January 1943, Hitler authorizes use of females in war effort. One of the military specialties the girls serve is as *Blitzmadels* = *Lightning Girls*: they crew for 88mm anti-aircraft Flak Batteries, fighting Allied bomber raids of ever-increasing intensity. This qualifies as a WWII NOIR due to the number of deaths of the girls.
This is one of the few war films that is a *Perfect Object* = they got everything right. The cast couldn't be any better --- Keep an eye-out for ultra-cool Horst FRANK, as an amorous Frenchman, putting the moves on hot cutie Antje GEERK.
The action scenes are as intense as can be---scenes of the Blitzmadels firing their 88s are unique; no other movie can match the
spectacular awesomeness of these teen-age girls letting rip with their flak guns firing artillery that throw lead at 10,000 feet-per-second.
Don't sleep on the scenes of the girls doing PT in short-shorts and tight tank tops. Barracks scenes also give the girls the opportunity to show off their, uh, *structural integrity*.
This is the one that got away. Don't believe the negativity of film critics of the day: "Politically and morally questionable war film in a supposedly documentary style" ---Lexicon Of International Film.
LIGHTNING GIRLS AT THE FRONT is unlike any other war flick you ever saw; it is in a class by itself. Noted German author Hans Helmut KIRST worked on the screenplay, and you can tell --- this one does not pull any punches. It is *satisfying* in a way few war films can equal.
Check out director Werner KLINGER's Filmography --- there's a whole lot to like there.
You really do owe it to yourself to track this one down this one has stood the test of time --- it has actually grown in power over the years.
