Cliches shoot down WWI dogfight film
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, September 21, 2006
These days, World War I is an infrequent movie subject, so “Flyboys” gets some credit for opening up a fascinating time. Its focus on the Lafayette Escadrille, a French flying corps made up of American pilots (in the days before the U.S. actually entered the war), makes the film even more intriguing.
On top of that, we have extensive use of computer special effects to create something other than dragons and disasters, in the re-creation of the hair-raising dogfights that marked the first use of airplanes in war.
All of which lifts “Flyboys” above its own accomplishments. Because without the novelty and the effects, this film would be a standard collection of war-movie cliches.
We follow a group of young Americans as they arrive in France for training. The main character is a Texas boy (James Franco, late of “The Great Raid”), who has the right blend of cocky and sensitive to be our hero.
Filling out the ranks are a black boxer (Abdul Salis) living in France to escape prejudice; a wealthy kid (Tyler Labine) trying to impress his dad; a stalwart (Philip Winchester) who imagines himself a knight of the air; and a mystery man (David Ellison) who can’t shoot straight.
More intriguing than these raw youths, and giving a better performance, is Martin Henderson as an experienced pilot. He’s seen all his friends die already, so he doesn’t need to grow attached to the new group.
This is the only character that gives off a whiff of the disenchantment found in WWI movies that were made in the couple of decades after the conflict, like “The Big Parade” or “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
Another classic in that vein was “Wings,” the silent film that won the first best picture Oscar. That movie was directed by William Wellman, who actually was a member of the Lafayette Escadrille (and whose film “Lafayette Escadrille” was a misfire in 1958). Wellman excitingly pioneered a style of shooting dogfights that “Flyboys” continues to draw from.
Of course, this new movie has computer effects, so you can be “inside” the battles in a new way (although knowing that this is computer stuff takes some of the wonder away). At times it looks more like a computer game than a movie, but there’s no denying the seamlessness of the magic.
If only director Tony Bill could decide on an approach. There are a couple of speeches about the grueling stalemate of World War I, but by the time we get to the climactic bombing raid, the act of blowing stuff up is filmed in such a technically impressive way we’re presumably meant to cheer. Add a silly love story, and you’re closer to “Top Gun,” a place where the nice blue uniforms never get dirty and only enough blood is shown to preserve the PG-13 rating.
James Franco (left) and David Ellison star in “Flyboys.”
