What we have here is a hybrid movie, half silent picture half talky. Originally intended to be a complete silent movie, but with the production value going on in the late 30s there was a lot of technological advancement. And they wanted to get in on the action, so they decided to start acting in sound rolls for of the film. And you can tell it was originally a silent movie, the whole scene involving the Zeppelin is a silent movie. And it uses the old altered lens colors to show off different times of the day. You don't need a night shot when you just have a blue filter. Which admittedly looks a hell of a lot better than day for night shots they do a lot now.
It's also a technological Marvel almost the entire Final Act of the film is one big plane battle. Involving a bombing run and what must be 30 different biplanes all flying around each other at the exact same time. And there's no special effects in this movie these are all real planes. Unfortunately they were also real deaths. About seven pilot where killed in the filming of this movie and it led to a few lawsuit issues.
Now the plot itself outside of the battle scenes isn't all that interesting , that's not to say it's bad it's just a bit formulaic. There are three men two of which are brothers one of which is their German pal. The German guy Carl has to go back home once the war starts up. So that he may fight in the Kaiser's Army, he'll unfortunately meet his demise at the hand of his own leader as he's thrown out of the Zeppelin to lose weight. Along with just about everything else. While the two British guys who are brothers end up having a bit of a love triangle involving this one girl I for all intensive purposes is a slut. There's no other way to put it, she just uses people for her own fun and has little regard for anything else.
The whole battle scene involving the 'stealth Zeppelin' is fascinating to me. The idea that you would lower a man in a tiny little Pod about 200 ft below your Airship so that he can scout out the territory and tell you where the bomb is just so surreal, in a modern age of radar equipment and Hyper Advanced Radio connectivity.
I would recommend seeing Hells Angels, the whole romance subplot may not be that interesting to some of you but the technical effects in this filmer absolutely spectacular and is a real example of how extraordinary film could look as far back as the 1930s. Also there's a scene involving a ballroom party, that in itself isn't all that interesting but it is one of the earliest uses of coloured film.
The Blimp explosion up the ends a bit extreme. The film did come out six years before the Hindenburg disaster and sadly they already knew just how well those things would go up in flames.
It's also a technological Marvel almost the entire Final Act of the film is one big plane battle. Involving a bombing run and what must be 30 different biplanes all flying around each other at the exact same time. And there's no special effects in this movie these are all real planes. Unfortunately they were also real deaths. About seven pilot where killed in the filming of this movie and it led to a few lawsuit issues.
Now the plot itself outside of the battle scenes isn't all that interesting , that's not to say it's bad it's just a bit formulaic. There are three men two of which are brothers one of which is their German pal. The German guy Carl has to go back home once the war starts up. So that he may fight in the Kaiser's Army, he'll unfortunately meet his demise at the hand of his own leader as he's thrown out of the Zeppelin to lose weight. Along with just about everything else. While the two British guys who are brothers end up having a bit of a love triangle involving this one girl I for all intensive purposes is a slut. There's no other way to put it, she just uses people for her own fun and has little regard for anything else.
The whole battle scene involving the 'stealth Zeppelin' is fascinating to me. The idea that you would lower a man in a tiny little Pod about 200 ft below your Airship so that he can scout out the territory and tell you where the bomb is just so surreal, in a modern age of radar equipment and Hyper Advanced Radio connectivity.
I would recommend seeing Hells Angels, the whole romance subplot may not be that interesting to some of you but the technical effects in this filmer absolutely spectacular and is a real example of how extraordinary film could look as far back as the 1930s. Also there's a scene involving a ballroom party, that in itself isn't all that interesting but it is one of the earliest uses of coloured film.
The Blimp explosion up the ends a bit extreme. The film did come out six years before the Hindenburg disaster and sadly they already knew just how well those things would go up in flames.
Also you've got to feel sorry for Roy, he's the poetic hero, The Boys Scout that you see in all the movies and his life is hell. Nothing goes right for him, he still goes out and does his job he'll lose everything and he does half of it willingly.
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