The Blue Max

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The Blue Max is a 1966 British World War I film directed by John Guillermin and starring George Peppard, James Mason, Ursula Andress, Karl Michael Vogler, Derren Nesbitt, Harry Towb and Jeremy Kemp.

The screenplay was written by David Pursall, Jack Seddon, and Gerald Hanley, and the film was based on the novel of the same name by Jack D. Hunter. The Blue Max was filmed in Ireland.

Plot

Leutnant (Lieutenant) Bruno Stachel (Peppard) is an ambitious pilot who, in the spring of 1918 when World War I was in its final months, transfers to the German Air Service from an Imperial German Army infantry regiment, in which he had held the rank of corporal. He is trying to win the coveted Prussian military decoration, the Pour le Mérite, instituted in 1640 by Frederick the Great and better known as the Blue Max, for which he must shoot down twenty enemy aircraft. He will stop at nothing in his quest and to prove himself as good as the German pilot aristocrats in whose squadron he serves. First, he must overcome the disdain of his fellow pilots, but ultimately he fails by putting them at risk for his own purposes.

His commanding officer, Hauptmann (Captain) Otto Heidemann (Karl Michael Vogler) is a rather snobbish and condescending officer who considers Stachel to be a working-class upstart whose mannerisms and behaviour are incompatible with his idea that all airmen should share his own sense of chivalry. Heidemann's dislike of Stachel is intensified in an incident when Stachel shoots down an enemy aircraft, which was allegedly surrendering, in full view of his comrades at his home base, killing both the pilot and the observer. When Stachel states that "the observer was going to open fire", Heidemann, implying that the lieutenant had simply murdered the crew in order to gain a "confirmed" kill retorted, "So, we are to assume (that) he was either very brave ... or very foolish!" During the funeral for the British airmen, Stachel expresses disgust at the hypocrisy shown by his fellow pilots and tells Leutnant Willi von Klugermann (Jeremy Kemp) that "if they kill me, I don't want anyone to salute". Willi replies, "They probably won't!"

(It should be noted that the film makes it clear that although the pilot had surrendered and was flying the plane to the German air field as directed, the observer was in fact preparing to open fire when Stachel opened fire on the plane)

On the eve of a new spring offensive, Willi is decorated with the "Blue Max" by his uncle, General von Klugermann (James Mason), to whom Stachel is introduced by the general's aide, Colonel Holbach (Anton Diffring), at the officers' mess following the ceremony. In contrast to Heidemann's ideas, the general sees the propaganda value of this junior officer for the common people; he is "one of them" and "as common as dirt." The general accepts Stachel's apparent ruthlessness, over Heidemann's objections, acknowledging a new kind of warfare with "unrestricted submarine warfare, bombing of civilians, (and) poison gas." The general says, matter-of-factly, "We fight to win, Otto". Heidemann is perceived as a brave commander, who is out of touch with the increasingly fierce realities of the war.

Stachel later encounters a German pilot flying a red-painted triplane from another squadron under attack by two British warplanes. He helps the German pilot to escape, but is shot down himself. He returns to the airfield in the company of Willi, and seeing the triplane blurts out: "That's the damn fool that almost got me killed today!" He is stunned when introduced to the pilot, none other than Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, who offers Stachel a chance to join his squadron. Momentarily in two minds, he tells the air ace that he is flattered at his offer, "but I prefer to prove myself here." Disappointed but understanding,von Richhofen says to Heidemann, "I admire loyalty. You are lucky to have this one Otto." Unlike Heidemann, the aristocratic Von Richthofen regards Stachel as an excellent officer and pilot and does not view him disdainfully because of his humble background.

With Stachel temporarily out of action owing to his slight arm injury, von Klugermann uses this opportunity to order him to Berlin for propaganda purposes. He is "cared for" by Elfi Heidemann, his commanding officer's wife, who is a nurse. Neither Stachel nor Elfi is particularly pleased at the farcical pretense, and he blurts out to Holbach who ushers photographers into the room, "What are you going to put on the picture? 'Squadron commander's wife nurses wounded hero'?" The colonel simply replies, "Yes." He subsequently gets to see a model of a new mono-winged prototype in a wind tunnel and declares that front-line squadrons should be equipped with it in spite of the designers' warnings to von Klugermann and a Field Marshal that the machine was unstable owing to its inability to handle high wing loading under stress.

