Richthofen goes off to war like thousands of other men. As fighter pilots, they become cult heroes for the soldiers on the battlefields. Marked by sportsmanlike conduct, technical exactitude and knightly propriety, they have their own code of honour. Before long he begins to understand that his hero status is deceptive. His love for Kate, a nurse, opens his eyes to the brutality of war.
The propaganda films produced by both sides in the '30s and '40s might've been objectionable for many reasons but at least they had the good sense to show real planes in action.
– Jason Anderson,
Toronto Star,
12 Mar 2010
rotten:
His plane may be red, but the dialogue is purple.
– Rick Groen,
Globe and Mail,
12 Mar 2010
rotten:
Unfortunately Muellerschoen's movie emphasizes empty grandeur over human drama.
– Tim Grierson,
L.A. Weekly,
18 Mar 2010
rotten:
Drama about World War I flying aces never gets off the ground.
– Kirk Honeycutt,
Hollywood Reporter,
18 Mar 2010
fresh:
If the film is intelligent and thoughtful, it is unfortunately lacking in energy and passion; it is more a somber, highly familiar reflection on warfare and its toll than an action movie.