.gif)
Aces High (film)
Encyclopedia
Aces High is a 1976 British war film
directed by Jack Gold
and starring Malcolm McDowell
, Christopher Plummer
and Simon Ward
. The screenplay
was written by Howard Barker
. As acknowledged in the opening credits, the film is based on the 1930s play Journey's End
by R. C. Sherriff
and the memoir Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis of the Royal Flying Corps
. It tells the story of an RFC squadron in the First World War and the high turnover of pilots and the strain on the survivors and includes aerial dogfight
scenes.
battalion.
The film is set in one-week's timeframe. It opens with fighter ace
Major Gresham (McDowell) speaking to a class of students at Eton in October 1916. One year later, a single new recruit shows up at Gresham's base, 2nd Lt. Croft (Firth). At Eton, Gresham was his house captain. Moreover, Croft is the younger brother of his girlfriend. Already Gresham relies on alcohol
to cope with combat stress and bring himself to continue flying. Now the strain of being responsible for this young recruit further weighs on him. Croft has to learn how to survive not only in the air, but on the ground as well as he initially makes some minor mistakes in squadron etiquette. The film also follows Croft's rapid rite of passage from naive schoolboy to adult fighting soldier. We also see Croft's initial hero
worship of his commanding officer
crumble as he learns the realities of active service, yet regains a new respect for Gresham and the stresses he has to cope with.
The film reaches its tragic conclusion when Croft finally scores his first air victory and seems to have made the leap in skills necessary to survive but is suddenly killed in a collision with a German aircraft
.
, one of the famous SE5
squadrons. The airfield facilities, barracks and motor transport are authentic looking World War I era equipments and the planes flown, although not real SE5s but converted Stampe SV.4
s, are similar enough and the camouflage used authentic.
The film reused aerial sequences from The Blue Max
and Von Richthofen and Brown
.
There is a real Avro 504
used in the film, while the Nieuport 17
plane that 'Uncle' says is the one preferred by Gresham is actually an SE5. A mistake the film makes is the presence of a two-seater reconnaissance aircraft within the same fighter unit; RFC squadrons by this time were usually organised for one aircraft type and operational purpose.
Some other parts in the film come from real stories of the RFC, like the pilot who prefers to jump from his burning plane rather than being slowly roasted in his cockpit (no parachutes were issued during the conflict to Allied aircrew). The fatalistic mess room songs and the often juvenile, 'public school' attitudes of the young pilots are considered authentic portrayals of the time.
The role played by Christopher Plummer (‘Uncle’) is characteristic of the Edwardian upper class
warrior stereotype, who tries to overcome the cruelty of the war with civility and a gentle manner.
(Name in brackets gives the character's equivalent in Journey's End.)
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
directed by Jack Gold
Jack Gold
Jack Gold is a British film and television director. He was part of the British Realist Tradition that followed Free Cinema.-Career:...
and starring Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
, Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer
Arthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
and Simon Ward
Simon Ward
Simon Ward is an English stage and film actor.-Early life:Simon Ward was born in Beckenham, Kent, near London, the son of a car dealer. From an early age he wanted to be an actor. He was educated at Alleyn's School, London, the home of the National Youth Theatre, which he joined at age 13 and...
. The screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
was written by Howard Barker
Howard Barker
Howard E. Barker is a British playwright.-The Theatre of Catastrophe :Barker has coined the term "Theatre of Catastrophe" to describe his work...
. As acknowledged in the opening credits, the film is based on the 1930s play Journey's End
Journey's End
Journey's End is a 1928 drama, the seventh of English playwright R. C. Sherriff. It was first performed at the Apollo Theatre in London by the Incorporated Stage Society on 9 December 1928, starring a young Laurence Olivier, and soon moved to other West End theatres for a two-year run...
by R. C. Sherriff
R. C. Sherriff
-External links:**...
and the memoir Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis of the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
. It tells the story of an RFC squadron in the First World War and the high turnover of pilots and the strain on the survivors and includes aerial dogfight
Dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is a form of aerial combat between fighter aircraft; in particular, combat of maneuver at short range, where each side is aware of the other's presence. Dogfighting first appeared during World War I, shortly after the invention of the airplane...
scenes.
Plot
The film follows the plot of Journey's End quite closely, albeit set in the RFC rather than in an infantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
battalion.
The film is set in one-week's timeframe. It opens with fighter ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
Major Gresham (McDowell) speaking to a class of students at Eton in October 1916. One year later, a single new recruit shows up at Gresham's base, 2nd Lt. Croft (Firth). At Eton, Gresham was his house captain. Moreover, Croft is the younger brother of his girlfriend. Already Gresham relies on alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
to cope with combat stress and bring himself to continue flying. Now the strain of being responsible for this young recruit further weighs on him. Croft has to learn how to survive not only in the air, but on the ground as well as he initially makes some minor mistakes in squadron etiquette. The film also follows Croft's rapid rite of passage from naive schoolboy to adult fighting soldier. We also see Croft's initial hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
worship of his commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
crumble as he learns the realities of active service, yet regains a new respect for Gresham and the stresses he has to cope with.
The film reaches its tragic conclusion when Croft finally scores his first air victory and seems to have made the leap in skills necessary to survive but is suddenly killed in a collision with a German aircraft
Luftstreitkräfte
The Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte , known before October 1916 as Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaiserreiches , or simply Die Fliegertruppen, was the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I...
.
Features
The squadron depicted is loosely based on No. 56 SquadronNo. 56 Squadron RAF
Number 56 Squadron is one of the oldest and most successful squadrons of the Royal Air Force, with battle honours from many of the significant air campaigns of both World War I and World War II...
