Hurricane [Region 2]

In June 1940 the German Luftwaffe is trying to obliterate the British RAF ready for invasion. The hard-pressed British pilots are reinforced by Polish airmen who have fled their own country after its fall to the victorious Nazis.Jan Zumbach (IWAN RHEON) arrives in England and joins the new Polish 303 Squadron, an ill-disciplined unit commanded by John Kent (MILO GIBSON), an ineffective Canadian officer. Not only is the language barrier a major problem, but the Poles are also mistrusted by the senior members of the RAF including Air Marshals Hugh Dowding (NICHOLAS FARRELL) and Keith Park (ROBERT PORTAL), who are reluctant to make the Squadron operational.The Hawker Hurricane is quite unlike any of the planes the Poles have flown before and their training is not without incident, although when on an exercise flight they disobey orders and successfully shoot down a German plane – added to the catastrophic losses suffered by the RAF in recent days – the Squadron is finally approved for operational service.Yet tensions still remain at RAF Northolt between the Polish and British pilots, especially when Jan becomes emotionally involved with pretty, free-spirited WAAF Phyllis Lambert (STEFANIE MARTINI), but the foreigners soon prove themselves to be crucial to the Allied war effort above the skies of southern England…Although made on a relatively small budget, HURRICANE was still not as well received at the Box Office as it perhaps should have been. The lack of budget is especially noticeable during the aerial combat scenes. Here we often see only a couple of planes on screen at any one time and there is no epic feel of vast formations of bombers and fighters duelling in the summer skies as seen in the likes of 1969 film THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN. Furthermore, the CGI used in the dogfights is not always successful (or believable) either and at times it is difficult to know which pilot is which when in their aircraft – although in fairness this is a common problem in many films creating the Second World War air campaigns.Veteran Director DAVID BLAIR does his best with the resources and actors at hand but we are left wondering what the film may have been like had he received more money for the production.Although at times the film feels more like a complete work of fiction rather than based on actual events, BLAIR to his credit does try to show what impact the Blitz had on the hapless civilians – especially in one rather touching scene featuring a demolished house – but at only 107 minutes in length the film leaves little room for character development. Time periods seem to be heavily compressed too. The Poles, for instance, seem to change from ill-disciplined rogues to an elite Squadron and darlings of the media almost overnight with no real indication of how many weeks or months have gone by in the meantime. Perhaps a montage of footage (like the one used in THE BLUE MAX) would have been of benefit here!Despite all its faults and historical inaccuracies, however, HURRICANE was never billed as a strict “true” reconstruction so dramatic licence was always going to play its part. Even so, the film is worth watching if only to highlight the brave Polish airmen who risked their lives to defend a foreign land and help put an end to Operation Sealion and thus hand the Axis forces their first major defeat of the Second World War.

The film shows the bravery of Polish pilots flying for the RAF during the Second World War, of course it takes artistic license with some events and characters, especially the personal relationships, but it also highlights the disrespectful treatment handed out to these men, when the war was won.

This is the other film released in 2018 depicting the Polish fighter pilots and especially of 303 squadron. Both are entertaining, this one is the better of the two to watch. This film has good actors, well made sets and these evoke the atmosphere of the time on the airfields, in the pubs and other places. The acting gets across the sense of urgency in war, the sense of loss and of victory, the plight of the Poles who had to abandon Poland after she was taken over by the Germans, not knowing the fate of their loved ones. The story of the Poles and 303 Squadron is well covered in many books, documentaries, articles, news media and in museums and elsewhere and a reading of the books is recommended as well as watching these two films. If you watch this for entertainment, you will be entertained and enjoy the screenplay. If you watch for education-you will be slightly fooled into thinking several things: That the Poles were the top scoring squadron of the RAF in the Battle of Britain-they weren`t. (That was 603 squadron-for verified losses of Luftwaffe aircraft matching claims.) That the Poles could strike senior officers, have relationships with WAAFs on their own airfield, could talk angrily to officers, etc. All of which carried disciplinary action to be taken against them-none of which happened in the film-totally unrealistic. I knew a few Polish WW2 aircrew and was friends with one. They would have been upset at how their countrymen were portrayed-they had far better manners, discipline and order than portrayed-often better than that of other units such as 92 squadron, for example. I enjoyed the film and that of 303 Squadron but they both rely heavily on the books by a Polish 303 squadron pilot: Jean "Johnny" Zumbach. His books have been called into question a few times for stretching the truth about the exploits he writes of. He, and the Poles were brave, skilful pilots and deserve better recognition but I recommend reading the books written about these men rather than rely on these two films for the truth. That said, the film does well to highlight the situation, of the Poles abandoned after WW2 due to Stalin`s demands of the US president: Roosevelt and that of Churchill. Regard this film as a good war film based upon a true story but not quite telling it as it actually was and you will enjoy it. As truth, I give it 2 stars, as an entertaining film I give it 4 stars. Slightly better story than the similar one of 303 Squadron, released also in 2018. Paul Davies (Aviation Historian)

Quite a stunning film in many ways.Why this film is called "Hurricane", I am not quite sure. It's not a story about the plane, but about the people who flew in them. Specifically the Polish 303 squadron.A Polish film was made of 303, which isn't bad, but doesn't hold together as well as this version. The script here is tight and well honed. Directing and conveying the lives of these young men, torn from their invaded country, is done with depth and sensitivity they diserve.The film highlights the awful difficulties they had to face, having fled the horrors that were inflicted upon their famies and kins-folk.The scenes are well nuanced and conveyed by the principal and supporting cast. Their characters are convincingly portrayed to give a strong grounded, visceral feel of what they were going through both in the air and on Terra Firma.Fabulous amount of real aircraft and realistic spfx gives a strong assisting hand to forming the aerial fight scenes, of which their are many.The human cost of this story is heartbreaking, considering many of those pilots who survived were forcibly repatriated and treated with distain by their own country.Like all veterans of the fighting forces, we owe them a great debt of gratitude, and this film goes some way to honour their memory.A worthy film with should have been given a more accurate name.