MEMPHIS BELLE (1990) - Movie Review

Director: Michael Caton-Jones
Starring: Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, D.B Sweeney, Billy Zane, Sean Astin, Harry Connick Jr., Reed Diamond, Neil Giuntoli, David Strathairn, John Lithgow
Genre: Action, Drama, War
Writer: Monte Merrick
Runtime: 107 min
Rated: PG-13
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

At a U.S. Army Air Force base in England, the crew members of B-17 bomber Memphis Belle prepare for their 25th and final sortie into enemy German territory. Bomber Capt. Dennis Dearborn (Matthew Modine) knows the mission is a dangerous one, but he's under pressure from Army public relations man Lt. Col. Bruce Derringer (John Lithgow) to earn a decisive victory for the Allies. Now, the Memphis Belle prepares to take flight as apprehension and dissention grow among Dearborn's crew.

Review:

The true story of the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber "Memphis Belle" and its young crew was previously chronicled in the 1944 documentary "The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress" directed by legendary filmmaker William Wyler. Hollywood took another stab at the iconic story in 1990 with the WWII drama "Memphis Belle", directed by Michael Caton-Jones ("Rob Roy", "This Boy's Life") and produced by Academy Award-winner David Puttnam ("Chariots of Fire", "The Killing Fields") and Wyler's daughter Catherine.

The film's focus is on the 25th and final mission of the "Memphis Belle", but before the action starts, we get plenty of time to get to know its crew, which is great, because when the flak starts hitting, you already know all the men involved, and care just enough that you would rather see them finish the movie in one piece. For the airmen we get one hell of an acting ensemble that includes Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, D.B. Sweeney, Billy Zane, Sean Astin and singer/songwriter/musician Harry Connick, Jr. in his first ever movie role. On the ground we have effective performances from David Strathairn and John Lithgow.

Yes, it's mostly fiction, and it's pretty crammed with cliches, but Caton-Jones does such an amazing job building up the story and characters, that you won't be bothered by any of that. The suspense before the missions starts is palpable, and when the B-17 is in the air, the filmmaker keeps us locked inside the closed confines of the flying fortress, which adds to the nerve-racking atmosphere of WWII aerial combat. It is a great looking film, with excellent production values, high levels of authenticity, beautiful cinematography and the use of real planes for aerial photography, including five fully-functional Flying Fortresses. George Fenton contributed a wonderful BAFTA-nominated score that perfectly underscores the on-screen moments of tension, heroic action and heartfelt drama. The visual efects are also decent, but haven't aged all that well.

"Memphis Belle" tells an unabashedly heroic story that honors the courage and sacrifice of the brave young men who fought in the skies during World War II. It's also thoroughly entertaining and much more exciting and dramatic than the disappointing Apple miniseries "Masters of the Air".

SCORE: 8/10