The Red Baron (2008)

[Kinney]

I just watched Der Rote Baron the other day - I enjoyed it although pretty much none of it was true, and the director should have shown some restraint (dropping a garland into an open grave from a fighter plane?). Anybody else see it?

Also, the actor who plays Manfred Von Richtofen, is his hair period accurate? I kind of liked it, but no photographs of the actual Richtofen are similar.

 

[BoPeep]

Don't think I've seen this one, but my local PBS station is running a documentary later this month. Always had a thing for Manfred . . . lol . . . I think it started with my brother's "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron" 33rpm.

 

[JPH]

I haven't seen it yet, it was only just released on DVD last month, but it is at the top of my Blockbuster Online queue. I just hope it's better than Von Richtofen & Brown (1971).

Joseph
Besides, we all know who really shot down the Red Barron.

 

[1961MJS]

Don't think I've seen this one, but my local PBS station is running a documentary later this month. Always had a thing for Manfred . . . lol . . . I think it started with my brother's "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron" 33rpm.

lol That and the very early book / diary of his that I read in about 6th grade. I'd have loved to be a pilot, but I don't physically react that well in three dimensions. I also had just gotten glasses at 18.

Later

 

[Marcus]

This film is available on NetFlix instant play as well. I've recently been looking into WWI Aviation and from the little I've read so far, I did like the overall look of the pilots as far as their use of non-regulation uniforms and gear. From what I've read on other forums, from those that know better than me, there are alot of inaccuracies as far as planes and locations. The actor who played Werner Voss was way too old to be accurate from what I noticed.

I did enjoy it though if you just watch it from a plain and simple entertainment factor, minus the love story end of it. Was better than Flyboys as most people will agree, but if you are a Red Baron/WWI Aviation nut, you'll probably be disappointed. It's been a good motivator for me as I put together an Imperial German NCO pilot impression for a living history event coming up in August.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I agree with Marcus, it's a great looking film with a tragically flawed storyline. What I found most redeeming were the beautiful aerial scenes, use of color, and cinematography in general.

The eclectic garb of the German flyers is pretty interesting, and sometime almost whimsical, but also the costumers put the pilots in a wonderful (and historically accurate) hodgepodge regulation uniforms as well; during the First World War German pilots wore the uniform of their "home" regiments.

The one thing about the movie I found particularly distasteful was the scene in which the love interest, a nurse, chastises Richthofen for not understanding the true horrors of war...

...a man who spent the first year of the war in the trenches would not need such an education.

 

[Smithy]

I loathed that movie.

It was historically so inaccurate as to be total fiction. The acting was drab and the aerial scenes were ridiculous.

The character of MvR bore virtually no resemblance to the man of history, and for that I'd question the motives of the scriptwriter and producers.

All in all IMHO it was utter twaddle.

 

[Spitfire]

Smithy just said it all.
I happened to watch it some weeks ago.
And I forgot it just as quickly.

 

[MisterCairo]

I haven't seen it yet, it was only just released on DVD last month, but it is at the top of my Blockbuster Online queue. I just hope it's better than Von Richtofen & Brown (1971).

Joseph
Besides, we all know who really shot down the Red Barron.

I bought R&B on the cheap last year, and "artistic license" notwithstanding, quite enjoy it.

Yes, Roy Brown did indeed shoot down the Baron. Not sure what all the fuss has been about!

 

[Guttersnipe]

I loathed that movie.

It was historically so inaccurate as to be total fiction. The acting was drab and the aerial scenes were ridiculous.

The character of MvR bore virtually no resemblance to the man of history, and for that I'd question the motives of the scriptwriter and producers.

All in all IMHO it was utter twaddle.

In what specific ways were the aerial scenes ridiculous? I thought overall they seemed alright.

Sure it was no Blue Max, but compared with something like Flyboys, in which aircraft maneuvered at speeds and in ways not possible until the jet age it wasn't that bad

 

[Smithy]

In what specific ways were the aerial scenes ridiculous? I thought overall they seemed alright.

Sure it was no Blue Max, but compared with something like Flyboys, in which aircraft maneuvered at speeds and in ways not possible until the jet age it wasn't that bad

The aircraft were still moving at speeds well over what WWI aircraft were capable of. The CGI aircraft models were OK but the flight models were inaccurate and ultimately looked video gamey.

If you have ever seen a large number of WWI aircraft flying and manoeuvring in real life such as at Omaka then films such as this look incredibly fake and that really detracts from the pleasure for me.

If other Loungers enjoyed it, no problem, but for me there were just so many things which were inaccurate and fake (including the storyline) which really made be dislike it with a passion.

On a different note Peter Jackson is very keen to make either a remake of "The Blue Max" or some kind of WWI aviation flick. He certainly has enough aircraft to shoot it.

 

[Corky]

Care to invest some time in watching a masterpiece?

Rent or purchase the superb 1988 TV miniseries "Piece of Cake".

This masterpiece can be purchased via Amazon or rented via Blockbuster.

-----

The incorrect image has been removed to reflect Smithy's observation below.

Smithy, I realize this is a bit off-topic, but I originally tuned into the series because, many years before, I had designed an Atari 2600 video game called "Piece of Cake". A random screen grab:

 

[Smithy]

Corky, "Piece of Cake" contains some stunning aerial scenes and of course they are all the real deal (they also used outtakes from the '69 Battle of Britain film). Worth seeing just for Ray Hanna flying a Spit under a bridge.

But wrong Spitfires Corky, those are Mk.XIIs

 

[JPH]

The book was even better.

Joseph
CH3 is my hero.

 

[Smithy]

The book was even better.

Joseph
CH3 is my hero.

Although in serious danger of going fftopic: ...

The book is very good Joseph, and I recommend the sequel "A Good Clean Fight" if you haven't read it already.

Robinson very, very loosely based the character of CH3 on Billy Fiske.

 

[JPH]

A friend of mine gave me the book to read many years ago (and I neglected to return it ). No, I haven't read "A Good Clean Fight", I'll have to look for that one, thanks for letting me know about it.

Joseph

 

[Stearmen]

Prototypical WWI Ace

Interesting that they had Manfred von Richthofen in a love seen, by all accounts he never had a girl friend! Maybe they got that from the propaganda films of him with the nurse while he was recovering from his head wound! There was no love between them, she thought he was a cold fish. He mainly liked to hunt and stay with his dog! He also spent lots of hours checking each round that went into his machine guns. He was not the prototypical WWI Ace! His brother Lothar on the other hand was! Young handsome and very out going, wine, women and song!

 

[Kinney]

I'll admit to not knowing much about airplanes or Richtofen, so I'm not a great reference. I enjoyed mostly the costuming, and I quite liked the lead actor, although he seems to have gotten mixed reviews. I'm about half-way through the Blue Max, but c'mon? George Peppard makes the worst lead GERMAN in film history. I'll be checking out that mini-series as I can, and looking forward to Red Tails all the while.

 

[Stearmen]

Red Tails

and looking forward to Red Tails all the while.

Hopefully, Red Tails will be a better film then Tuskegee Airmen! I was fortunate enough to meet some of the real Red Tails, all were great men, and fun to talk to! I remember a High School history teacher in the 70s that I had, saying there were no black pilots in WWII, when I brought proof, he said it was just Liberal Communist propaganda and I shouldn't believe those lies! Well, I still know the truth, and have meant them!

 

[dr greg]

phooey

It's been solidly proven again and again that the RB was shot down by Australian ground fire, but that movie was utter bollocks, contemptible rubbish of the first order....WHY ARE THERE NO GOOD WW1 AIRWAR MOVIES??????:rage: :rage: :rage: