Wing Commander Movie Night: 633 Squadron

Last week's meeting of the Wing Commander movie club was a great success! Star Trek VI's connection to Wing Commander may have been slighter than other films we've watched (watch for the after action report on Friday) but it was also a lot of fun watching a film we all love together with friends. And isn't that the point of this whole endeavor in the first place? Next week, however, we're returning to music and to World War II with 633 Squadron (1964)! And as always you are welcome to join us this Friday via Discord to watch along.

It's time for more high flying action with the Royal Air Force! 633 Squadron is a fictionalized air combat adventure which pits a squadron of elite Mosquito fighter pilots against a Nazi rocket base. Made in 1964, it's the first air combat movie to be shot in color and represents a new kind of World War II movie that starts to glamorize rather than memorialize the conflict. As such, we thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and watch 633 Squadron while Dam Busters is fresh in our mind. Even without the Wing Commander connection, the difference in these two films that tackle a similar subject matter just a few years apart should be fascinating. Will the dour realism of one give way to something that feels a little more fun? How many math lectures will it include? Fewer than five, we hope.

Also like Dam Busters, the major connection to Wing Commander is the music. 633 Squadron is the other film that Chris Roberts asked David Arnold and Keivn Kiner to study when scoring Wing Commander. Here are the Wing Commander liner notes in which Chris Roberts references both movies:

When I set out to make "Wing Commander," I envisioned a classic World War II film as its model. Except that it was set in space, 500 years from now. This motif played strongly in the design and look of the picture. I also wanted it to play strongly in the score. I wanted the music to evoke some of the glorious old war film scores; full of heart, melody and heroic acts. "633 Squadron," "The Dam Busters" and other such classics came to my mind. When I first talked to David and Kevin about the score, they were in tune from step one.

In fact, my first conversation with David had him citing classic war film scores as a jumping- off point - and that was before I'd even pitched him on my 'WWII' in space concept! From that point on, I am happy to say I was in good hands. From hearing the first temps to being blown away by the orchestra on the scoring stage at Air Lyndhurst, I was constantly surprised and impressed. The sound they've managed to capture evokes epic movies from the fifties and sixties. It's some of the best space music I've heard, right up there with the classics we've all grown up with. The film required many things of the score, bravery, guts, youthfulness, mystery, danger, loss and redemption. David and Kevin delivered all that and hummable melodies into the bargain! (I guarantee you'll be whistling the title cue as you leave the cinema.) The film grows as a result. Bravo! Here's to working together again.

Chris Roberts
Director

Of course, there's another little connection that seems to indicate that this is a movie that's (still) not far from Chris Roberts' mind…

Where can I find a copy of the movie for the watch party?

633 Squadron is currently available as a free download from the Internet Archive. In the United States it is available for rental or sale digitally at all storefronts. If you're interested in tracking down a physical copy, Kino Lorber publiished a Blu-ray release in 2021 which is readily available; it is a combo pack with Mosquito Squadron (1969)... but that one is NOT currently known to have been an influence on Wing Commander!

How do we watch the movie together?

It's pretty low tech! Simply join the Wing Commander CIC Discord on Friday and we will be chatting (in text) along with the film in the main channel. Everyone who wants to join in should bring their own copy and we will count down to play them together at 10 PM EST. Everyone is welcome and we encourage you to join in the conversation; sharing your thoughts helps make the experience better for everyone!