Les Géants du ciel

I enjoyed this movie as an AF veteran and a nephew of a fighter pilot who flew in an England based squadron. I am not sure if I would have enjoyed the movie as much without that personal investment. The production is not that impressive. The story of the maverick fighter pilot having to accept responsibility after being thrust into a leadership role was fairly predictable, in 2006. Maybe it was new and refreshing in 1948, but this is not a classic, must have, multifaceted war classic. However, it is a good viewing, once every few years, if you are a WWII buff. The inaccuracies and location problems are lost when I view the actual combat footage. The personal stories are consistent with reality, even though not told well.

The first thing that struck me about this movie was the quality of the color, which was excellent. It looked more like a movie made in the 50's than 1948. Like Mr. Padilla, who's informative review also appears in this database, I was momentarily baffled when the enemy planes first appeared in the movie. What's this?, I thought. I know those aren't Messerschmidts, and I recall the Stukas weren't that sleek-looking. What we have here are Mustangs in drag, as it were. I suppose the production company may have used whatever war birds they could lay their hands on. Chaulk one up for artistic license.

Once I got over that, I enjoyed the movie. Hollywood must have made a blue million war movies during and after WWII, and I own copies of at least 50 or so of them, but here's one I'd never seen before, nor even heard of. Most of the actors were pleasantly familiar, with Robert Stack being much younger here than I have before seen him. But towards the end of the movie, when all the pilots were gathered in the Ready Room before a mission, I had to do a double take as I looked at the members of the squad in the background. Is that who I think it is, I thought. Sure 'nuff, after the flick ended I came to this website to check the cast list, and there he was, listed as an unspoken actor, Rock Hudson.

I haven't yet searched to see if this movie is available on VHS or DVD, but I will. I'd like to own a copy.

I think this movie is good and it should come out of DVD. The movie is World War II aviation action film covering the story of a Fighter Squadron who's leader wants to try new combat tactics in the skies over Europe. I know many people don't like the use of P-51D Mustangs as ME-109s, but there's a perfectly good explanation for it. There were no ME-109s left after the war and those that survived were being studied by American and British aircraft engineers. Don't let that spoil this movie. I actually found it interesting that they did use P-51s. This film also made good use of actual air combat film which gave this film a realistic view at some of the most gripping combat ever. This is a good one, don't miss it.

An enjoyable movie. Loaded with clichés and the usual Hollywood gaffes (Like using P-51's for ME-109's), but none the less one of the better flying movies produced in the forties. It has, arguably some of the best flying movie footage of all of the flying type movies produced in that decade. I would buy this one if I could get it from a supplier. I finally was able to make an off the air copy from the TCM channel on satellite the other night. The choice of cast is excellent. Future film star Rock Hudson is wooden in his one liner in the Officers Club, but you gotta start somewhere. And this was his first movie part. If you like airplanes (fighter planes), you'll like this one.

Directed by Raoul Walsh this movie is built around actual war footage. Air battle scenes are some of the best ever. The Third Fighter Group of the Army Air Force stationed in England pave the way for V-E Day by dueling with the German Luftwaffe. Along with the great camera footage is the background score of Max Steiner. A very good cast that features:Edmond O'Brien, Robert Stack, Tom D'Andrea, Shepperd Strudwick, James Holden and the one-line debut of Rock Hudson. This memorable film is even better in tandem with another Walsh war flick OBJECTIVE, BURMA!(1945). Sometimes predictable, but very worthwhile.