Dorothy Allison

This film scores 100% for me in every department - it's as faithful to Paul Brickhill's book as any film could be, and Kenneth More gives a tour de force performance as the indomitable (and, at times, arrogant) Douglas Bader.

To my eyes, however, he doesn't quite steal the whole film. Dorothy Allison's marvellously sympathetic portrayal of Nurse Brace is absolutely perfect. At the one stage in the film when Bader wishes he'd died, she is the one who first ticks him off and then builds him up. His line when they parted "You saved my life, you know that, Brace" was lifted straight out of the book. In turn, Brickhill wrote the book after much research and discussion with Bader himself.

Another part of the book which sticks in my memory (but isn't mentioned in the film) concerns Desoutter, the man in charge of the prosthetics unit in the hospital. According to Brickhill's book Desoutter told Bader he's never be able to walk without a stick.... later when Bader took up golf, he played Desoutter and beat him 7 & 6 !!!!

An amazing film (for its time) about an amazing man.