THE WAR LOVER is a UK-USA WW2 movie about a squad of bomber pilots operating from Cambridgeshire in the UK and carrying out daring raids on mainland Europe. It's a rather slight picture, shot in black and white for reasons unknown (although I suspect that they're budgetary in nature) and of note for featuring Steve McQueen in the leading role.
McQueen dominates the scenery with his portrayal of a brash and cocky pilot with something of a death wish, repeatedly putting his crew into danger for the sake of glory. The rest of the film is a mish-mash of romantic interludes, rivalry and friendship, and some brief bombing raids that are handled reasonably well. Supporting cast members include Shirley Anne Field and Michael Crawford, long before he was famous. War film fans will enjoy this, but the familiarity of the set-up works against it.
McQueen dominates the scenery with his portrayal of a brash and cocky pilot with something of a death wish, repeatedly putting his crew into danger for the sake of glory. The rest of the film is a mish-mash of romantic interludes, rivalry and friendship, and some brief bombing raids that are handled reasonably well. Supporting cast members include Shirley Anne Field and Michael Crawford, long before he was famous. War film fans will enjoy this, but the familiarity of the set-up works against it.