Having returned to his squadron, Stachel and Willi volunteer to fly two brand-new triplanes to escort another plane on a reconnaissance mission. British fighters attack and the two German pilots engage the enemy, after ordering the recon plane to leave. Stachel's guns jam, leaving him vulnerable. Willi destroys two aircraft and the others disengage.

Having become separated from the reconnaissance plane, the two fighter pilots fly back to their home base. Seeing a bridge span, Willi challenges Stachel to a duel in flying skill. Willi dives under the large span easily, but Stachel betters him by flying under the smaller span. Miffed and determined not to be beaten, Willi clears the smaller span, but while looking back to gloat at Stachel, he clips the top of a chimney stack and crashes into the trees.

Shocked by the death of Willi, he returns to base and drops Willi's personal belongings, including the Blue Max, onto his reading table. Heidemann walks in and asks where Willi is, and Stachel informs him that Willi is dead. When Heidemann asks what happened, Stachel replies, "He was flying too low and hit the trees." The adjutant (Harry Towb) then comes in and confirms to Heidemann that two British planes had been shot down. Though ultimately correct in assuming that Willi had shot down the planes, he insults Stachel with his assumption, and further offends Stachel by stating "He was a better man than you". Stachel replied that Willi was dead and further says, "What makes you think HE shot them down?" Heidemann, surprised at Stachel's claims asks, "Are you saying they are yours?" Stachel is bitterly defensive and when confronted with the direct question as to whether those two planes are his or Willi's he yells, "All right, they're mine! They belong to me!" Calmly, the adjutant reveals that Stachel's guns had jammed and that he had "only fired 40 rounds". Stachel, slightly fazed, still claims the two British planes. Heidemann refuses to recognize them as confirmed victories and states that he will report the "astonishing marksmanship" to higher headquarters. However, Heidemann is later informed at Willi's funeral that Stachel's claim is to be confirmed. The general's aide says, "The general feels you are inclined to be ... prejudiced ... against this officer", which was correct.

However, Stachel later confesses to the general's wife, the Countess Kaeti von Klugermann (Ursula Andress), that he had lied about the planes. On a subsequent mission to oversee the retreat of German army units, Stachel deliberately disobeys Heidemann's order not to engage enemy planes and almost all squadron members join him. After landing, an enraged Heidemann threatens to have Stachel court-martialled for disobeying orders and launching an unauthorized attack on enemy aircraft in which nearly half the squadron died in action. Stachel announces proudly that he had shot down enough aircraft to make him eligible for the "Blue Max" and accuses his commander of having lost his nerve and suggests to Heidemann that he transfer to a staff job.

Stachel is placed under arrest. He and Heidemann make the long journey together by car all the way to Berlin. To Heidemann's disgust, the general announces that Stachel would receive his Blue Max the following day. Heidemann asks to be relieved of his command when the general insists he withdraw his report, despite "good military reasons" for court-martialling Stachel. The general replies that "good military reasons are sometimes not enough", only for the seething, arrogant and insubordinate Heidemann to respond, "They are for me!" Despite Heidemann's protests, he realizes he is beaten and requests an appointment to the General Staff in Berlin, which Von Klugermann is happy to arrange.

Later that evening, the Countess visits Stachel and suggests that they run off to Switzerland together since Germany's defeat seemed imminent. Stachel refuses and the spurned Countess is enraged. Knocking a glass of champagne out of the lieutenant's hand, she storms out. The next day, he is finally awarded his coveted "Blue Max" by the Crown Prince (the Kaiser's son) at a well-publicized ceremony. Still stinging from rejection, the Countess had informed the Field Marshal of Stachel's confession of stealing Willi's victories. The Field Marshal calls von Klugermann to stop the ceremony which was already in its final stage, to inform him that there would be a court of inquiry. The general asks the Field Marshal how he became aware that Stachel had lied about the two aircraft. While listening on the phone, he turns his gaze to his wife Kaeti in surprise. He confronts his wife, who confesses.

