Fortress (2011 film)

[DarenC1]

Last week, I picked this DVD up for less than a tenner in my local Tesco.

It tells the story of The Lucky Lass, a B-17 operating out of North Africa on operations over the Mediterranean, specifically Italy.

Made on an obvious low budget (something like $5,000,000), the CGI isn't too shabby at times, and the attacks by the Luftwaffe on the bomber formations are pretty hair-raising.

HERE BE SPOILERS!!!!!At the end of the film, the B-17 is damaged during a raid on Rome and, having had the elevators damaged, ends up doing a full loop before pulling out very low over the city. The crew bails out over the Med, save for the pilot, who stays with the plane.

The thing is, this film is claimed to be based on a true story, and I'm curious as to which one it could be? There's no mention (that I recall) of any Bomber Group or squadron.

Any takers?

[DarenC1]

Here's a trailer if anyone's interested:

http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi3842808857/

[lmritger]

Now THAT is how you do proper 109 and MTO B-17 schemes!!! Another pedantic but very appreciated tiny detail: I noticed a number of officers wearing the tan visor cap instead of the chocolate. Based on what I've seen of 12th/15th AF crews, that looks accurate as well. Major kudos to the research team which put this together!

Sure, 'Red Tails' has the big names, but this looks like it could be good as well... I hope I can find a copy over here in the States. Thanks for the link!!!

Lynn

[The Inspector]

Like Paris, wasn't Rome an 'open city' to keep it off target lists and prevent history from being pulverized? I just read an article in AVIATION HISTORY about a B-26 mission to the rail yards in Rome and how very carefully it had to be planned and rehearsed as the Vatican was just a few blocks away.
It looks like a good use of 90 or so minutes you don't need and couldn't be any worse than Memphis Belle was or ANY of the Iron Eagle flicks-

[Saville]

I'm no expert on WWII bomber formations but didn't it seem like the B-17's were way too close together and too numerous in a cubic area of sky?

[ACarey]

CGI is way too cartoonish. Sorry, it just looks fake.

[Invader26]

unit marking are for 347th BS 99th BG 15th AF.

In reality the 99th BG transferred their war weary F models to the 483rd BG in exchange for new G models that they flew from USA in March 44. My late father-in-law was in the initial cadre of the 483rd BG. He was seriously WIA near Rome at Piombino...

[bipe215]

Invader,

My Dad was 483rd, 816th. Although I am not a fan of CGI, its good to see the 15th represented on the big screen. They played a big part in the air war. So many people just 'think' 8th AF when they see B-17's.

Steve

[Invader26]

Ed was in the 815th BS....

Not much around about this group.

[Scott Rose]

Looks interesting, definitely on the low budget side but it looks cool.

[Pathfinder]

I think the problem with CGI as evidenced here is that "they" always hype the speed. I have never seen a CGI that didn't make a plane appear to be going Mach1. These planes are all going faster than spec.

The other problem is POV. A CGI of an air attack from the point of view of the fighter pilot or the gunners aboard the plane provides context to us a viewers. Over use of the "birds eye view" from some place suspended in space is unnatural and ruins the effect--for me anyway. The two 17's in the banked turn during the bomb run is just weird.

I will admit that I was blown away the first time I saw the formation flights outside the co-pilots window in Memphis Belle(2). How did they do THAT? Simple CGI. It didn't drive the action--it was background. I had more problems with the "view" through the bombsight. He was running a Norden, but the action was that of a Sperry...but that is a topic for future discussion.

The other subtle thing that makes SPR and BoB unique is desaturation of color. Films shot in crisp color take on the nature of a home movie. There is something visceral about desaturized film. De-sat is half way between our perception of what color might be in vintage b/w film and our view of things in real time. It brings another sense (of six) into the equation.

[mustangdriver]

Pathfinder that color you are talking about is very cool. I think that is what Band of Brothers is filmed in.

[Invader26]

Re speed, if you've ever experienced a near miss with another aircraft you'd be surprised at the speed they appear to flash by. remember that a head-on attack of the like would have had closing speeds up around 550mph....

The B-17's might have been cruising at around 180mph but the bad guys are going fighter speeds balls to the wall plus diving from height..

[Chris Brame]

Schemes may be accurate-ish but the two serials you could read:
42-24503 (Lucky Lady) - that was a B-29
640909 - well, let's just be glad the war ended before 1946 serials had to go that high!

[Steve Nelson]

I will admit that I was blown away the first time I saw the formation flights outside the co-pilots window in Memphis Belle(2). How did they do THAT? Simple CGI.

I don't think there was any CGI in that film, just a combination of model shots and real aircraft.

Looking at the trailer for "Fortress," I'm underwhelmed. The CGI isn't much better than "Dogfights."

SN