Movie Review: Ace of Aces (1933)
Synopsis: When the United States enters World War I, sculptor Rocky Thorne has no interest in enlisting but changes his mind when his fiancée, Nancy, volunteers as a Red Cross nurse and belittles him for his cowardice. Rocky becomes a fighter pilot and quickly becomes an ace, ultimately shooting down 42 planes. However, his success at killing people changes the once pacifistic Rocky, threatening his future with Nancy.
Who's in it? The movie stars Richard Dix, Elizabeth Allan, Ralph Bellamy, Theodore Newton and Frank Conroy.
Review: I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked Ace of Aces for my movie this morning. While the description made the movie seem interesting, I was afraid it would turn out to be yet another cut-and-paste war film and nothing overly memorable. As it turns out, it ended up being a fantastic choice.
Most movies from this genre tend to focus on the heroism and patriotism part of war and if there's anything related to the dark side of combat, it's kept to a minimum. This movie, in comparison, takes the opposite approach and emphasizes the trauma associated with war by focusing on Rocky (Dix) and how it changed him from a pacifist to a guy who loved to kill while at the same time, showing his love, Nancy (Allan), taking the opposite path of patriot to someone who hates war.
This kept the movie interesting because it wasn't as predictable as many other war films tend to be. Even when Rocky seems to get a bit of redemption by seeing first-hand the aftermath of his violence and an opportunity to escape the war and become an instructor, it was unclear if he would choose to do so. In fact, it was one of those movies that could just as easily see him getting killed before he ever found what was left of his former self.
The love story between Rocky and Nancy was also more interesting as a result of this. It was clear she loved him, even after he changed, but it was unclear if that love would be enough to save him. I also wondered, if he didn't survive, if she would ever be able to live with the guilt of convincing him to enlist.
As far as the war movie part of it goes, the action scenes were entertaining as well, with quite a few aerial combat scenes and some drama on the ground. The movie also made sure to introduce many of the minor characters in a way that gave them some personality, which made it easier to care when they were killed. Not enough movies do that.
Final Opinion: It's a unique film that is a war movie but has a very clear anti-war message. I enjoyed watching it and would recommend it.
My Grade: A
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