Awesome Movie

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Set in England before the American entrance into World War II but made some seven years after the war ended, this personal drama of the life of squadron pilots is often touching, but mostly quite familiar. Many American films (as well as a few other classic British films) have touched on the same subject, and where this one succeeds is in its quiet moments as the interconnecting human relationships come full circle as personal conflict disappears for the benefit of a mission, in this case, keeping the English coastline safe from the invasion of those nasty Jerry's who cowardly invade in the middle of the night and create much chaos in their wake. With the squadron under the command of the stern but likable Jack Hawkins, the arrival of a new but inexperienced pilot (John Gregson) creates some tension. Much of the film deals with the day to day life of these young anxious pilots, but mostly focuses on Gregson, making a serious mistake during a spontaneous mission where the lives of the other pilots are put in danger because of his failure to stick to detail.The most important moment of this film occurs as one of the characters makes it clear through subtle hints that they will not be returning from their mission. The looks on the faces of the pilots and their leaders shows their horror over this revelation and creates an indelible human moment that can't be ignored. Even when Gregson is called on the carpet for his serious mistake, there's the feeling that the commander is both disappointed and quietly proud of him, unwilling to punish him, but not able to completely dismiss it either. The way Gregson deals with this is also very haunting, as are some of the more quiet moments when a last party is given before the rumored raid of the German air force occurs. I feel that this is a film that has so many key moments that it is a film that has to be viewed numerous times to fully appreciate, and that its moral lesson of every action these pilots commit be fully detailed and not just by the book (as Gregson is accused of knowing too much about without the actual experience of knowing what to do), and that every action has a consequence that can make a mission fail and thus cost many lives. In the fight for freedom, details like this are ones that are very important to stick to, and even the top officers must maintain some composure even in the worst of situations.

ANGELS ONE FIVE is a somewhat ordinary British WW2 drama about RAF fighters battling the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. Most of the action is centred around a control room on the ground which is actually a positive because this film's dated, cheesy special effects are the worst thing about it. Other than that it feels like a propaganda picture made about ten years too late.Jack Hawkins plays the stern captain in charge of his raw recruits; John Gregson stands out playing the greenest of the lot. The usual character conflict and typical drama ensue, but the film does quite a good job of representing the look and feel of the war in the skies. The usual familiar faces play in support, including Sam Kydd, Victor Maddern, Harry Fowler, and Ronald Adam.

In a perfect world of course and as it applies to film there would be a definitive film in one genre and no one would bother trying to equal it and leave well enough alone. Alas, we don't live in a perfect world though we DO have a definitive Air Force British movie covering the second world war in the shape of Rattigan's The Way To The Stars which focused more on life on the ground than in the air. Angels One Five stupidly attempts to do the same thing and falls light years short making it more a way to the stairs - even the naughty stair - than to the stars. On the other hand there may well be those who remain ignorant of Rattigan's masterpiece and they will find this highly acceptable despite John Gregson's spot-on impression of a silver birch. Shot in the early fifties there was still enough of England left to capture on film and it must be films like this that inspired the New Left to obliterate it, sadly, where Hitler failed, Tony Blair virtually succeeded.

I don't know why I can't stop watching this film. It certainly has its moments of high "corn," although the British have never been as dedicated to the requisite happy ending as American filmmakers, which is again the case with this one. I think it's the peek into life at an English aerodrome during World War Two that keeps me coming back again and again to view this picture. In my opinion ANGELS ONE FIVE is a kind of mini war classic.