Hell's Angels (1930)

"Roy" (James Hall) and his brother "Monte" (Ben Lyon) are pretty much joined at the hip with the former frequently having to bail his rather wayward brother out of the stew now and again. He even has to fight a duel for him! Anyway, they both join the Royal Flying Corps just ahead of the Great War and both volunteer for an highly dangerous mission over occupied territory. Meantime, "Roy" is dating the rather fickle but candid "Helen" (Jean Harlow) who is also not averse to a bit of a dalliance with "Monte". The rather rakish brother gradually realises that his brother deserves better, and so - quite possibly when she seeks comfort elsewhere, might he! Their mission looms and pretty soon the boys are being pursued by the ruthless squadron known as "Von Richthofen's Flying Circus" in a race to get back home. As the scale of this conflict grows, it becomes more personal. They find themselves on the opposing side to their student friend "Karl" (John Darrow) who has his own covert task in a zeppelin. Though the acting here isn't the best, what does hit home is the way these characters become faced with a sudden need to grow up, to mature, and to be prepared to make sacrifices. That story itself is not so very original. What does make this really stand out is the standard of aerial photography and the whole aesthetic of this film. The dogfights are astonishing to watch unfold. The camerawork really does immerse the audience in the skills of these young and largely inexperienced pilots flying - quite literally - heavily armoured but flimsy wooden crates with engines. If they were damaged then they had virtually no hope of survival. The film does imbue a sense of the precariousness of the existence of the young men and when it steers clear of the melodrama is, at times, really quite exciting to watch.