633 Squadron

More than any other war, World War II has produced hundreds and probably thousands of movies telling the countless stories of the war from all angles. I've done my fair share of WWII reviews -- over 100 as I write this one -- and I'm quite sure I won't run out anytime soon. Among the thousands of movies are selections from most of the countries involved, especially England. Over the 1950s and 1960s, some of the best WWII movie were British, seeing similar production value, stories, and actors returning for multiple roles. An underrated one not often remembered so fondly (unfortunately so) is 1964's 633 Squadron.

The commander of 633 Squadron, Wing Commander Roy Grant (Cliff Robertson) has been given his most difficult mission. His squadron of international pilots flying for the British have their work cut out for them on this specific mission. It's spring 1944, and the coming D-Day invasion looms. Deep in the Norwegian fjords lies a factory producing rocket fuel that will be used to repel the landings while also assaulting England from across the Channel. Grant and his pilots must fly through a gauntlet of fire in the fjords, hoping to knock out the factory. The Norwegian resistance (headed by George Chakiris) will work to knock out some of the antiaircraft positions along the fjord. No matter what happens though, the mission seems like suicide. With thousands of lives at stake, can 633 Squadron pull off the job?

I've always enjoyed these British war movies, on the big scale like Battle of Britain to the smaller-scaled The Dam Busters. They don't glorify war or glamorize death, knowing that an effort to make war heroic would be foolhardy. War isn't heroic. It's a dirty, brutal business. The men fighting on the other hand are incredibly heroic, and that's what these movies go for. To save the lives of thousands, sometimes the life of the smaller group down to the individual had to be sacrificed. Given a chance to abort the mission, Robertson's Grant refuses the offer, continuing the mission knowing that the casualties will almost certainly be extreme. As for the familiar faces, look for Harry Andrews as Air Vice Marshal Davis with Michael Goodliffe and Donald Houston as two of his higher-ranking staff.  

Showing the heroic actions of the men and not necessarily the heroism of war itself, the movie separates itself from the pack in its portrayal of the final assault through the fjords. Without giving anything away, basically nothing in the hours leading up to the mission goes right. Andrews' Air Vice Marshal gives the squadron the option to abort the mission, but Robertson's Grant pushes on, weighing the sacrifices they must give with those who have already died and the thousands more who might die as a result in the future. Don't be confused. The ending mission may be successful, but at a heavy cost. The movie ends on a high, positive note, touting the heroism of the fighter crews as it should, especially considering the price paid for the mission's success.

In a recent line of Robertson reviews, add '633' to the list. One of my favorite actors, Robertson is a strong lead here as Wing Commander Grant, an American pilot leading this international squadron. It's a stock character; an officer weary of war, sick of seeing his men killed in a futile effort, just wanting it all to be over. Nothing fancy, nothing showy, just a good performance. George Chakiris is badly miscast as Erik, a Norwegian resistance fighter who's sister, Hilde (Maria Perschy), is attracted to Robertson's character. Mostly, Chakiris just doesn't look the part, but he isn't given much to do in a smaller part. As for the squadron, some of the names include John Meillon, John Bonney, Angus Lennie, Scott Finch, and Julian Sherrier, the collective group being more important than the individual.

One of the best reasons to see this movie is not surprisingly for the aerial sequences. Aviator buffs will no doubt eat this movie up, especially the impressive amounts of footage of the Mosquito aircraft. Some footage is re-used over and over again, but the shots of these aircraft zipping through narrow fjords and valleys is impressive. It puts it all into perspective how dangerous these missions were, and the little kid in all of us who's fascinated by flight and aviation can't help but be entertained. Ron Goodwin's majestic score doesn't hurt either (listen HERE) playing over the aviation sequences, a similar sounding score to his Battle of Britain and Force 10 from Navarone scores.

On a purely entertaining level, the final assault on the fjord is noteworthy for another thing; it's major impact on George Lucas and Star Wars. The ending basically lays out the blue print for Luke Skywalker's Death Star trench run at the end of Star Wars, a group of pilots flying through hellacious amounts of fire in hopes of reaching their objective at the end of the gauntlet. Watch THIS very clever mash-up of the sequences from 633 with the dialogue from Star Wars, obvious SPOILERS of course. Imitation is the best form of flattery, huh?  

