Alla conquista dell'infinito

The quip I've heard was "I Aim at the Stars -- but I hit Antwerp and London". More V-2's were targeted at Antwerp than London, it being a major port used by the Allies during the invasion of Europe.

Von Braun's relation with the Nazis was Faustian -- he was obsessed with space travel, and developing liquid-fueled rockets was a first step. The V-2 (A-4 was the military's designation) was actually counterproductive to the Nazi war effort, and von Braun no doubt realized that (as Hitler did not). It was not a practical weapon, being expensive to produce and burdensome to launch. Few actually reached their targets; more tonnage was delivered by one Allied air raid than all the V-2's carried.

As the world turned its attention to the possibilities of manned spaceflight Werner von Braun acquired a sufficiently high profile to be the subject of a movie, with the film that emerged getting a hostile reception in a Britain still bearing the scars wartime bombing (von Braun had himself ruefully admitted "We aim at the stars, but sometimes we hit London").

After playing Ernst Udet in 'The Devil's General' Curt Jurgens was for the next few years Hollywood's favoured personification of The Good German; which is why when a whitewash was required of von Braun Curt was the man they enlisted.

The central part of the film plays like the director's next film 'The Guns of Navarone' from the point of view of the Germans. Physically Jurgens was all wrong for the part (Braun was a much younger man for starters). The Holocaust is briefly alluded to but the film tactfully skirts the issue of his enthusiastic use of slave labour.

The later section when he takes over at White Sands to help the Americans in Korea is far less well known and is therefore more informative. And then it's up and away into the heavens.

This movie describes the life of Wernher Von Braun very well. It also gives relevant historical background on man's early forays into space. It is a good movie for anyone who is interested in the development of the science of rocketry because this man was highly instrumental in developing the Saturn V booster which took man to the moon in the late 1960s. I have been trying to find a VHS version of this movie without success so if anyone knows of where I might obtain it your suggestions would be appreciated.

This very interesting biopic of Werner von Braun was unfortunately badly received at the time of its release. Americans weren't happy when the brilliant scientist found sanctuary and a new home in America after WWII, and they weren't happy that Hollywood made a movie about him without making him out to be a villain. In fact, in England, rioters cruelly scribbled on promotional posters, "I Aim at the Stars, but Sometimes I Hit London." If you know the life story of von Braun, chances are you followed the space race and will be very anxious to rent this movie. If you're not interested in space at all, you might need a little more to the story - and thankfully, it has more. Friendship conflicts, betrayal, romance that makes you wait, secrets, rebellion, and all under the cloud of Nazi Germany. It really is an interesting story, and with Curd Jurgens at the helm, you can rest assured you're going to see some fine acting. It's not his usual character, since he usually played either soldiers or ladies' men. He's a scientist who thinks of rockets and the stars more than anything - including politics and women. He may have strength, but he puts his usual swagger on the shelf and embodies a different role; after all, that's called acting.

Herbert Lom is also very good, playing Curd's friend and colleague with a different idea of patriotism. There are a couple of women in the cast, even though they're not the focus: Victoria Shaw and Gia Scala, as their love interests. James Daly plays a good villain, making you grit your teeth and root for Curd all the more. I enjoyed this movie, and I'm not interested in space in the slightest!

Producer Chares H Schneer (Jason and the Argonauts '63) assembled a variety of talented people for his space-age story of rocket scientist Wernher Von Braun. It follows portions of Braun's life from his youth in Germany, his war research service with the Nazis - through to his 'capture' and being seconded to the US space research program.

Screenplay writer Jay Dratler (Laura'44) strikes a deft balance in the moral argument between whether or not great scientists, who create technologies used in war, should be held responsible for the deaths of innocent bystanders - or should they simply be regarded as perfecting new technological developments for future progress? In this case, it was Wernher Von Braun's determination to perfect a rocket to eventually carry man into space. Whatever your moral stand, the brilliance of this man's brain cannot be denied.

German-born Curt Jurgens makes for a perfectly cast Von Braun. Jurgens was openly critical of Nazism and was interned in a Nazi Labour Camp for the 'politically unreliable'. He escaped and went into hiding - after the war, he became an Austrian citizen. In a long and distinguished career, he appeared in over a hundred movies and numerous stage plays. Though this film was shot in Munich it features a varied international cast including Australian actress Victoria Shaw, playing Braun's wife.

Director J. Lee Thompson (The Guns of Navarone'60) was blessed to have Wilkie Cooper selected by Schneer to guide principle photography, helping to create the films solid visuals. Cooper, one of Britain's most gifted directors of photography had worked with many of the world's acclaimed directors Including Hitchcock and Cardiff. His visual design excellence gave many of Ray Harryhausen's great animation epics (Jason and The Argonauts '63, etc) their strong images. Respected British composer Laurie Johnson provides an interesting music score.

Actual footage from failed Rocket test launches (both in Germany and the USA) capture the devastatingly destructive power and huge expense of these pioneering days in space exploration.