Desperate to preserve the integrity of the officer corps, he takes advantage of Heidemann's report that the new monoplane, which he has just test-flown, is unstable owing to design problems. After Heidemann exits, the general orders Stachel to test-fly the aircraft showing "some real flying," knowing what the inevitable outcome will be. The countess jumps to her feet in protest, but before she utters a word, her husband orders her to "Sit down!" Heidemann is also shocked to see the plane leaving the tarmac, but it's too late to stop the plane. He says nothing as he observes the general calmly watching from the office window. After several minutes, the plane breaks up and plunges to the ground. Seconds before the plane explodes in a fireball on impact, the general rubber-stamps Stachel's personal file and signs, indicating the officer has died. Calling his aide, the general says, "Give this to the Field Marshal. It is the personal file of a German officer, and a hero." Illustrating the cold and casual nature of his decision, the general barks, "Stand up Kaeti!", then calmly says, "We'll be late for lunch."

Outside, Heidemann and von Klugermann salute one another, as the former indicates his tacit acceptance of the general's action. The general and the countess are then driven away in a staff car while a pall of smoke from the burning wreck of Stachel's aircraft rises in the background.

Theme

The major theme of the movie is class conflict.

Stachel comes from a humble background, serving two years in the infantry and attaining the rank of corporal. The opening scene depicts Stachel as a steel-helmeted landser (footsoldier) in 1916, running through no-man's land, evading enemy machinegun fire. As his fellow soldiers fall, Stachel leaps into a muddy trench for cover, barely escaping death. It is here that he gazes skyward and sees two planes engaged in aerial combat. His eyes are wide and his mouth agape at the wonderment of singular aerial combat in stark contrast to the ignominious death of an infantryman.

As a newly commissioned officer, Stachel is driven to his airfield while weary infantry soldiers lie beside the road. He tosses a nearly full bottle of Schnapps to a soldier (alcohol is expensive and hard to find). His driver remarks, "That was a full bottle, Herr Leutnant," to which Stachel replies with a wry smile, "Yes, I know." This scene demonstrates Stachel's generosity and empathy with the common man, a characteristic that the driver finds unusual and remarkable in an officer.

The German officer corps had historically been composed of wealthy aristocrats. As the war lingers and the need for aviators increases, they begin to draw from the enlisted ranks composed mostly of the lower classes; this is how Stachel attains his commission.

When he arrives at his unit, Hauptmann Heidemann asks him, "What made you transfer to the Air Corps?" Stachel answers genuinely, "To fly, Herr Hauptmann," which is regarded, judging by the facial expression of Heidemann, as phony. Heidemann, baiting Stachel to reveal false humility, asks, "Are you a good flyer?" Stachel responds humbly, "I'm...comfortable in the air, Herr Hauptmann," naively avoiding the trap he did not know had been set for him. Heidemann reacts, "Comfortable, are you? Interesting."

The film immediately breaches the issue of social standing. Noting in his file that Stachel is from Wiesbaden, Heidemann says, "I've done some hunting around there. Who are your people?" presumably indicating familiarity with other aristocrats in the area. Stachel does not initially understand. Heidemann clarifies, "I want to know something of your background. What does your father do?" The other officers and enlisted are quiet and lean forward, awaiting his answer. Stachel (noticeably uncomfortable) replies that his father works for a small hotel (then, turning his head to look directly at the others)...with five bedrooms. Heidemann takes Stachel into his private office and says, "I'm sorry if it bothers you, what your father does." Stachel says, "It doesn't bother ME, Herr Hauptmann." Heidemann retorts, "Then why are you so touchy about it," as Stachel snaps to attention. Heidemann follows up: "Well, you're an officer now....your social problems are of no concern to us." Later, in Stachel's absence, the other pilots joke about his low status. Willi says, "Of course he could have been lying about the five bedrooms." Another pilot remarks: "Willi, there's something I haven't told you. I have an uncle in the hotel business. I admit he's a Baron, and the hotel has 500 bedrooms, but you do see the position this places me in. (All the pilots laugh)

While many who view the film see only Stachel's obsessive attempt to earn glory at any cost by attaining the Blue Max, this is a common misunderstanding. Stachel is trying to gain respect from the aristocrats by proving himself to be just as good a pilot and a man. If the setting were, instead, the Tuskegee Airmen interacting with white pilots during WWII, there would probably be no such misunderstanding. The theme, though, is the same: class distinction and prejudice.

