THE EAGLE AND THE HAWK

US, 1933,68 minutes, Black and white.
Cary Grant, Carole Lombard, Guy Standing.
Directed by Stuart Walker.

The Eagle and the Hawk is a very short film on World War One but anti-war. It stars the dynamic team of Fredric March and Cary Grant. They clash dramatically and quite effectively. Jack Oakie is there for comedy. The film gathers together the trends of Wings, Dawn Patrol, Hell's Angels and other aviation and World War One films but makes its points against war quite tellingly.

1. The success of the film as an anti-war film? impact in the 30? Now? How timely its message?

2. As an example of film making of the 30s, black and white
photography, sound? The flying sequences? The visual impact of war?

3. The significance of the title, reference to war, to the main characters? The importance of the main stars and their impact? For such a message film?

4. How well was the first world war situation re-created? Enthusiasm and the eagerness of the pilots in England, the reality of the war in France? The fantasy world of the expectation of adventure, the real world of ugliness? death and fatality? The initial presentation of Jerry Young and Henry Crooker? The clash on their land? Their fights? Crooker's accusation of Jerry as being a coward? Crooker's wanting to be a pilot and Young's rejection of this? The reason for their clash? The deep basis for later friendship? How convincing this bond between the two men?

6. The world and morale and the war? The eagerness of the pilots, their anticipation of glory as adventure In France? Their wanting to get there? life within the barracks? Young as a hero? Crocker as an outsider? Their jovial friend and his presence? Wisecracks? A blend of tension and humour? The reality of the war In France, the nature of the missions the people involved in the war, officers, the pilots who were getting killed, the observers? Kingsford and the impact of his death? The orderly making up the rooms after the death? The necessity of the photos and the work taking away from him and feeling? The mounting number of deaths and their effect on the audience, on Jerry Young? Young being decorated and the significance of such decorations within the reality of war?

7. The mounting effect of tension on Jerry? His drink? The importance of his leave? The encounter with the attractive woman and the significance of their conversation? As a romantic interlude, as revealing Jerry's attitude towards the war?

8. The impact of the arrival of Crooker, his work, the gunner? His machine, gunning the parachutist? Young's reaction with the plane? The treatment by the rest of the men? Crooker's blunt statements about war and enemies? Young and the others believing in some kind of code? How did the bond between the two develop despite their hostility?

9. The climax with Young as a hero, a war ace? Yet his depression, continued drinking? The comradeship in the mess? His speech and its irony? The men singing songs and Young going out and killing himself?

10. The significance of his death and its motivation? Crocker's sensing of it and going out to him? The reaction of the audience, shared with Crocker?

14. The justice of Crooker's covering up the death and making it look like heroism? What did this reveal about the two men? The irony of the final plaque with Young as a hero?

15. How much insight into human nature? insight into the realities of war?