Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 27-October-02
Spoiler Rating: Medium

12 O'Clock High (1949)

In the first half of the fourth century BC, the Theban army became the most powerful force in Greece. Its might is rumored to have resulted from the fact that the entire army was made up of pairs of lovers --- the theory being that each man would fight to the very extent of his powers to protect, and distinguish himself before, his beloved. This is a very intriguing notion of what motivates a fighter in battle and one which, in a certain way, is the subject of the movie about American pilots in WWII called "Twelve O'Clock High."

The story is told as a flashback and begins by introducing the members of the 918th, an airborne squadron stationed in Britain in 1942. The 918th is an elite force brought over from the States specifically to perform "daylight precision bombing," which, apparently, had never been used in wartime before (previous bombing raids having occurred at night for protective cover). The group commander is Keith Davenport (Gary Merrill), a nice guy who loves his boys and does all he can to alleviate their extremely stressful situation. The problem is, his boys are getting so careless or apathetic or burned out that they have come to be known as "the hard luck group," indicative of their high number of casualties. Enter Brigadier General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck), who, under orders from his superior, relieves Davenport of his command and takes over the 918th himself. He believes that Davenport has been "over identifying" with his men, "propping them up," and he's determined to get them into shape. Indeed, he is told (and believes) that the very success of the war depends on it.

Surely no one else was considered for the role of Savage: his meticulously studied mix of hard-nosed bastard and caring leader requires the integrity that only Peck can supply. He strides into the 918th like the Grim Reaper, abruptly demoting some men and chewing out others, shutting down the officers' club, instituting practice sessions whenever there's a break in real raids, even accusing one officer of being "yellow" and a disgrace to his country before forcing him to paint "The Leper Colony" on his plane, to advertise the lowness of the men within it. Not surprisingly, everyone instantly hates him, with the exception of his savvy adjutant (Dean Jagger, an Oscar-winner for this role), who reads Savage correctly and understands his plan. The plan is spelled out to viewers of the film, if not to members of the 918th: to discover what "maximum effort" is --- how far you can drive a man --- and, in achieving it, to awaken personal pride, which, in turn, will mean less errors, more success, and victory against the Germans.

And here is where the Thebans come in. Who is right: Davenport, whose affection for his men is palpable and intended to keep them going, or Savage, whose affection is intentionally hidden, shoved aside in favor of overbearing hardness? Which is the better motivator, love or fear, loyalty or anger? Does compassion have any place in a war (if you want to win)? Is the improvement of the 918th's record related in any way to the fact that Savage assigns every man a new roommate, so that none will care more for a buddy than the mission? These questions are clearly posed, making for an usually cerebral war movie. I kept thinking while watching "Twelve O'Clock High" that I knew what was going to happen next, but I was pleasantly surprised. There are no easy answers, no clear-cut heroes in this film. You think that Peck, almost unbearably handsome with his crisp uniform and towering presence, must surely have the tough love thing right. And when he starts flying with his men so he can kick their butts in the air as well as on the ground, you're sure you foresee the final scene when he leads them on to a glorious triumph; heck, maybe they'll even lift him on their shoulders! But this is a war movie about men at war, not heroes (rather unexpected in 1949, I dare say), and things don't work out quite as you might think.

"Twelve O'Clock High" is a little too long and features the sort of clipped, slangy dialogue you often hear in 1940s movies which sounds goofy to the modern ear (even though it might have been exactly the way people used to speak, especially military men). However, once you get into it there are rewards, most notably some fine acting and a feeling of what it was really like to be in that time, place, and situation. (This feeling is enhanced by the use of actual B-17 footage, filmed by both Americans and Germans during the war.) The movie doesn't leave you with a sense of triumph for the Allies, Savage, or the boys of the 918th, but it does make you think and admire the real men who grappled with hard emotional and psychological decisions under the most trying of circumstances.

Copyright © 2002 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.