Malta Story

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Malta Story

Malta Story DVD cover
Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst
Produced by Peter De Sarigny
Written by Nigel Balchin (screenplay)
Peter De Sarigny (idea)
Thorold Dickinson (idea)
William Fairchild (story &screenplay)
Sir Hugh P. Lloyd (book, Briefed to Attack)
Starring Alec Guinness
Jack Hawkins
Anthony Steel
Music by William Alwyn
Cinematography Leon Shamroy
Distributed by United Artists
Release date(s) 1953
Running time 103 min.
(USA:97 min.)
Country UK
Language English
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Malta Story is a 1953 black and white war film based on the heroic defence of Malta, the island itself, its people, and the RAF aviators who fought to defend it. The film uses real and unique footage of the same places the battles were fought, and includes a love story that ends with the death of the hero (a RAF pilot) and the execution of a young Maltese man who became an Italian spy.

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[edit] Plot

In 1942 Britain is trying hard to keep Malta while an invasion seems imminent and Italians and Germans are regularly bombing the airfields and the cities regardless. The RAF fight to survive against the odds using the few planes available. Flight Lt. Peter Ross, an archaeologist, is posted to Egypt but stops at Malta unable to continue his journey due to the air attacks. He is then asked to join the RAF squadron there as an air reconnaissance pilot. He meets Maria, a lovely Maltese girl working in the RAF operations room. The two fall in love and spend a few romantic hours in the neolithic temples of Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim on the island.

In the meantime the situation becomes desperate as many civilians are daily buried under the rubble, and famine is threatening their survival as relief convoys become easy prey to the numerous attacks by air. Peter proposes marriage to Maria although they realize that wartime is not favourable to love affairs as her mother suggests. Nevertheless the young couple remain faithful to the future. In the mean time Maria’s brother is arrested while trying to infiltrate the island from Italy, obviously on a spy mission, for which he will be executed (which is based on the real story of Carmelo Borg Pisani). Maria’s mother lives a double drama. The island at the same time relies on the last few ships of a convoy for supplies. The scene of the heroic tanker SS Ohio (real footage) arriving half sunk in the harbour is the apex of glory for the defenders and the island of Malta collectively receives the George Cross from the King of England.

The RAF holds on, and is eventually able to take the offensive, targeting enemy shipping on its way to Rommel in Libya. Many air attacks take place either to defend the island with Spitfires or a number of various other torpedo planes, like the Beauforts, which succeed in sinking Italian tankers. There comes the moment when the most important enemy convoy is on its way to Libya under cover of poor visibility. Peter's commanding officer (Jack Hawkins) needs desperately to locate this target and orders him to find it at any cost. Peter, flying in his Spitfire, finally finds it, but has to stay close to keep contact. He is thus left alone against four enemy fighters - Messerschmitt Bf109F's - who throw everything they have against him. Peter stays calm, but cannot escape his fate; he is shot down and killed, while Maria in the operations room listens helplessly to his radio broadcasts.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Production

The unique footage used in the film is equivalent to true historic archive material. Additionally, many scenes were shot next to the real types of aircraft still available in Malta at that time, some of which did not exist any longer elsewhere. The Spitfires shown in action are, however, mainly of the later IX, XIV and XVI types that flew from Malta after 1943-44. In 1942, the RAF was mainly using the V type only that appears rarely in the film. In the footage, one can see however the planes that attacked Malta, such as the Italian SM79 and the German Bf109F.

The character of "Peter Ross" is apparently loosely based on that of Adrian Warburton.

[edit] External links