Review by ulicknormanowen

It was awarded the prize of the Office Catholique Du cinema at the festival de Cannes ,1953 ;hindsight shows that this biopic thoroughly deserved it ; it has worn quite well , and it's at once a tribute to Helene Boucher her comrades called "Leno" and to all those daring female pilots ,like Maryse Bastié , who dared to enter a world which was reserved for men .

The film deals about the pioneer's career , without any embellishment ,any love affair , or story -like elements ;the film is often closed to documentary ,with frequent use of Gérard Oury's voiceover ; no macho comments ;only André Danet (Jean Chevrier) is skeptical : "they would never hire a female pilot"; all around her, there is much camaraderie and the supporting cast rises to the occasion ,particularly Pierre Trabaud as "Pierrot " who turns cartwheel across the floor when Helene triumphs , René Blancard as her devoted instructor and a young Maurice Ronet as a not so self-assured engineer .Gisèle Pascal portrays the heroine with a great dignity , an admirable modesty : they do not pass over in silence the fact that she was a heavy smoker,for instance .

From a shop assistant at a milliner's to a speed champion at icy altitudes, what a career !from 1930 to 1934, she went from strength to strength. She saw two of her dearest companions die : she learned Pierrot's fateful accident on a newspaper which wrapped a ham sandwich ; and her instructor's death by watching the sad faces .The first time she's visited the airport , death was already present. But she carried it on .

Jean Dreville 's career was uneven but some of his movie do not deserve to fall into oblivion: this one,"le visiteur" "la ferme du pendu" "les affaires sont les affaires" ....