It usually takes many years retrospection of Historical occurrences to make it possible to come out with some very good War Films about a particular Armed Conflict. The gravity of the situation at the time, the collective emotions of a Nation and the Governmental "Red Tape" concerning just what is "classified" or not; and when it gets to be not thatta way, all contribute to the slow maturation of attitudes and story lines.
Although the public delighted in titles such as BATAAN (MGM, 1943), DESTINATION TOKYO (Warner Brothers, 1943), GUADALCANAL DIARY (20th Century-Fox(1943), FLYING TIGERS (Republic,1942), ACTION IN THE NORTH Atlantic (Warner Brothers, 1943),WAKE ISLAND (Paramount, 1942), SAHARA (Columbia,1943), GUNG HO (Universal, 1943), BACK TO BATAAN (RKO, 1945), THE STORY OF G.I. JOE (Lester Cowan Prod./United Artists, 1945) and SO PROUDLY WE HAIL(1943) were all well received and emotionally did their best to buoy up a public dealing with the day to day troubles on the home front. (By God, that 1943 sure was a year for WWII Flicks, no?)
AS the days following May 8, 1945 (VE Day) and August 15, 1945 (VJ Day) increased in their numbers and the distance from the War became much less contemporary; the infusion of perspective and objectivity became more of a reality. Ergo, we saw the likes of STALAG 17 (Paramount, 1952) as an example of a stage of development and maturity; all culminating with perhaps the zenith of Hollywood's World War II epics in PATTON (20th Century-Fox, 1969). As a further indicator of how things had changed from the old days; we remember George C. Scott's refusal of the Oscar for Best Actor.
Contrary to this time-space-quality film relationship, we have today's "Fun Time Movie, with Uncle Red", THE BIG LIFT (20th Century-Fox, 1950). It was made so very shortly after Joe Stalin's unsuccessful blockade of the Western Allies' sectors of Berlin as to give it an almost newsreel/docudrama look and feel. The filming done in West Germany and Berlin gave us a look at the actual location in Hitler's now bombed out former "Fortress Europa." Interiors were shot at the German UFA Studios in Berlin.
And while it was necessary to come up with a fictional account of a couple of G.I.'s sojourn in defeated Germany, their changing attitudes and their bittersweet involvement with some conniving former Hitler Youth Fraulein; the basic mission of bringing us the story of the Berlin Airlift of June 12, 1948 to May 11, 1949. We learned that the joint British & American mission logged over 92 million miles (Earth to Sun = about 93 million) and delivered 2,326,406 tons of supplies by way of 278,228 flights. There was a total of 101 lives lost due to aircraft accidents. Of those killed, 39 were Brits from the RAF and 31 were Yanks from the USAF.*
The Film's heart comes from the fictional account of the two main characters of the young Sgt. Danny MacCullough (Montgomery Clift) and the grizzled old veteran, the cynical M/Sgt Hank Kowalski (Paul Douglas).
MacCullough's life is meandering along, like so many servicemen in the Post War Force of Occupation. He seems inclined to getting into trouble with the Civil Authorities in the complicated 4 Power Zones of the divided Capitol of Berlin; and he luckily evades what could have been serious trouble. He has met a German girl, whom he hopes to marry in take to the United States. She turns out to be a "lyin' little Nazi bitch" and plans to take Sgt. Mac for a ride by hooking up with her real German old man once she was safely in the New World.
Hank Kowalski has been through the mill and expresses a real contempt, if not a true hatred, of all that is German; be it the people, the language or the Culture. Part of this attitude comes to him honestly; as he had been a P.O.W. in Stalag (?? ) and had been brutalized by a sadistic Nazi Guard (Is there any other kind?), who hated both Poles and Americans. M/Sgt. Kowalski was both.
A chance meeting with the former Prisoner of War Guard in Berlin almost led to Kowalski's getting arrested; but he and the Kraut both luck out. Oddly enough, the accidental meeting and physical confrontation by the now free and in control Kowalski amounts to a sort of catharsis for the pent up aggression and resentments left in the Master Sergeant's war damaged psyche. It is the first step in his own personal rehabilitation.
Once again, thanks to the proximity of the film's being made to the true life 11 month crisis, the movie gives the World a photographic record of what Berlin and Germany looked like then. The German civilians in the film were still feeling the effects of both the Soviet Blockade as well as the joint Anglo-American super air operations. And being that it is after all an American Film, there are a whole lot of real American Armed Forces personnel making their Movie debuts here.
Oh, by the way: On behalf of the U.S., the U.K., Germany and the rest of the World let us say: THANK YOU Allied Soldiers, Airmen and Sailors! (Again!!)