This is an underrated WWII movie that deserves better. It isn't anything groundbreaking or Earth-shattering. Instead it is a story about the heroic pilots who put it all on the line when called upon to do their duties. Highly recommend seeking this one out.

633 Squadron <---trailer (1964): ***/****

Kings of the Sun

When movies in the 50s and 60s were trying to figure out how to deal with the growing popularity of TV, studios tried to tell stories that TV just couldn't duplicate. Translation, big, sprawling historical epics in widescreen with big casts and big stars. Like any grouping of movies, some were better than others with classics like Ben-Hur, The Ten Commandments, and Spartacus. But there's something appealing about all of them, good or bad, because they're at least trying to shoot for the stars.

Directed by J. Lee Thompson, 1963's Kings of the Sun is a prime example of an average epic that has enough going for it overall to recommend. Historical setting? Mayans running from fellow tribesmen who've joined with the Spaniards. Check. Big names in the cast? Yul Brynner and George Chakiris, double check. Unnecessary love triangle because the story on its own isn't enough? Of course, what would an epic be without it?

As his father dies and he's appointed king, Mayan king Balam (Chakiris) must deal with a new threat. A large group of fellow tribesmen led by tyrannical Hunac Cel (Leo Gordon) have teamed with European invaders and are rampaging across the land, destroying everyone who doesn't join them. With a small group of survivors, Balam heads to the coast with Hunac Cel close behind. It's there they find a village of fishermen and farmers, and before they too are wiped out, they join Balam in sailing across the Gulf of Mexico to safety and hopefully freedom.

After days of sailing with no end apparently anywhere in sight, the new tribe finally sees land. They reach the beach and start to build a new life, sacrificial temple and all with a stockade to prevent any natives from attacking. It's not long before those natives show up, including Black Eagle (Yul Brynner), a chief of a tribe of hunters and wanderers. Black Eagle is taken prisoner with plans to sacrifice him to the gods in hopes of having a good harvest. Will Balam go against his beliefs to let him go or is the inevitable showdown coming?

This is another time in history that's too often ignored when it comes to movies. I'm no expert when it comes to Mayan culture and history, but KotS seems to get the basics right. One of the main issues with new king Balam is how he keeps up their religion, their beliefs. The high priest, Ah Min (Richard Baseheart), looks out for Balam and tries to guide him, but the main dispute is over sacrificing their own tribesmen. Does it work or are they just too superstitious and believe it has some effect?

Thompson went to Chicen Itza and Mazatlan to film extensively for KotS which gives the story an authenticity, a realism that would be missing if it had just been filmed in the hills around Hollywood. Shot with a Panavision camera, the cinematography is one of the best things about the movie. The main set once the tribe has set up camp is in a beautiful, sunny Mexican bay that fits perfectly.

The main set then provides a cool location for a final battle with Balam's Mayans, Black Eagle's tribe and Hunac Kel's barbarian tribesmen in the village and up the scaffolding of the temple slowly being built. It's the set piece the whole movie builds up to, and it doesn't disappoint. Hundreds of extras, Elmer Bernstein's booming and appropriately epic score, good action with fighters going toe to toe.

The casting is somewhat hit or miss, but Brynner is at his best. At the ripe "old" age of 43 when the movie was released, Brynner looks like he could handle someone half his age, the dude's ripped. Instantly recognizable with his shaved head, he presents an imposing figure as his tribe's most respected warrior. But more than that, his character has a depth missing from other parts in the movie. About to be sacrificed, Black Eagle bonds with Ixchel (Shirley Anne Fields), a young woman promised to Balam as a wife. While the action is good in other scenes, these quiet scenes work just as well and keep the movie somewhat grounded. As his rival, Chakiris doesn't leave much of an impression. Fresh off the success of West Side Story, he just doesn't have the presence needed to keep up with Brynner. Here's their first meeting.

Also worth mentioning, Kings of the Sun has more than a few connections with 1960's The Magnificent Seven. Both films were made by the Mirisch Company so that'll have something to do with it, both star Brynner and Brad Dexter, as Balam's right hand man, Bernstein did the score for both films, and even laconic gunfighter Britt, um, I mean James Coburn provides the opening narration. Just some cool trivia, or at least cool to me.

All things considered, Kings of the Sun is a worthwhile epic. It doesn't have the scope or size of some of the true classics, but it gives a good effort and if nothing else is a fun watch.