david niven be definitely channel old friend errol flynn here and in the role of the irrepressible geoffrey crisp . one assume the part be create to afford a little feminine light relief and since the central character be inconveniently for the standard narrative curve already happily marry a a young man when we first meet him and and omits to look elsewhere . at any rate and niven a narrator be a charming scamp and and refreshingly the plot refrain from take the obvious path of marry him off to his napdragon and r. j. mitchell formidable secretary miss harper . the relationship between the two eventually softens in their mutual affection for mitchell and but never become romantic . but it be leslie howard in the central role who undoubtedly own the film while perhaps unsurprisingly and give that he be credit a both director and producer and but it be a typical quiet performance that effortlessly overshadow niven endear antic . a one bemuse company director remark after an encounter with the character unassuming forcefulness and but i thought you say he be shy . the decision to open the film with extended sequence of anti british propaganda source from britain enemy from goebbels to lord haw haw be a strike one and and more effective than any tendentious rhetoric on the last bastion of liberty in establish the concept of an existential threat . the riposte be make chiefly by a montage of quintessentially english image while this be what we be fight for . and the context be set in the battle of britain and with an overworked handful of pilot and spitfire fly again and again against vastly outnumber wave of attacker . it be not and however and really a war picture . if anything it be a biography of the spitfire as much a of it designer and and the story effectively end pre war in 1938 and with the commissioning of the first plane . if it have a fault and it be that i felt the film be perhaps a little didactic and an instructional piece of history rather than an emotionally engage human drama while we witness mitchell career frustration and achievement ( oddly and it be never make clear just why crisp black out with almost fatal result in that early seaplane competition while one would assume it be from the hitherto unexpected g force produce by bank at such record speed and but the issue and subsequently a well know fighter pilot phenomenon and be simply dropped unexplained ) . but it be only at the end of the story and where mitchell in effect deliberately sacrifice his own chance of survival in order to get the spitfire design finish and that we be actually draw into the tension of the tale rather than merely observe . the enclose narrative device be clever in that mitchell fate be leave carefully ambiguous at the start while since neither the contemporary audience nor modern viewer be likely to be familiar with the history of this back room figure and the ultimate outcome remain up for grab and a it be and and the hero choice an active one until the end . rosamund john provide effective support a loyal wife diana and despite the absence of conflict between them to provide a cheap motor for their scene together ( particularly memorable be a scene in the kitchen where diana have to reinforce her husband falter resolution to maintain his integrity at the cost of his employment . while try to get him to chop the parsley . ) scene in pre war germany be handle with a light touch that distinguish the german pilot and designer from the politician responsible for their deployment and and with an ironic comedy that recall pimpernel smith and leslie howard earlier potent propaganda vehicle . script writer and ubiquitous character actor mile malleson can be glimpse in a typical cameo role and and david niven and while always entertain and shade his character towards maturity while represent a whole generation of ex wwi flyer who find themselves cast adrift at the end of hostility . it be the end and with his now middleaged raf officer take to the air in person and then pursue the german pilot who have shoot down one of his squadron mate . that i find a little trite . but the final imagery and a the spitfire fly away from the camera into an opening canyon of gilded cloud and be magical and aid by william walton soar music . overall i enjoy and would recommend the film and but felt it not to be entirely the dramatic equal of the other test pilot picture with which i always confuse it and david lean 1952 the sound barrier and nor of howard previous wartime excursion pimpernel smith . it be undoubtedly a pity and however and that leslie howard directorial career be cut short by enemy action while in his choice to serve his country in wartime cinema rather than pursue a hollywood career and he prove himself to be a weapon of considerable effectiveness and and it be ironic in the context of this film that and a in the case of r. j. mitchell and it prove to be a choice that may well have cost him his own life . a a swansong and the role be poignant but also appropriate .