Willi von Klugermann, an arrogant, aggressive aristocrat, immediately engages Stachel. As Stachel reports to the unit, Willi flies low over his head, driving Stachel down into the mud - a metaphor for their continuing relationship. Later, he brushes the mud off Stachel's coat in a faux apology, "Sorry about that." Willi recognizes Stachel's intention to prove himself an equal man after two incidents: an obsessive attempt to locate an unconfirmed kill, and the subsequent shooting down of a British aircraft directly over the airfield. Willi (smugly) agrees to fly with Stachel, when no other pilot volunteers. This is not an act of "friendship" as some have described it, but rather a meeting of Stachel's challenge (although the novel, in contrast to the movie, does show a burgeoning friendship between the two). Their rivalry extends not only to flying, but to the affections of Willi's aunt Kaeti, with whom Willi is having an affair.

This affair with Willi is revealed when Kaeti enters Stachel's room by mistake. Kaeti becomes better acquainted with Stachel over a glass of schnapps, which is a metaphor for her feelings toward him: "Mmmmm, horrible, but quite stimulating," she says as she extends her arm for more. Kaeti is exhilirated by 'slumming' in the brutish love affair she eventually has with Stachel. He regards her private bad behavior as an amusing hypocrisy of the upper crust. Both initially regard each other as a plaything. Kaetie's affections for him become more genuine over time, as she realizes the folly of her own lifestyle and the deterioration of Germany. Stachel recognizes the frivolity of a permanent relationship and states his commitment to retain the honor he has earned rather than run off with her to Switzerland. His refusal of her plan creates a personal conflict mirroring the initial social conflict of their classes, sealing his fate.

In the background plot of the film, Germany is undergoing severe internal stress which threatens to undermine the social structure of the ruling aristocrats. For this reason, General von Klugermann uses Stachel for propaganda as the people's hero, someone he describes as "common as dirt." The General first takes notice of Stachel after the incident of shooting down a British plane over the Jasta airfield - a story that becomes popular in the newspapers. The General then confirms two victories falsely claimed by Stachel despite convincing evidence that Stachel had lied. After Stachel saves the life of the Baron von Richthofen nearly at the loss of his own, the General brings Stachel to Berlin under the pretense of medical care. The film portrays Stachel observing bread riots and political demonstrations (by disgruntled, disillusioned workers) in Berlin. With this in the backdrop, Stachel is involved in a staged photograph being "cared for" by Hauptmann Heidemann's wife, a nurse. Stachel expresses his sympathy for the wounded men and overworked nurses: "I saw how busy you were outside...I'm sorry." Then he becomes angry and says, "What are you going to put under the picture, 'Squadron commander's wife nurses wounded hero?'." Stachel clearly has disdain for his exploitation and cares more for the welfare of the men and the nurses than his own fame.

At the end of the film, Stachel is awarded the Blue Max, but his false claim of two aircraft is revealed to the Field Marshal by Kaeti. The General, knowing that the monoplane is unsafe, protects the public images of the officer corps and the common hero he created by casually allowing Stachel to fly to his certain death. Kaeti resumes her sham marriage and social position immediately following her lover's death, by joining her husband for lunch - an aristocratic social engagement.

The close of the film leaves the initial social order disturbed, but intact. Stachel has earned his place of honor at the cost of his life, and the aristrocracy has retained their social standing (but which we all know from history will be under continuous assault).

Film vs. Novel

The film differs from the book of the same title by Jack Hunter in both plot and the portrayal of the characters. Some of the differences are:

Stachel: The movie portrays Stachel initially as a genuinely idealistic, thoughtful, humble, naive, generous and inherently honest man. He evolves into someone more cynical, jaded, dishonest, and driven to succeed as a victim of the circumstances, prejudices, and false perceptions he experiences. From the beginning of the novel, Stachel's thoughts reveal him as a deeply troubled soul: his obsession with obtaining the coveted new Fokker D VII over his Jasta rivals, the growing denial of his alcoholism, and a penchant for lying. In the novel, Stachel is shown to blunt his intense angst with alcohol, and he is usually drunk in combat. The movie version of Stachel is occasionally seen to drink, but only after Willi von Klugermann is killed, and Stachel feels remorse over having claimed von Klugermann's last two air kills.

