The Spirit of St. Louis
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Movie Reviews of The Spirit of St. Louis
Movie Review: EXTRAORDINARY!
Summary: 5 Stars
If I must describe The Spirit of St Louis with one word, that is extraordinary! A pilot and real-life hero is brilliantly portrayed by great actor, who was also a pilot and real-life hero in his own right!
Movies are not just entertainment, movies are MAGIC! Sometimes I wish, I could go back to the good, old days when life was simpler and there wasn't so much useless information floating around: no countless "reviews", no "making of the feature", no trivia, no quotes. You enter the theatre, you are instantly transported to another world and there is nothing to spoil the experience for you. I am writing this to warn you- don't read any reviews before you see The Spirit of St Louis. I made this mistake and I regret it. Did I really needed to know how old was James Stewart when the movie was shot? I wish everyone in their late 40s looks as terrific as Jimmy did and could easily pass for 20 plus! I don't understand why some people make such a big deal of something insignificant that does not affect the film at all.
In 1927, Charles Lindbergh flew alone in a single engine airplane from Roosevelt Field in New York , across the entire North Atlantic Ocean to Le Bourget Field in Paris -33 hours and 30 minutes non-stop flight! The Spirit of St Louis is the story of this flight and the man who made it happen. James Stewart's performance as Lindbergh is exceptional! It will keep you engaged and deeply emotionally involved form the start to the end. You will feel Lindbergh's exhaustion during the long and lonely flight and you will admire his determination and stamina. The cinematography is beautiful and the aerial photography is breathtaking. I wish for a better music score, one that would complement Lindbergh's sacred love for the sky, but that's a minor complaint. Jimmy's performance is so powerful, that you soon forget anything else and keep fingers crossed for Lindy to lend his little airplane in one peace. He does it in a dramatic and triumphant end that lives you totally fascinated and inspired!
The Spirit of St. Louis is a special film. It is about glorious victory of human mind, body and spirit that changed our lives forever and at the same time it's a triumph for James Stewart. It is not a secret that his request to portray Lindbergh was turned down many times before he finally got the green light. We can only be grateful for his perseverance, for it paid off beautifully. I have no idea why this film was not acclaimed 50 years ago but time works in its favour and people recognise its significance. It ranks #69 on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time and it is one of Jimmy Stewart's greatest accomplishments!
The DVD transfer is nice Anamorphic and there are few extras included in the DVD: theatrical trailer, "The Spirit of St Louis" Premiere, a short comedy "So, Your Life Wants to Work" and a cartoon. I really enjoyed the trailer and the documentary, but I felt let down by the studio for including the two, non-related to the film short stories instead of an interview with James Stewart perhaps. There is not much credible information out there about his extraordinary work and his exemplary life and I feel that something has to be done. After all, James Maitland Stewart is one of the greatest actors of all time and one of the most honourable people who ever lived on Earth!
Movie Review: One of the most exhilirating adventure stories ever filmed
Summary: 5 Stars
Every year there's one can't-miss much-anticipated red-hot big-budget title with the right combination of star, director and subject matter that fails miserably at the box-office. This year it was Superman Returns. In 1982 it was Blade Runner. In 1957 it was Billy Wilder's The Spirit of St Louis, a film that had everything - top director, huge star, best-selling true story about an American hero - except enough of an audience to cover its costs. Maybe the public still remembered Lucky Lindy's anti-Semitism and his loud admiration for Nazi Germany's achievements before the war (neither covered in the film, which ends with his arrival in Paris before the legend got too tarnished). Maybe because they thought they knew the story or that it was just going to be one guy stuck in a cockpit for two hours. Certainly Wilder and co-writer Wendell Mayes are aware of the dramatic pitfalls of Lindbergh's relatively uneventful flight, alternating between a well-executed flashback structure to key points in his life and the build-up to the flight itself. Once the film is airborne, it's both surprising and suspenseful, finding genuine drama in his attempts to stay awake and to navigate without proper instruments.
