First of the Few [Blu-ray]

The father of the Spitfire in a loveable light
What a beautiful and gripping story about the lead designer of the Spitfire - Reginald Joseph Mitchell. It is a propaganda movie from 1942, a very troubled time for England, when England was in great need for heros and Mitchell fits the bill, an eccentric, calm, pipe smoking, public school and very amiable sort of fellow.

The story is captivating and very believable, a one mans struggle to make the perfect areoplane, then the perfect fighter. It is so good you want to believe everything is true - and even if it is riddled with historical inaccuracies - you have to remember that it is just the film that was needed at the time.

The leading actors are most loveable, David Niven is at his best and has some rather convincing drunken scenes but it is Leslie Howard of Gone with the Wind fame as Mitchell that captures the audience. This was Howards last film as an actor since he was later in a plane shot down by the Germans. David Niven continued to contribute to the war...

Poignant and Moving Film about a War, a plane, and a brilliant designer.
Leslie Howard was a brilliant talent, as is evident from this movie that he directs ant stars in , along with David Niven. Howard shows how the forsight of airplane designer Mitchell helped ensure England's air supremacy over the invading Nazis. His performance is amazing as his character's quick wit and quiet observations almost make you feel like you're inside the very mind of the man. It's quite an acting talent the Mr. Howard had. Also, ironically enough, Leslie Howard would be killed shortly after this movie was made when his airplane was shot down by Nazis. In a strange way, Leslie Howard and his character, Mitchell, shared many attributes, including great heroism in the face of great evil.

Good World War 2 Bio pic
In the summer and early fall of 1940 when the Nazis were bombing London in hopes of convincing the British to surrender, in what we now call "The Battle of Britain", the small but determined RAF valiantly fought off the German armada, inflicting such heavy tolls on the Nazi bombers and fighter planes that Hitler eventually called off the assault. On August 20, 1940 Churchill in a speech to the House of Commons said "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed to so few", and it is those "few" to whom the film "The First of the Few" refers.

One of the keys to the RAF's success was the "Supermarine Spitfire", a short range, single engine fighter, nicknamed an "interceptor", that plane-for-plane inflicted more casualties on the Nazi than any other Allied plane, and had the lowest attrition rate. The Spitfire was so effective it continued to be used into the 1950s. It could fly over 200 miles, climb to 30,000 feet, cruise at 350+ mph, and dive at 500+ mph. It carried...

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