NOTE: * While owing its origin to the U.S.Army, being known as the Army Air Corps; The United States Air Force became an independent Branch of the Armed Forces on September 18, 1947. That would make this Berlin Air Lift the 1st Major Mission that the independent Air Force had in its charge.
Although the public delighted in titles such as BATAAN (MGM, 1943), DESTINATION TOKYO (Warner Brothers, 1943), GUADALCANAL DIARY (20th Century-Fox(1943), FLYING TIGERS (Republic,1942), ACTION IN THE NORTH Atlantic (Warner Brothers, 1943),WAKE ISLAND (Paramount, 1942), SAHARA (Columbia,1943), GUNG HO (Universal, 1943), BACK TO BATAAN (RKO, 1945), THE STORY OF G.I. JOE (Lester Cowan Prod./United Artists, 1945) and SO PROUDLY WE HAIL(1943) were all well received and emotionally did their best to buoy up a public dealing with the day to day troubles on the home front. (By God, that 1943 sure was a year for WWII Flicks, no?)
AS the days following May 8, 1945 (VE Day) and August 15, 1945 (VJ Day) increased in their numbers and the distance from the War became much less contemporary; the infusion of perspective and objectivity became more of a reality. Ergo, we saw the likes of STALAG 17 (Paramount, 1952) as an example of a stage of development and maturity; all culminating with perhaps the zenith of Hollywood's World War II epics in PATTON (20th Century-Fox, 1969). As a further indicator of how things had changed from the old days; we remember George C. Scott's refusal of the Oscar for Best Actor.
Contrary to this time-space-quality film relationship, we have today's "Fun Time Movie, with Uncle Red", THE BIG LIFT (20th Century-Fox, 1950). It was made so very shortly after Joe Stalin's unsuccessful blockade of the Western Allies' sectors of Berlin as to give it an almost newsreel/docudrama look and feel. The filming done in West Germany and Berlin gave us a look at the actual location in Hitler's now bombed out former "Fortress Europa." Interiors were shot at the German UFA Studios in Berlin.
And while it was necessary to come up with a fictional account of a couple of G.I.'s sojourn in defeated Germany, their changing attitudes and their bittersweet involvement with some conniving former Hitler Youth Fraulein; the basic mission of bringing us the story of the Berlin Airlift of June 12, 1948 to May 11, 1949. We learned that the joint British & American mission logged over 92 million miles (Earth to Sun = about 93 million) and delivered 2,326,406 tons of supplies by way of 278,228 flights. There was a total of 101 lives lost due to aircraft accidents. Of those killed, 39 were Brits from the RAF and 31 were Yanks from the USAF.*
The Film's heart comes from the fictional account of the two main characters of the young Sgt. Danny MacCullough (Montgomery Clift) and the grizzled old veteran, the cynical M/Sgt Hank Kowalski (Paul Douglas).
MacCullough's life is meandering along, like so many servicemen in the Post War Force of Occupation. He seems inclined to getting into trouble with the Civil Authorities in the complicated 4 Power Zones of the divided Capitol of Berlin; and he luckily evades what could have been serious trouble. He has met a German girl, whom he hopes to marry in take to the United States. She turns out to be a "lyin' little Nazi bitch" and plans to take Sgt. Mac for a ride by hooking up with her real German old man once she was safely in the New World.
Hank Kowalski has been through the mill and expresses a real contempt, if not a true hatred, of all that is German; be it the people, the language or the Culture. Part of this attitude comes to him honestly; as he had been a P.O.W. in Stalag (?? ) and had been brutalized by a sadistic Nazi Guard (Is there any other kind?), who hated both Poles and Americans. M/Sgt. Kowalski was both.
A chance meeting with the former Prisoner of War Guard in Berlin almost led to Kowalski's getting arrested; but he and the Kraut both luck out. Oddly enough, the accidental meeting and physical confrontation by the now free and in control Kowalski amounts to a sort of catharsis for the pent up aggression and resentments left in the Master Sergeant's war damaged psyche. It is the first step in his own personal rehabilitation.
Once again, thanks to the proximity of the film's being made to the true life 11 month crisis, the movie gives the World a photographic record of what Berlin and Germany looked like then. The German civilians in the film were still feeling the effects of both the Soviet Blockade as well as the joint Anglo-American super air operations. And being that it is after all an American Film, there are a whole lot of real American Armed Forces personnel making their Movie debuts here.
Oh, by the way: On behalf of the U.S., the U.K., Germany and the rest of the World let us say: THANK YOU Allied Soldiers, Airmen and Sailors! (Again!!)
NOTE: * While owing its origin to the U.S.Army, being known as the Army Air Corps; The United States Air Force became an independent Branch of the Armed Forces on September 18, 1947. That would make this Berlin Air Lift the 1st Major Mission that the independent Air Force had in its charge.