Charles Lindbergh's historic, epic solo trans-Atlantic flight in 1927, the first ever solo crossing of the Atlantic in an airplane. We see how Lindbergh set about organising financiers for his flight, purchasing, designing and building the plane, test flights, (through news on other fliers) the potential fates awaiting him and the flight itself, especially the hardships he had to endure and how he overcame them. We also see, though flashbacks, his earlier life - how he learnt to fly and his first few jobs in aviation.
Despite being directed by master-director Billy Wilder and starring the great James Stewart, I did not have high hopes for this movie. It seemed like a fairly dry subject and could easily have degenerated into a paint-by-numbers historical drama. However, Wilder makes it interesting, through the flashbacks and, especially, hearing Lindbergh's thoughts. The thoughts show the genius of the man - how he approached problems, his endurance and his resourcefulness.
Wilder does a good job at showing the hardships Lindbergh had to go through and how easily he could have failed. Shows well just what an heroic feat it was.
Good work from Jimmy Stewart as Lindbergh. At the time he was about 23 years older than his character but it doesn't really show.
Interesting, entertaining dramatisation of a very historic event.
Despite being directed by master-director Billy Wilder and starring the great James Stewart, I did not have high hopes for this movie. It seemed like a fairly dry subject and could easily have degenerated into a paint-by-numbers historical drama. However, Wilder makes it interesting, through the flashbacks and, especially, hearing Lindbergh's thoughts. The thoughts show the genius of the man - how he approached problems, his endurance and his resourcefulness.
Wilder does a good job at showing the hardships Lindbergh had to go through and how easily he could have failed. Shows well just what an heroic feat it was.
Good work from Jimmy Stewart as Lindbergh. At the time he was about 23 years older than his character but it doesn't really show.
Interesting, entertaining dramatisation of a very historic event.