I've seen plenty of whodunits before, but Michael Anderson's The Dam Busters may be one of the first howdoits that I've ever encountered. The film is a fascinating look into the nature of scientific problem-solving, a kind of engineer procedural. The first 3/4 of The Dam Busters is devoted to the creation of the "bouncing bomb," the planning of Operation Chastise, and the training of the pilots who will fly the mission. Cinematographer Erwin Hillier gives the entire film a crisp, clean look with starkly defined shadows that don't swallow or overwhelm the actors or sets. Michael Redgrave's performance as Barnes Wallis is stoic and steady, reliable and oddly endearing considering how restrained it is. The last thirty minutes which feature the actual mission are some of the most kinetic and visually exciting of all 50s British cinema. After watching it, I clearly understood why George Lucas modeled the ending of Star Wars (1977) off it. But I also understood why Lucas was so eager to step up his special effects game. The effects in The Dam Busters vary in quality from convincing models to laughable composite shots, particularly involving the bouncing bomb detonations against the dams.
7/10
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