This is a great movie for anyone who likes well-acted, tightly-written suspense and who can tolerate the absence of such tired action-movie clichés as exploding helicopters and pithy catchphrases. Edward G. Robinson does a masterful job as Joe Keller, an aircraft manufacturer who shirks the responsibility for providing faulty equipment to the Army Air Force (as it was known then) and allows his partner to go to jail. Solid supporting performances by Burt Lancaster, Howard Duff, and Mady Christians make All My Sons an even more rewarding movie.
What I really loved about it is how the screenplay contrasts not just guilt and innocence but also knowledge and belief, loyalty to family and loyalty to the truth, and grief and guilt. The plot is complex and fulfilling; all characters are well-rounded. The acting is uniformly excellent and you are made to believe in the characters and their plights.
I have two hesitations about recommending this movie unreservedly. One is that anyone who has seen the play, and especially any fan of Arthur Miller, might find the movie disappointing. Screenwriter Chester Erskine changed quite a bit, including removing some characters and reducing the number of competing plot lines. The script may be weaker than Miller's play, but it's more suitable for the big screen.
The other reservation I have is that the underlying premise is actually quite unrealistic. In real life there would have been no investigation in the first place, and certainly no criminal charges. Training aircraft crashed with such depressing regularity that investigation was rare even in the most suspicious cases - there just wasn't the money, time, or interest on the part of the brass. Problems in combat situations would be investigated, but most training accidents were assumed to be pilot error even when they patently weren't. This error won't bother most people, of course, and shouldn't; but if you are a stickler for accuracy it might affect your enjoyment of the film.
What I really loved about it is how the screenplay contrasts not just guilt and innocence but also knowledge and belief, loyalty to family and loyalty to the truth, and grief and guilt. The plot is complex and fulfilling; all characters are well-rounded. The acting is uniformly excellent and you are made to believe in the characters and their plights.
I have two hesitations about recommending this movie unreservedly. One is that anyone who has seen the play, and especially any fan of Arthur Miller, might find the movie disappointing. Screenwriter Chester Erskine changed quite a bit, including removing some characters and reducing the number of competing plot lines. The script may be weaker than Miller's play, but it's more suitable for the big screen.
The other reservation I have is that the underlying premise is actually quite unrealistic. In real life there would have been no investigation in the first place, and certainly no criminal charges. Training aircraft crashed with such depressing regularity that investigation was rare even in the most suspicious cases - there just wasn't the money, time, or interest on the part of the brass. Problems in combat situations would be investigated, but most training accidents were assumed to be pilot error even when they patently weren't. This error won't bother most people, of course, and shouldn't; but if you are a stickler for accuracy it might affect your enjoyment of the film.