The movie version of Stachel is played by a 39 year old George Peppard, in stark contrast to the angsty 19 year old Stachel portrayed in the novel. In the movie, Stachel's primary source of insecurity is his status as a member of Germany's lower class, indicating that his father works in a small hotel with only five bedrooms. As a result of his social status he has a chip on his shoulder when it comes to dealing with the other members of the squadron, who are depicted as members of the aristocracy. In the novel, most members of the jasta are from the upper middle class, Stachel's father owns several small hotels in a rural resort area, and Willi von Klugerman is the only member of the aristocracy. Thus, in the novel, Stachel's social status does not contribute to his intense feelings of insecurity, loneliness, and self-loathing.

The book does not depict a vain attempt by Stachel to confirm his first kill. It also does not contain a confrontation between Stachel and Heidemann over the planes Willi shot down, which Stachel laid claim to. Indeed, in the novel Kettering (the squadron adjutant) refuses to confirm Stachel's claims to the planes shot down by Willi until Heidemann orders him to do so. Unlike the movie, where Heidemann takes an instant dislike to Stachel, the novel version of Heidemann shows an immediate and unexplained favoratism towards Stachel which is not explained until the end of the novel, when He reveals that he has been secretly boosting Stachel's achievements as part of an experiment in publicity management.

In the novel, Stachel earns his Blue Max not with 20 victories, but by destroying three planes and capturing one after Heidemann's guns jam. (Stachel is so drunk, he later cannot even recall the engagement) He is also credited with saving the life of a French girl when she falls into a river. Stachel does not die at the end of the book, and in fact meets the future commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, then-Hauptmann Hermann Göring, who is in temporary charge of Richthofen's squadron following the latter's death in action. Stachel marries Katie von Klugermann after the death of Graf von Klugermann, as noted at the beginning of The Blood Order, the second book in the Stachel series by Jack D. Hunter.

Heidemann: Heidemann's deep longing to be with his wife and her growing depression over his absence are more subtle in the movie than the book. In the novel, Heidemann does not accuse Stachel of treachery by shooting down the British aircraft over their airfield, nor does he question Stachel's claim of the two planes Willi shot down. He regards Stachel as the best pilot in the Jasta after himself, and had already planned to assign Stachel one of the new Fokker D VII's. Heidemann is the one, in the book, who recognizes the propaganda value of making Stachel into a hero and uses this as a means to be reassigned to Berlin, near his wife. Furthermore, it is he rather than Stachel who is killed test-flying the new plane after Stachel recognizes its instability.

Willi von Klugermann: Willi is more arrogant, patronizing, and competitive in the film, and a far more accomplished aviator. In the movie, Willi earns a Blue Max shortly after Stachel's arrival in the squadron, while in the book he has only one victory more than Stachel at the time of his death - and four of those victories were from the easy dispatch of unprotected bombers nearly out of fuel. In the book, Willi's affair with Kaeti is revealed only after his death when Stachel reads his journal. Stachel and Willi do not have a rivalry for Kaeti's affections. Willi is described as a "fat aristocrat" in the book. In the novel, Willi is murdered by Stachel so that Stachel may get the last of the five new Fokker D VIIs that are to be given to the squadron. Heideman indicates that the five planes will be allocated to five of his pilots based on 'merit,' which Stachel assumes will mean that von Klubermann will get the last one, given his six kills to Stachel's five. In the movie, von Klugermann is killed in a death-sport contest with Stachel to see who is the best acrobatic flyer.

Count (Graf) von Klugermann: In the movie, the Count is a career officer in the German army and holds the rank of GENERALOBERST (Colonel-General, which was the second highest rank in the German army, ranking just below Field Marshal). In the novel, his title is Graf and he is a famous surgeon who, among other things, has researched alcoholism and other addictions. At a dinner with his wife, Willi and Stachel, the Graf's monologue strikes the mark regarding Stachel's alcoholism and Kaetie's sexual addiction, although neither notices - a symptom of their denial. Contrary to the film, the Graf and Graefin do not have an open-marriage. The Graf von Klugermann, although an aristrocrat himself, recognizes an unfair disparity between the "ins" and the "outs" - something he disdains, but also something he makes no effort to change, preferring to be one of the "ins" rather than one of the "outs."