, one of the famous SE5
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5
The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 was a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Although the first examples reached the Western Front before the Sopwith Camel and it had a much better overall performance, problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine, particularly the geared-output H-S...
squadrons. The airfield facilities, barracks and motor transport are authentic looking World War I era equipments and the planes flown, although not real SE5s but converted Stampe SV.4
Stampe SV.4
-Bibliography:* Pacco, John. "Stampe & Vertongen SV-4B" Belgisch Leger/Armee Belge: Het Militair Vliegwezen/l'Aeronautique Militaire 1930-1940. Aartselaar, Belgium, 2003, pp. 85-86. ISBN 90-801136-6-2....
s, are similar enough and the camouflage used authentic.
The film reused aerial sequences from The Blue Max
The Blue Max
The Blue Max is an 1966 British war film about a German fighter pilot on the Western Front during World War I. It was directed by John Guillermin, stars George Peppard, James Mason and Ursula Andress, and features Karl Michael Vogler and Jeremy Kemp. The screenplay was written by David Pursall,...
and Von Richthofen and Brown
Von Richthofen and Brown
Von Richthofen and Brown also known as The Red Baron, is a film directed by Roger Corman, and starring John Phillip Law and Don Stroud as the titular characters....
.
There is a real Avro 504
Avro 504
The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...
used in the film, while the Nieuport 17
Nieuport 17
|-Specifications :-See also:-Bibliography:* Bruce, Jack. "Those Classic Nieuports". Air Enthusiast Quarterly. Number Two, 1976. Bromley, UK:Pilot Press. pp. 137–153....
plane that 'Uncle' says is the one preferred by Gresham is actually an SE5. A mistake the film makes is the presence of a two-seater reconnaissance aircraft within the same fighter unit; RFC squadrons by this time were usually organised for one aircraft type and operational purpose.
Some other parts in the film come from real stories of the RFC, like the pilot who prefers to jump from his burning plane rather than being slowly roasted in his cockpit (no parachutes were issued during the conflict to Allied aircrew). The fatalistic mess room songs and the often juvenile, 'public school' attitudes of the young pilots are considered authentic portrayals of the time.
The role played by Christopher Plummer (‘Uncle’) is characteristic of the Edwardian upper class
Upper class
In social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
warrior stereotype, who tries to overcome the cruelty of the war with civility and a gentle manner.
Cast
- Malcolm McDowellMalcolm McDowellMalcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
- Maj. John Gresham (Capt. Dennis Stanhope) - Christopher PlummerChristopher PlummerArthur Christopher Orne Plummer, CC is a Canadian theatre, film and television actor. He made his film debut in 1957's Stage Struck, and notable early film performances include Night of the Generals, The Return of the Pink Panther and The Man Who Would Be King.In a career that spans over five...
- Capt. "Uncle" Sinclair (Lt. Osborne) - Simon WardSimon WardSimon Ward is an English stage and film actor.-Early life:Simon Ward was born in Beckenham, Kent, near London, the son of a car dealer. From an early age he wanted to be an actor. He was educated at Alleyn's School, London, the home of the National Youth Theatre, which he joined at age 13 and...
- Lt. Crawford (2nd Lt. Hibbert) - Peter FirthPeter FirthPeter Firth is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC show Spooks, of which he is the only actor to have starred in every episode of the show's 10 series lifespan...
- Lt. Stephen Croft (2nd Lt. Raleigh) - David WoodDavid Wood (actor)David Wood OBE is an English-born actor and writer, called "the National Children's Dramatist" by The Times.He was educated at Chichester High School For Boys and Worcester College, Oxford....
- Lt. 'Tommy' Thompson (2nd Lt. Trotter) - John GielgudJohn GielgudSir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
- Headmaster - Trevor HowardTrevor HowardTrevor Howard , born Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith, was an English film, stage and television actor.-Early life:...
- Lieutenant Colonel Silkin - Richard JohnsonRichard Johnson (actor)Richard Johnson is an English actor, writer and producer, who starred in several British films of the 1960s and has also had a distinguished stage career. He most recently appeared in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.-Life and career:...
- Major Lyle - Ray MillandRay MillandRay Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
- Brigadier General Whale - Christopher BlakeChristopher BlakeChristopher Blake was an English actor and screenwriter who is best remembered for starring in the British sitcom That's My Boy alongside Mollie Sugden.- Early life:...
- Lieutenant Roberts - David DakerDavid DakerDavid Daker is an English actor.His is best known for his role as Harry Crawford in the hit series Boon. He also played PC Owen Culshaw in Z-Cars, Jarvis in Porridge, Captain Nathan Spiker in Dick Turpin....
- Mess Corporal Bennett - Barry Jackson - Corporal Albert Joyce
- Ron PemberRon PemberRon Pember is a British actor, best known for his role as Alain Muny in the 1970s BBC drama series Secret Army.Pember played the part of the psychopathic taxman in the Red Dwarf episode "Better Than Life"...
- Lance Corporal Eliot - Tim Pigott-SmithTim Pigott-SmithTim Pigott-Smith is an English film and television actor.-Early life:Pigott-Smith was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, the son of Margaret Muriel and Harry Thomas Pigott-Smith, who was a journalist. He was educated at Wyggeston Boys' School, Leicester, King Edward VI School Stratford-upon-Avon, and...
- Major Stoppard
Popular culture
- The episode of Blackadder Goes ForthBlackadder Goes ForthBlackadder Goes Forth is the fourth and final series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 28 September to 2 November 1989 on BBC One....
entitled Private Plane reuses scenes from the film during the flying sequence.