent.Gregory Peck's character was imposed on a failing squadron whose popular C.O. suffered a breakdown,Mason has been on base for a long time and is well - liked and respected,Peck a martinet where Bogarde tolerates his pilots' horseplay,for instance.There is no doubt "Twelve o' clock high" is the superior movie,but that doesn't make "Appointment in London" a poor one. Much of the pleasure is in the supporting cast,Mr A.Shaw as "Smithy",the adjutant,a much older man,outwardly stuffy,a veteran of the Great War and a man who has seen too many airmen die to allow himself to become affected.Mr C.Victor as the village publican and confidant to aircrew,paternal and compassionate,a splendid bit of acting.Mr C.Singer in a customary senior NCO role as the Flight Sergeant in charge of the groundcrew who lend the planes to the fliers and hope they take good care of them and,last but not least Mr S.Kydd as the mechanic who finds his pilot's lucky charm and is confronted late at night by an angry Mr Bogarde.This is a key scene in the movie as Bogarde's anger(mainly against himself) manifests itself in an exchange that graduallly moves from aggression to awkwardness to genuine respect.It is beautifully played by these two fine actors. My only personal caveat with the film is the complete lack of anything resembling affection between Mr Bogarde and Miss D.Sheridan as the naval officer he falls in love with.I'm sorry I just didn't believe in them as a couple.No spark,no chemistry,no nothing.Maybe it's me. All round though,"Appointment in London" is a well - made,interesting and enjoyable film with lots of well - loved faces.I recommend that you watch it.