Kaeti von Klugermann: Kaeti's character in the book and film are similar, except the novel version of Kaeti is slightly overweight, and not particularly attractive. This is in sharp contrast to the beautiful movie version of Kaeti, played by Ursula Andress. The Graefin, coming originally from the lower classes, relishes her status and wealth, and deftly employs her sexuality to get what she wants. And what she wants is Stachel - a brutish reminder of her roots who is refreshingly different from the stuffed shirts of her adopted class. While drunk, Stachel extorts money from Kaeti by threatening to reveal her affair with Willi. Later, she returns the favor by threatening to reveal his murder of Willi and two British pilots if he does not marry her.

Elfi Heidemann: Also a nurse in the book, Elfi is a recovering alcoholic, like Stachel. In fact, she is the drunken nurse that Stachel and the von Klugermann's observe at dinner, raising the discussion of alcoholism. Elfi overcomes her addiction with the counseling of Doctor von Klugermann, although she does not know he had already seen her drunk. Elfi is, as the Hauptmann described, very much like Stachel. Both are candid realists who don't hesitate to expose "The Great Fraud" - the pretense of propriety and superiority worn like a mask by the aristocracy. Stachel recognizes Elfi as his kindred spirit, and after Heidemann's death it appears he is on his way to finding his happiness with her, but he is intercepted by Kaeti. Kaeti threatens to ruin Stachel's reputation if he does not marry her. Stachel has the driver literally turn away at Elfi's doorstep, accepting his rueful fate of joining Kaeti in "The Great Fraud" and returning to his disease of alcoholism.

Corporal Rupp: Rupp is only a minor character in the movie. In the novel, he is a major, and thoroughly distasteful character, whom Stachel describes as 'a pig of a man.' He earns extra money by smuggling cheap booze to Stachel, and using one of the squadron's reconnaissance cameras to take pornographic pictures for Kettering's private and extensive collection of erotica. In the end, it is Rupp who provides Kaeti von Klugermann with evidence that Willi von Klugermann was murdered by Stachel, which the graffen then uses to blackmail Stachel.

Movie ending involving the 'death trap' monoplane: Perhaps the most stark contrast between the novel and the movie is the ending, climaxing in one of the major characters being killed by flying an experimental airplane. In the movie, Heidemann flies an experimental monoplane, and determines that it is a 'death trap' because the strutts are too weak for the wing loading under stress. General von Klugermann then murders Stachel by ordering him to fly the monoplane without informing him of the defect. In the novel, Stachel flies an experimental biplane, determines that the strutts are too weak, and then allows Heidemann to fly the plane without informing him of the defect, resulting in Heidemann's death. Stachel then returns to Berlin with the intention of courting Heidemann's widow, but is intercepted and blackmailed by Kaeti von Klugermann before he has the chance to do so.

Planes and Stunt flying

The majority of the planes used in the film were converted Tiger Moths and Stampe SV.4s. Two Pfalz D.IIIs were produced (by two separate companies) for use in the film, alone with three Fokker D.VIIs and two Fokker Dr.I triplanes. Other German machines were represented by repainted Tiger Moths and Stampes. The British aircraft were similarly mocked-up trainers, although several scaled-down S.E.5 replicas were also utilised. The 'lozenge' German camouflage was not universal to all units at the time the story takes place (Spring 1918), but, in the film, aircraft of all German units are shown in this scheme.

The Fokker Dr.I triplanes are purpose-built replicas. The Tiger Moth silhouette was more appropriate to British aircraft of the period, such as the S.E.5a (one of which Stachel shoots down during his very first mission, only to be crushed when his claim is not confirmed by army observation) and presents a good general impression of actual contemporary aircraft.

The 'death-trap' monoplane at the end of the film may have been inspired by the Fokker E.V, which was a late-war monoplane design which did indeed rapidly gather a reputation for poor construction of the wing-to-fuselage join, resulting in several crashes before being modified and re-designated Fokker D.VIII.

