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Aces High

  • 19761976
  • PGPG
  • 1h 54m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
2.7K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
21,541
2,267
Aces High (1976)
Trailer for Aces High
Play trailer1:14
1 Video
40 Photos
ActionDramaWar
In World War I, the high casualty rate amongst the rookie pilots of the Royal Flying Corps puts an enormous strain on the survivors.In World War I, the high casualty rate amongst the rookie pilots of the Royal Flying Corps puts an enormous strain on the survivors.In World War I, the high casualty rate amongst the rookie pilots of the Royal Flying Corps puts an enormous strain on the survivors.
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
2.7K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
21,541
2,267
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Jack Gold
    • Writers
      • Howard Barker(screenplay)
      • R.C. Sherriff(play "Journey's End")
      • Cecil Lewis(additional material from "Saggitarius Rising")
    • Stars
      • Malcolm McDowell
      • Christopher Plummer
      • Simon Ward
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Jack Gold
    • Writers
      • Howard Barker(screenplay)
      • R.C. Sherriff(play "Journey's End")
      • Cecil Lewis(additional material from "Saggitarius Rising")
    • Stars
      • Malcolm McDowell
      • Christopher Plummer
      • Simon Ward
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 38User reviews
    • 22Critic reviews
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 1 win & 2 nominations total

    Videos1

    Aces High
    Trailer 1:14
    Aces High

    Photos40

    Aces High (1976)
    Aces High (1976)
    Aces High (1976)
    Peter Firth in Aces High (1976)
    Aces High (1976)
    Aces High (1976)
    David Wood in Aces High (1976)
    Malcolm McDowell and Christopher Plummer in Aces High (1976)
    Malcolm McDowell in Aces High (1976)
    Malcolm McDowell in Aces High (1976)
    Peter Firth in Aces High (1976)
    Aces High (1976)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Malcolm McDowell
    Malcolm McDowell
    • Gresham
    Christopher Plummer
    Christopher Plummer
    • Sinclair
    Simon Ward
    Simon Ward
    • Crawford
    Peter Firth
    Peter Firth
    • Croft
    David Wood
    David Wood
    • Thompson
    John Gielgud
    John Gielgud
    • Headmaster
    Trevor Howard
    Trevor Howard
    • Silkin
    Richard Johnson
    Richard Johnson
    • Colonel Lyle
    Ray Milland
    Ray Milland
    • Brigadier Whale
    Christopher Blake
    Christopher Blake
    • Roberts
    Gilles Béhat
    • Beckenauer
    • (as Gilles Behat)
    Elliott Cooper
    • Wade
    David Daker
    David Daker
    • Bennett
    Barry Jackson
    Barry Jackson
    • Joyce
    Jacques Maury
    • Ponnelle
    Ron Pember
    • Eliot
    Tim Pigott-Smith
    Tim Pigott-Smith
    • Stoppard
    Jeanne Patou
    • French Singer
    • Director
      • Jack Gold
    • Writers
      • Howard Barker(screenplay)
      • R.C. Sherriff(play "Journey's End")
      • Cecil Lewis(additional material from "Saggitarius Rising")
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In World War I, attacks on balloons were dangerous because machine guns and anti-aircraft guns formed a protective circle beneath the balloons. Therefore, pilots dove at a steep angle when they attacked. They did not attack horizontally.
    • Goofs
      Sinclair informs Croft that Gresham uses a Nieuport "that he swears by", but every time we see Gresham aloft he is flying an SE5 like the rest of the squadron.
    • Quotes

      Mess Corporal Bennett: [as the pilots set off early in the morning on a dangerous mission] How many for breakfast? Any of them?

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits prologue: England October 1916
    • Alternate versions
      Some DVD releases feature a shorter print which reduces the French restaurant scene and misses out shots of the officers looking at a slideshow of nude photographs. These appear to have been made by the distributor, as the film has never been cut by the BBFC.
    • Connections
      Edited into Blackadder Goes Forth: Private Plane (1989)
    • Soundtracks
      Under the Bridges of Paris
      (Sous les Ponts de Paris)

      (uncredited)

      Music by Vincent Scotto

      French lyrics by Jean Rodor

      English lyrics by Dorcas Cochran

    User reviews38

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Heavy Handed Anti-War Film
    First of all I feel I`ve got to point out the two flaws of ACES HIGH

    1 ) The film starts with the commonly held erroneous view that young men of whatever nation joined the army because they`d been brainwashed by glorious tales of derring do and had no idea of the horror awaiting them in the trenches . Not so in Britain at least since The Times newspaper published the names of every British serviceman killed at this time . One edition in July 1916 published over 20,000 names of the men killed during the Somme offensive , so to insinuate that the boys at the school had somehow only had Gresham`s account of the war to fall back on is somewhat naive . This might have happened in 1915 but not so when this film was set towards the end of 1916

    2 ) ACES HIGH is based on the play JOURNEYS END except it revolves around a plane squadron which means when the chaps are at the airfield everything feels a bit too stagey while when they`re up in the air there`s a distinct lack of drama since the cast are indistinguishble with their goggle clad faces and their lack of dialogue

    Having pointed out the flaws I can`t not mention the main strength and that`s the cast . Malcolm McDowell an actor I can`t usually stand at the best of times gives a superb performance as the bitter , cynical alcholic John Gresham . It`d be very easy for McDowell to give a very over the top performance ( Some might say that`s all he ever does ) but he`s both very convincing and disciplined here . Christopher Plummer is completely convincing as a paternal English officer ( Plummer was always good at this kind of role ) and Peter Firth - Despite being hampered with a character unsubtley written - is also good

    Considering the limited budget the technical aspects are impressive enough with the sometimes slightly obvious backscreen projection hardly bringing the film down . It`s an anti-war film so its heart is in the right place but like many an anti-war film it`s somewhat heavy handed ( As I imagine the source play was ) and the ariel scenes with their lack of dialogue means a somewhat over dramatic film in places and an undramatic film in other places

    Six out of ten
    helpful•24
    11
    • Theo Robertson
    • Apr 26, 2004

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 1977 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • France
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
      • German
    • Also known as
      • Schlacht in den Wolken
    • Filming locations
      • Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • S. Benjamin Fisz Productions
      • Les Productions Jacques Roitfeld
      • Cine Artists Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • £1,250,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 54 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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