Steven Spielberg created a lasting impression in the late nineties and raised war films to a new level with Saving Private Ryan, which is still considered a standard in the genre. Buoyed by financial and professional success, Tom Hanks, who plays the PTSD-stricken Capt. Miller, teamed up with the director and producer Gary Goetzman to present the daily life of Easy Squadron of the Screaming Eagles in the hell of the Second World War in a larger-scale venture, and The elite squad made a worthy memory of the to Richard Winters, who reached the rank of major, and to the team he led, and this was followed by another television series, this time following the fate of 3 marines in the Pacific theater.
The Pacific – After the heroic formation, the creators took to the sky, Lords of the Air tells the story of the “Bloody Squadron”, who suffered huge losses during the bombing of German infrastructure. Spielberg, Hanks and Goetzman worked together again on the 9-part series, and the actors were chosen from among the popular and talented actors of today. The idea for the third series came up in the early 2010s, until finally the production was transferred from HBO, which presented the previous two series, to Apple, where, on the other hand, Covid intervened and caused some slippage in the production and the presentation date.
That’s what it’s about
The basis of the series is the book published in 2006 by the biographer and historian Donald L. Miller, for which he conducted interviews, as well as reminiscences and used a lot of archival material. His novel is about the crew of the B-17 bombers of the 100th Bombardment Group, who took off from England in 1943 and attacked – mainly – Germany, and many of them died or reached the end of the world war in prison camps. These young men couldn’t wait to be deployed, where they were faced with the cruel reality that German interceptors and anti-aircraft guns did their job with deadly accuracy during this phase of the war. The B-17 Flying Fortress, known to many from the movie Memphis Belle, carried considerable armament, but even this was often not enough to survive. As before, the plot tells the viewers about the events and what the crew of the bombers went through during the deployments and between two deployments through the stories of some of the main characters. The series also features the famous Tuskeege unit, the “Red Tails”, in which African-American sailors served.
That’s why it’s good
We can witness amazing aerial battles, as the bomber crew tries to fulfill the order and then return home safely in the midst of enemy fire. Some make it, some don’t. Pathos and heroism just ooze out of it, almost every frame is subordinated to it, the narration, editing, photography, effects and musical background – digitally created – were born in the heat of battle. Huge losses in people and technology, slowly trickling supply, completely different strategies, unfulfillable expectations, competition, personal failures and conflicts, teasing, shared adventures and goals.
That’s why it’s not good
What Lords of the Air gained in the technical and technological field by filming in the 2020s, it lost on the other side. Unfortunately, there are hardly any survivors today, even though the elite unit, e.g. an incredible plus (and experience) was the presentation and recollection of real people, the fact that they narrated the events in their own words and introduced the individual parts. The characters played by the actors appeared in the form of old people with shining eyes, who were rushed by memories and this authenticity cannot be replaced by anything. Despite all the drama, the series is much smoother, much more sterile than its predecessors. The reason for this can be found in the fact that different aspects prevail at Apple and they imagine a war series differently than at their competitors, and in the meantime, a narrow decade and a half has passed, the world and consumer habits have changed, but the creators haven’t gotten any younger either. You also have to get used to the fact that everyone wears a mask and is locked in a metal box.
Is it worth your money?
The first two episodes are an encouraging start to the full season of Lords of the Air, and those who loved Saving Private Ryan and the previous series will not be disappointed. It has a slightly different dynamic and atmosphere, but is definitely not to be missed by anyone interested in the events of World War II and/or military aviation. After all, who wouldn’t want to sit in front of a series where they can root for a crew of bombers led by Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan and Callum Turner?
The first two episodes of Masters of the Air (not recommended for under 16s!) will be available on Apple TV+ from January 26, 2024, followed by new episodes every Friday.