The depictions of aerial combat in the film are particularly realistic as evident in the film, although it is nevertheless notable that most of the flying scenes had green fields as backdrops, thus metaphorically flying in the face of reality when one considers that, by 1918, the Western Front was a scene of mud rather than greenery. The aircraft ground scenes were shot at Weston airfield near Dublin (which is not to be confused with RAF Weston-on-the-Green, which has no tarmac runway, in England).

One of the stunt pilots used in the film was Derek Piggott. Several pilots helped recreate the live dog-fights scenes for the film, but Piggott was the only pilot to agree to fly the stunt at the climax of the film in which the two rivals challenge each other to fly beneath the spans of a bridge. Taking the role of both German pilots and with multiple takes from contrasting camera angles, he ended up flying through the wide span of this bridge in Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland 15 times and 17 times through the narrower span. The two Fokker Dr.I triplane replicas had about four feet of clearance on each side when passing through the narrower span. He was able to fly through the arch reliably by aligning two scaffolding poles, one in the river and one on the far bank.

The director had placed a flock of sheep next to the bridge so that they would scatter as the plane approached in order to demonstrate that the stunt was real and had not used models. However, by later takes, the sheep had become accustomed to the planes, and had to be scared by the shepherd instead. In the printed take, the sheep continued to graze, creating a continuity error which can be seen in the finished film.

An uncredited pilot was later to recount his experiences some of his later books - Richard Bach.

Blue Max Badges

Each of the principal people on the movie, the producers, the director, the writers and actors etc, were given a replica copy of the Blue Max badge, made in silver and smaller than the original badge. After the German defeat in November 1918, this medal was never re-awarded. Its World War II replacement would be the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross).

The French Village

The scenes where the Germans come into the French village were filmed on Calary Bog in County Wicklow in Ireland. For many weeks, the building of the village attracted the locals to watch it coming up. Then it was bombed and made to look destroyed. It was a local tourist attraction for a long time after the film had wrapped.

Berlin

The scenes supposed to be in Berlin were shot in Dublin. Christchurch Cathedral and the Irish parliament building are easily recognisable in the background of many scenes and Trinity College served as the army headquarters where von Klugermann's office is located.

Quotes

When general von Klugermann, who wants Stachel to figure as a hero for the common people, asks about the condition of Stachel when he wants to get him to Berlin, and hears that he has been (literally) shot in the arm, he says "Good, the people like soldiers to be shot in the right places".

"What does your father do?" (Heidemann to Stachel) (Pause.) "He works in a small hotel, Herr Hauptmann ... five bedrooms!" (Stachel, in response.)

"I will admit, my Uncle’s a Baron and the hotel has 500 rooms, but you do see the position it puts me in?” (One of the aristocrat pilots, mocking Stachel with the other pilots about Stachel's father working as proprietor of a small hotel.)

“Willi calls you the Cobra.” (Countess von Klugermann to Stachel)

“We’ve tolerated you here because we had to!” (Willi to Stachel, after announcing he has slept with Willi's aunt by presenting a bottle of champagne that Willi had earlier said, like the Countess, he would find "hard to get.")

“One of these days, Stachel, I’m going to shake you up...considerably!” (Willi to Stachel, in the same scene as above.)

“Pink Champagne!” (Countess von Klugermann to Stachel in the officers' mess shortly before her husband announces the impending, doomed-to-fail German spring offensive.)

“Two three-second bursts. Is your marksmanship that good? ” (Heidemann to Stachel when confronting him about his dubious claim of shooting down two aircraft by firing only 40 rounds)

“We are Germany!” (Heidemann to General von Klugermann in the latter's office in Berlin when the two talk about what or who they should be loyal to rather than to the "book of rules".)

Music

The music was composed and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith. Five tracks of music from the film ("Overture", "First Flight", "The Bridge", "The Attack" and "Finale") were recorded on March 11, 1987, at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London, and are incorporated as Tracks 1-5 into the CD, "Goldsmith Conducts Goldsmith", played by the Philharmonia Orchestra and subsequently released by Silva Screen Records in 2002 (FILMCD336), though it had been originally released in 1989 by the Decca Record Co. Ltd./Filmtrax plc. (Details from CD inlay card.)

External links

• The Blue Max at the Internet Movie DatabaseIMDB

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