The Blue Max

A great World War 1 classic aviation movie. The aerial combat footage, done without any computer virtual reality animation is quite spectacular. The acting, especially from the european cast was quite good.

I'll never forget the first time my father took me downtown to see this film during it's first run in 1966. The flying sequences to this day have never been equaled... and with no digital effects. Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack is one of the greatest ever written. I was fifteen at the time but even then I realized that there was a fatal flaw to this film that would rob it of true greatness. That fatal flaw was the casting of George Peppard in the role of Bruno Stachel, the aspiring heir to Bruno Von Richtofen. I watched this beaufifully re-mastered film last night on my widescreen T.V. and realized that my feelings then about Peppard are even stronger today. Think Brando in The Young Lions and then you might have a better idea of what this role could have been. Peppard is a cream puff. His acting at times is so embarrassing it takes you out of the film. He is surrounded in the cast by topnotch European charactor actors and that just makes his performance worse. And then there is Ursula Andress. How did this woman ever get into film? I know she was the flavor of the week back then but how in the world did she ever get through her screen test. I can't imagine what the great James Mason thought as he traded lines with her during filming. Oh well, such is life.

Not a comment on the film - which I thoroughly enjoyed - but on the Amazon official review:

"As directed by John Guillermin (who later made The Battle of Britain in 1969)"... er.

Did he make the tea or something? As far as I know he had nothing to do with the other movie.

Geoge Peppard was outstanding in this film. It is truly an aviation
film classic along with Twelve O'Clock High. Filmed in Ireland it contains
beautiful scenery and unmatched flying sequences.

When is this going to be released in blu-ray?

I think George Peppard gets a bad rap for his role, many agree he was not " heavyweight" enough to pull off his characters role of " anti-hero", after having recently watched this again after many years I think he gets it right. I probably was distracted from a deeper analysis due to the fact the planes are just incredible to watch, and well Ursula Andress is wildly good looking as well. The story line is one of insecurity of social status as Peppards charcter is working class and in one scene is humiliated in front of his peers by the revelation of his fathers humble background, flyers apparently were men of stock and stature and not usually middle class, this is seemingly over done with frequent references to vintage Champagne. It an amazing historical fact that to actually get a " Blue Max " was all but impossible in those planes, you had equal chance to crash as you did getting shot down and indeed it was the vanity of Jeremy Kemps charcter that ultimately bests him in the end. This may not be the greatest story ever told but you won't notice, the dogfights and flying sequences are so wonderful it simply carries the film, it certainly is no small thing that Peppard and Andress look gorgeous together polished in every scene. Ultimately this is a great looking exciting to watch war period piece and if you ever saw " Hell's Angels" and thought that was great then you will love this as well. Recommended.