It seems that war movies have always had a way to my heart. No matter the budget, the battle, B&W, or color, I seem to have an affinity for them.
The movie "The Dawn Patrol" aka "Flight Commander" chronicles the daily lives and missions of Britain's 59th squadron (not sure what Britain's military branches are). They were a small unit that boasted no more than six planes at a time. They were steadily running on suicide missions under the command of a stressed out Major Brand (Neil Hamilton).
The movie takes place in France in 1915 during the Great War. It spans an undetermined length of time that could be months or years. We get to see some early-model single-engine propeller planes taking off, landing, and even pulling some aerial maneuvers. It was a sight.
The main characters were Brand, Dick Courtney (Richard Barthelmess), and Douglas Scott (Douglas Fairbanks). All were pilots while Brand was anchored to a desk regrettably sending men to their deaths. He was in an ongoing contentious battle with Courtney as the two second guessed each other while neither had an easy job.
Like any movie about war we see deaths, sadness, anxiety, and how the men deal with it all. Conversely, we see heroism, self-sacrifice, and comradery as well. "The Dawn Patrol" is a lot different than the German WWI made the same year called "Westernfront 1918." As I said, all war movies are going to share some similarities, but I think Dawn Patrol happens to be better.
Free on Internet Archive.
The movie "The Dawn Patrol" aka "Flight Commander" chronicles the daily lives and missions of Britain's 59th squadron (not sure what Britain's military branches are). They were a small unit that boasted no more than six planes at a time. They were steadily running on suicide missions under the command of a stressed out Major Brand (Neil Hamilton).
The movie takes place in France in 1915 during the Great War. It spans an undetermined length of time that could be months or years. We get to see some early-model single-engine propeller planes taking off, landing, and even pulling some aerial maneuvers. It was a sight.
The main characters were Brand, Dick Courtney (Richard Barthelmess), and Douglas Scott (Douglas Fairbanks). All were pilots while Brand was anchored to a desk regrettably sending men to their deaths. He was in an ongoing contentious battle with Courtney as the two second guessed each other while neither had an easy job.
Like any movie about war we see deaths, sadness, anxiety, and how the men deal with it all. Conversely, we see heroism, self-sacrifice, and comradery as well. "The Dawn Patrol" is a lot different than the German WWI made the same year called "Westernfront 1918." As I said, all war movies are going to share some similarities, but I think Dawn Patrol happens to be better.
Free on Internet Archive.