WAR SHORT: Lancaster (2013)

                        “Lancaster” is a thirteen-minute short by Philip Stevens.  He also wrote it.  It is an homage to the crews of Bomber Command and closes with an interview with one of the veterans.  The film has a nice opening with a boy on a bike watching a formation of bombers heading for Germany.  Although a bit tropeish (future aviator admiring planes), the CGI is impressive.  The rest of the movie takes place in the cramped confines of a Lancaster bomber.  The interior seems authentic.  Don’t watch it if you are claustrophobic.  The camera jumps between the crewmen.  They spend most of the time with their oxygen masks on, so if you are expecting “Memphis Belle” with its hunky actors, sorry ladies.  The chatter is fine, but parts could use some subtitling. Partly because they are speaking British English.  The bombing run is tutorial in case you and your mates hijack an old Lancaster to bomb your exe’s house.  The plot concentrates on the radio operator who is periodically night-dreaming about his girlfriend.  He has a picture of her, so I don’t have to tell you that he has only thirteen minutes to live.

                        The film is impressive.  The quality of the cinematography is superior to most shorts.  The CGI is used sparingly, but effectively.  Besides the opening formation, we catch glimpses of bombers outside the cockpit.  None of it is distracting.  There are good sound and light effects.  The flak and subsequent jolts are well done.  There is a nifty moment when the bomber gets caught in a search light that you don’t see very often.  The acting, such as there is, fits the spare nature of the production.  While predictable, it does leave you with some appreciation for the airmen.  A post script tells us that of the 125,000 volunteers, 55,573 were lost.  The movie plays like a trailer for a good feature film (but not “Lancaster Skies” which I have not seen yet, but hear is not good.)  It needed to be longer.   There is no big picture and we do not even know what city they are bombing.  (I hope it was not Dresden, because I may have to reassess the homage stuff.)

                        “Lancaster” is available on YouTube.  It is well worth the watch, especially at only 13 minutes.  It may even save your life someday by reminding you not to look at a picture of your significant other if you are flying in a plane.

GRADE  =  B