First Light (2010)

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General		Extras
Category	Biography	None
Rating
Year Of Production	2010
Running Time	78:00
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Programme
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Matthew Whiteman
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	Sam Heughan Paul Kinman Paul Linto
Case	Amaray-Transparent
RPI	$24.95	Music	Gabriel Currington

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	Yes, Consistent with period
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     It's hard not to be moved at certain points during the TV film First Light, the story of the youngest Spitfire pilot in the Battle of Britain. That's not just because this is a true story, based on the memoirs of Geoffrey "Boy" Wellum. It's also because his story resonates through every year of human conflict, from ancient times to modern warfare, every generation seeing another young serviceman brought back from foreign climes in a box.

     Geoffrey Wellum was a tender 18-year-old when he joined the number 92 Squadron of the RAF. Little did he know that in the next two years he would see such intense combat that the strain would lead him to a mental breakdown. Arriving green as the fields of England at his base, Wellum was forced to learn quickly on the job. When sitting in the Spitfire cockpit surrounded by sympathetic ground crew Wellum asks the simple question: "how do I start it again?" Their chuckles are caught short when they realise that the boy is not joking, he is about to launch off into the atmosphere in a state-of-the-art aircraft without any real training.

     First Light is based on the memoirs of the same name by Geoffrey Wellum. The film begins with his first day with the number 92 Squadron and his last day. It doesn't delve into the later history of Wellum in Malta when he suffered his breakdown. It is a story of both courage in the air and love on the ground as he tries to maintain a normal relationship with his future wife. The film has elements of a docudrama. Whilst the past is dramatised, with British actor Sam Heughan playing Wellum as the young pilot, the man himself also appears at various stages to explain his thoughts and feelings, both of the event being dramatised and also his memories so many years after the Battle of Britain. Initially the voice-over work from the real Wellum and his appearances threaten to weaken the historical narrative. However, the more the softly spoken Wellum gives personal insight into his thoughts and memories the more evocative the film becomes, leading to a truly moving conclusion.

     At just under 80 min this is by no means an epic war story. It is well acted and carefully directed by producer and director Matthew Whiteman. Make no mistake; Wellum's story is not one of over-the- top heroics and triumphs against unbelievable odds. Instead, the real and very tangible triumph is simply that Wellum managed to last so long in such an intense and stressful environment, piloting over 50 missions under fire and over enemy territory.

     The film was made for television and lacks the big budget special effects and all traces of a "Hollywood" treatment. There isn't a "tally-ho" or "pip pip" in sight! However, it comes well recommended as a genuine and heartfelt story of youth in the crucible of savage conflict.

Video

     The specifications for First Light do not appear on IMDb. By looking at the visual quality it would seem most likely that it was shot on high-definition digital video. The original aspect ratio appears to be 1.78:1. The DVD is in this ratio. It is 16x9 enhanced.

     The DVD is without extras and runs for only 79 min. It has been placed on a single layered DVD 5. Nevertheless, the video quality varies quite greatly in this film according to location. The sky shots are alive with noise and also show some evidence of edge enhancement. The interiors are also noisy particularly those shot in low light. The fighting scenes are a combination of re-creations and use of various footage of Spitfires over the years, including what appears to be genuine WW2 footage. That footage is distinguished from the current day by the presence of positive and negative artefacts as well as scratches.

     Nevertheless, the visual quality is never really distracting. This is clearly not a big budget Hollywood production and concessions need to be made. The flesh tones are accurate and the colours are accurate and reasonably stable.

     There are no subtitles.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The sound for First Light is English Dolby Digital 2.0 running at 224 KB/S. Whilst a surround sound track would have been enjoyable, particularly for the memorable sound of the Spitfire engines passing overhead, the 2.0 soundtrack does a good job of conveying both the sound effects throughout the film and the dialogue.

     The actors appear to be audio sync.

    It is worth mentioning the evocative score for the film which complements the on-screen action.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

    There are no extras. That's a pity for I, for one, would have liked to have seen some additional interview material with Wellum who, no doubt due to his having penned memoirs, has a way with words.

  This is an All Region DVD.

     Last year was the 70th anniversary of the start of the Battle of Britain. The film First Light was one of a number of productions commemorating that event.

     Even though the video and audio quality are not of the highest standard, this is an enjoyable and moving film that will be of special interest to anyone who likes true stories of courage and endeavour and those who have an interest in war history.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall