The Blue Max (1966)
(John Guillermin, UK 1966, 156 min., 35mm)
WWI. The most spectacular outing by the underrated master of old-school spectacles, John Guillermin, The Blue Max is both a lavish and realistic account of aerial warfare of the Great War. Breathtaking sights of dozens of real biplanes and triplanes tearing through the skies are all the more astonishing today, in an era of computer-generated special effects. But Guillermin is not only interested in faithful recreation of aerial combat. In between all the dogfighting, The Blue Max boldly descends on a personal level, where it laments World War I for the fatal blow it has dealt to the ideals of humanism and chivalry. The international cast of stars (including James Mason and Ursula Andress) is assisted by glorious CinemaScope photography and a lush orchestral score by Jerry Goldsmith.
Also showing: Sunday, October 15, 2 p.m. and Monday, October 16, 1:30 p.m.