Rings director to remake Dam Busters classic filmLord of the Rings director Peter Jackson wants bouncing bombs to leap out at audiences in his hi-tech remake of the classic 1954 film World War Two film The Dam Busters.
It has taken longer to arrange and plan than the original mission, which saw Lancaster bombers from 617 Squadron breach the Mohne and Eder and damage the Sorpe dams in an attempt to cripple German industrial output.
"I think a World War Two bombing raid in 3D would be neat," said Mr Jackson.
The director is currently shooting experimental three-dimensional aerial footage in New Zealand.
Providing the trials go well, the plan is to remake The Dam Busters, as the first war film to be shot using the new technology.
Christian Rivers, who was responsible for the animation in Mr Jackson's version of King Kong, is assisting him on the £24 million project.
The director said he wants his film to be "as authentic as possible and as close to the spirit of the original as possible".
Current production work includes the use of 10 replica Lancasters that are made from fibre glass and ordered from China.
The director and his team made secret visits to key UK locations last year – including the coast of Reculver where the bouncing bombs that breached the dams were tested and witnessed in action by their inventor Barnes Wallis.
The original film starred real-life war hero Richard Todd as bomber ace Wing Commander Guy Gibson and was a major inspiration for Jackson who saw it as a child.
He even had a poster advertising the film on his bedroom wall.
Todd, who was suffering from cancer, died peacefully in his sleep last week aged 90.
Jackson said: “There’s that wonderful mentality of the British during the war, that heads-down, persevering, keep-on-plugging-away mentality, which is the true spirit of Dam Busters.”
It took intervention from Tenterden-born Sir David Frost – who owns the rights to Paul Brickhill’s 1951 book on the history of the raid – to get Mr Jackson involved, however.
Stephen Fry has been involved in writing the screenplay after Mr Jackson bought him on board.
“I yield to none in my admiration for him as a film-maker,” said Mr Fry. “I had no idea he would be interested in this story.”
Operation Chastise was the official name for the attacks on German dams made of thick concrete, on the night of 16-17 May, 1943.
The Mohne and Eder dams were breached in the attacks, causing a catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley where much German industry was based, while the Sorpe dam sustained only minor damage.
The first formation arrived over Mohne lake and Gibson's aircraft – aircraft codename G for George - bombed first.
Flt Lt John Hopgood - M for Mother - attacked second. Hopgood's aircraft was hit by flak as it made its low-level run and was then caught in the blast of its own bomb and crashed shortly after, when a wing disintegrated.
Further casualties were sustained as Gibson heroically flew his aircraft across the gunners aim to draw their fire
The Eder Valley was heavily fogged but not defended. The tricky topography of the surrounding hills made the approach difficult and the first aircraft, The final bomb of the formation, from Australian Flt Lt Les Knight's aircraft breached the dam.
The massive earthen Sorpe sustained only minor damage in the raid.
Of the 133 aircrew who took part in the attacks a total of 53 died – a huge casualty rate by Bomber Command standards.
A total of 34 decorations were awarded including a Victoria Cross for Gibson.
Although hailed as great success at the time for setting back Hilter’s war machine, the raid has subsequently been questioned.
Large numbers of civilians died and a prisoner of war camp holding Russian troops was devastated.
It is still among the most famous actions of the conflict, however, and as well as the film and remake it has spawned numerous books, video games, clips shown in Pink Floyd’s The Wall movie and even an advertisement for Carling Black Label beer which has a German soldier saving the bouncing bombs goalkeeper–style.
Jackson has pledged to be as historically accurate as possible
and has been helped by the recent release of previously classified information.
He said: “So much was still secret, especially the testing at Reculver when Michael Anderson’s original version came out.
“They weren’t even allowed to show the bomb itself and had to create a fictionalised bomb for the film.”
The Reculver location couldn1t be used at the time, because the area was still restricted and a site near Skegness in Lincolnshire was used for the testing of the bombs in the first film.
Last year Herne Bay unveiled a statue to inventor Barnes Wallis on the seafront as a permanent reminder of the part he and the area played in the Dam Busters story.
POSTED: 13/12/2009 14:00:00
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