BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER (THE SOUND BARRIER)

UK, 1952, 115 minutes, Black and White.
Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick
Directed by David Lean

The Sound Barrier is a serious look at aviation developments during the 1940s and early '50s, especially post-World War Two. The attempts of fliers and the builders of planes was to make them strong enough and capable of breaking the sound barrier. This had, in fact, happened in the United States with Chuck Yeagher. Yeagher and his exploits featured in the early sequences of Philip Kaufman's tribute to the astronauts, The Right Stuff. Kaufman, with the hindsight of the early '80s, was able to see the continuity between flight development and space exploration.

This is a British version of the attempts to break the sound barrier. It stars Ralph Richardson as the builder. He gives his usual dependable performance. Also in the cast is Ann Todd, the then wife of David Lean who appeared in a number of his films including Madeleine and Passionate Friends. Regular British character stars Nigel Patrick and John Justin are in the roles of the pilots.

Lean brings his accomplished style to film-making. Working in black and white on a more modest budget, he then moved to colour and big-budget films, making far fewer. After Hobson's Choice with Charles Laughton and John Mills, he went to Summertime with Katharine Hepburn and then his epics: The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Dr Zhivago, Ryan's Daughter and A Passage to India.

1. This film was considered something of a classic in the 50s. Why? Film- making, technology, human values.

2. The film as the work of David Lean and its place in his career?

3. Black and white photography, atmosphere, aerial photography?

4. The British aviation industry after the war? Experimentation with planes, jets, the sound barrier itself? Commercial possibilities? Risks to lives? Quick trips from London to New York etc.?

5. The attraction of exploration of the unknown? The type of character fascinated by this? The repercussions for risk of lives?

6. The war atmosphere? Patriotism? The aftermath and its influence in the first part of the film?

7. Ralph Richardson's style as J.R: reputation, skill, enterprise? A loner? Motivation for progress, experimentation? The memory of his wife and her not understanding him? His not understanding her? Patriarchal attitude towards his family? Dominance of Susan; expectations of Chris and his flying? Strengths and weaknesses of his character? Loyalty to his men in his firm? Assumptions that he was right? The film's critique of this kind of character? The kind of character, essential for business and encouraging exploration?

8. How war J.R's personality highlighted by Chris and his wanting to live up to his expectations? Going through pilot-training although afraid of the air? His conversations with Susan before he died? Impact of family watching him in flight? His father critical of him? Death?

9. Bond between Susan and Tony in the atmosphere of war? Love, marriage? Meeting J.R. and Susan's resentment? Tony's interest and J.R's patronage of Tony? Involvement in J.R's experimentation, viewing the jets in action?

10. Tony's motivation for going on? To break the sound barrier? Skill, experience of breaking the barrier? Susan's reaction? The visual impression of his death crater? Tape of his final words? Audience judgement on whether he should have experimented or not?

11. Susan, her place in the family, very British? Love for Tony, the trip to Cairo? Baby? Her pleading? The theatre and the usher having to find her? The repercussions of Tony's death? Her visit to the crater? Visit to her father and his listening to the hope? The coming on of the birth pangs?

12. What did J.R. reveal about himself listening to the tape? His impersonal manner? The bases of his decisions? His listening to Philip in his flight? Susan’s presence? His momentary break and wanting to cover it up? Did he deserve to have Susan and the baby return to him? A good character portrayal?

13. The film's focus on Philip? Flying skills? Parallel with Tony? Relationship with Jess and his family? Jess and her not realising what was in store? The presence in Cairo? Her fussiness about clothes when he had broken the barrier? His laugh?
14. The portrait of the workers? J.R's main adviser and
his reaction to Tony's death?

15. How valuable a human study, a view of recent British history, a serious documentary study of the British aviation industry?