On the morning of December 6, 1941 a squadron of B-17 bombers takes off from California, Destination: Hickham Field, Hawaii. The crew of the Mary Ann, one of these B-17 bombers, is the focus of Howard Hawk's Air Force, a film that was very much viewed as a contribution to the war effort during its release in 1943. The film chronicles these men during the early days on the Pacific war front, from witnessing the attack on Pearl Harbor that leaves their plane unarmed and running on fumes, to the counter offensive against the Japense empire. Lives are lost, and what Howard Hawks has created is a strong film about the bravery and sacrifice of soldiers. What may have been considered as anti-japanese propaganda at the time reveals itself as a Howard Hawks film about an isolated group of men, capturing gender dynamics of soldiers who are from all over the country. Hawks focuses on the close-knit brotherhood that develops in difficult times, using the constricted spaces of the bomber which are reminscient to many submarine movies. Hawks captures how WWII affected generations of Americans, crew members having fathers or sons who themselvers are serving in this monumental war. The action in Air Force jumps out for a film from 1943. It's impressively designed and choreographed, using compositions which effectively capture the dire circumstances of combat. One of the best action films of its time, Howard Hawks' Air Force is a without question a tribue to the brave men who served in WWII, but it is far more than simple propaganda film released for the war effort.
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June 2023
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