The Shamrock Spitfire (2024)

The Shamrock Spitfire Review

Overview

The future of Europe is not looking too good as there are intense battles happening in the southern skies of England. One of them is an Irishman named Brendan Finucane who wants to join the Royal Air Force. During the Battle of Britain, he fights for the first time and shows himself to be a natural-born fighter pilot. He is made head of 452 Australian Squadron soon after this. Under his command they will become legendary. THE SHAMROCK SPITFIRE tells the true story about Brendan “Paddy” Finucane who was one among many heroes in World War II but also happened to be youngest wing commander ever known according to RAF history books.

The Shamrock Spitfire Movie Review

Today we rarely see unashamed wartime tear jerkers on our screens, however Dominic and Ian Higgins RAF biopic lacks subtlety at times it is still refreshing return back to matinee-style films where star-crossed lovers canoodle beneath starlit canopies split by propeller blades. It has got that easy sway with confidence about itself helped along greatly by strong performance from Shane O’Regan playing Spitfire Paddy or real life pilot Brendan Finucane.

Finucane was one amongst many Irishmen (and Englishmen with Irish blood) who fought for Britain during WW2 even though their country remained neutral throughout the conflict; at just 21 years old he became youngest Wing Commander ever inducted into Royal Air Force a record which still stands today and living up his compatriots reputation as being “most belligerent neutrals” around quickly proved more than capable scrapper when it came down dogfights over southern England. After shooting down several enemy planes during Battle Of Britain he gets promoted to leading a squadron filled mostly with Australians led by Chris Kaye’s loudmouth Bluey Truscott; “Luck ’o” quips one comrade; “Don’t say it!” interrupts Finucane.

Only briefly touching upon how British empire’s machinery was forced into war, this film – demonstrated through Finucane senior’s (Eoin Lynch) reluctance to see his son enrol with crown forces or Australian airman’s whinging – manages to give an otherwise lightweight drama some much-needed gravity but ultimately The Shamrock Spitfire is a nostalgia trip; digitally colourised in typical fashion of directors who worked extensively within this medium, dogfight sequences are full of artistic sorties out thru cloud cover against blue sky background, whilst coming back from another successful sortie squadron laps up lush green vista which are effectively accompanied by Jerusalem. The score lays it on thick: Mars by Holst is dropped for aerial combat, while the Bringer Of War plays as they fly over London en route home; Higginses do decent keep-calm-and-carry on impersonation but lack emotional subtlety displayed so masterfully David Lean et al. That said though, what you have got here is an intriguing footnote military history given stylish treatment and likeable yet quietly brooding turn from O’Regan.

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