Hurricane tells the relatively untold story of RAF 303 squadron. As the Battle of Britain ground on, there was a real shortage of trained fighter pilots available. Keen to fight and very experienced, the Polish and Czech pilots were avoided by RAF high command. In fact, they were treated terribly. However, they did go on to make a huge contribution to the Battle of Britain. The 303 took down over two hundred enemy planes, making them the most successful of all of the allied units.
The first thing that stands out about this film is how low budget it looks. After big-budget releases like Cristopher Nolan's Dunkirk, this production looks super cheap. But don't let that put you off. This is a solid well-made film. Director David Blair does a terrific job clearly on a shoestring. Blair sticks to a very safe traditional style. Even though the CGI is not the best, the fight scenes are still good enough to keep your attention. But the score is where the budget constraints become most apparent. What we end up with are washy orchestral pieces that are more fitting on an episode of Midsomer Murders instead of an epic aerial battle scene.
Yes, the budget is letting this film down quite dramatically. But what saves this film is the solid performances by the whole cast. With the odd exception, I would say that everyone did a great job getting the story across. Iwan Rheon who played the horrible Ramsey Bolton in Game of Thrones picks up the lead role and gives a powerful yet understated performance. Mel Gibson's son, Milo, is solid as a Canadian flight commander. But a stand out in this film is Stefanie Martini who carries real presence on camera and works brilliantly with Iwan Rheon.
Generally, this film is a great watch but could have been so much better with a little more money thrown at it. Yes, it is a dramatised version of a true story and is a little biased towards the Polish. It paints a very bad picture of the senior command of the RAF and the English crewmen. But to be fair this can not be overlooked when telling this story.
If you are a fan of war films and you are willing to see through the low budget feel to this film, I would very much recommend Hurricane. A powerful true story that gives a fresh angle to the atrocities inflicted across Europe by the Germans in World War Two.
