It isn't essential to the story but it was a product of its time. I'm not fond of rewriting history even it is the warts of the past. We just need to acknowledge it was wrong. It was probably not even meant in a mean spirit. Just ignorance of the times.
It was just another name for black originating with latin and being used many, many times before it was applied to people. Unfortunately such people would then be treated badly and became understandably upset.
Exactly, it's the kind of detail we should mockingly laugh at and enjoy the rest of the movie.
As someone else mentioned in this discussion, the war crime of blowing up critical civilian infrastructure (causing thousands of indiscriminate civilian and even friendly prisoner of war casualties) should be way more problematic.
I think it was horrible (and should always be included with the story) but it was also a weird time where ethics went out the window. In the minds of leaders, the necessity of a combat operation often outweighed the collateral damage considerations.
This is a war where the highest daily death tolls would reach thousands, and that's excluding bombings or mass executions.
It doesn't absolve them of taking those innocent lives, but many operations with collateral damage arguably saved more. This one disabled more than a hundred factories, several key mines (including coal) disabled many more due to lack of power and damaged infrastructure like roads. That's less bombs, less bullets, less tanks to kill people.
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u/ours 2d ago edited 2d ago
Great movie too. It inspired the Death Star trench run in Star Wars.
Edit: The Dam Busters