It also builds up a quite remarkable sense of dread that's unlike anything else in Wilder's filmography, allied to a real sense of the epic: shots like the ominous storm clouds over the hanger the dark dawn before the flight carry a real chill of foreboding to them. Even the typically muted and problematic WarnerColor adds to the film rather than detracts from it. Along with the superb use of CinemaScope, there's a remarkable score from Franz Waxman: majestic, soaring but filled with understated menace, and cleverly used as part of the fabric of the film rather than mere musical accompaniment. The film does lose points for implying, though never actually saying outright, that this was a race to be the first to fly the Atlantic - in fact, Lindbergh was the third man to fly across the Atlantic after almost completely forgotten Brits Alcock and Brown's astonishing flight eight years earlier - but it's still a remarkably tense and engrossing adventure story that deserved the success it never found.
Warner's new restoration is light on film-related extras - only footage of the star-studded premiere and the original trailer, alongside a likeable Joe McDoakes short and a Speedy Gonzalez cartoon (Tex Avery's Little Johnny Jet, included on another James Stewart title, would have been a more appropriate choice of toon) - but the 2.55:1 widescreen transfer is quite excellent.
Movie Review: Jimmy Stewart's Amazing "The Spirit of St. Louis"
Summary: 5 Stars
Jimmy Stewart stars as the "Lone Eagle" Charles Lindbergh in Billy Wilder's film "The Spirit of St. Louis". This was a film Stewart wanted to make for years; but was repeatedly turned down. James Dean was even considered for the role. Despite the fact that Stewart was already in this 40's (Lindbergh was 25 at the time), Stewart's persistence paid off and Warner Bros. Studios finally relented and let him star as one of American's greatest aviators. The life of Charles A. Lindbergh is told in a series of memorable flashbacks as he makes his trans-atlantic flight. His life experiences and the people he met along the way are vividly recounted.
On May 20, 1927, at approximately 7:52 in the morning, Charles Lindbergh took off in the "Spirit of St Louis" from Roosevelt Field, Long Island. A crowd of more than 500 must have thought they had witnessed a miracle as the "Spirit of St. Louis" barely managed to clear the telephone wires at the field's edge in terrible weather conditions. Thirty-three and one half-hours and 3,500 miles later Lindbergh landed in Paris, the first to fly the Atlantic alone. Many great aviators of the time had tried and failed -- some even lost their lives in this attempt. Along the way, Lindbergh is forced to conquer his fears, snow, sleet and a lack of sleep to rediscover his faith. On the evening of May 21, at 10:22, "The Spirit of St. Louis" touched down at Le Bourget Field. A crowd of more than 100,000 people were there to greet American's Lone Eagle. His feat electrified a nation and inspired an interest in aviation. Unfortunately, this film flopped at the box office; but as the years have passed, this film has gained in respect and is now recognized as one of Stewart's greatest film accomplishments. Enjoy!
Movie Review: Inspiring then and now....
Summary: 5 Stars
When I saw this in its first run, I didn't know it was a box office flop. It was anything but that with me. It was the most inspiring film of my youth ! I can't think of any other film that caused me to DO something about my young life. I procured copies of the original engineering drawings of the plane and made a detailed working scale model. Subsequently I chose engineering as a profession.
After seeing the film I read both "We" and the "Spirit of St. Louis." The movie is surprisingly close to the latter.
I am glad we have a Cinemascope Dolby 5.1 version of this personal classic. I don't know WHY this film flopped in 1957, but I think Stewart's age had less to do with it than others are saying. Had it been made 10 years earlier, it would not have been Cinemascope, the sound would have suffered, and Billy Wilder might not have directed. I wouldn't want to give those things up to have Stewart be the "right" age.
It's a great film played by an actor passionate about the part and it tells a great story. ....another case where the ticket-buying-public didn't get it right.
Movie Review: EXCELLENT!!!!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
My children absolutely LOVE this movie. What an inspiring story! The action is never-ending, even in the portrayal of the long flight over the Atlantic Ocean. You get a real honest-to-goodness glimpse of what it must have been like to fly solo over such a vast expanse of water without anybody else to talk to or keep you awake....what a challenge! The flashbacks that show his recollections of his past are awe-inspiring at times, hilarious in others. An excellent movie for children, too, to demonstrate the qualities of courage, follow-through, etc....in all, a superb example of true manliness. Parents, buy this movie for your children.
Once again, Jimmy Stewart comes through with a stellar performance worthy of the history books!