kris-gray 1. George Peppard's American accent, it grates, I dislike cod German accents, (or any other language) in films and would prefer people speak in the actual language i.e. The Longest Day a film made around the same time. Other actors here have made the effort to at least sound German.2. Ursula Andress a completely superfluous addition to the story, 'We must have a love interest for the ladies', really? I think that is an insult to women that they only want to see a film if there is a love interest. Like a previous reviewer states most don't like war films so to add a love interest won't make them go and see it. So there are my reasons for deducting 2 stars otherwise this is a ten star film. The action sequences, especially the aerial battles are superb when you consider none of it is CGI. I saw this film in 1966 with my parents and I wanted to see it again immediately.To George Sickler I say you obviously totally missed the premise of the entire film. The Count wanted to use Stachel as propaganda showing that anyone of the lower classes could rise and be a hero/fighter ace. When he discovers that Stachel cheated to get the Blue Max he knows it would be damaging to the image of the other fighter aces. So rather than expose him he allowed the cheat to die a hero, wonderful PR whilst removing a lover from his wife at the same time.I am just watching it again on Sky Classics, wonderful stuff.

SnoopyStyle In 1916, Bruno Stachel (George Peppard) is a German soldier fighting in the trenches on the western front. He is awed by the fighting machines. In 1918, he's a new pilot brought up to the front. His lower class status clash with the aristocratic nature of flying. All he cares about is to get enough kills to claim the highest medal for valor, the Blue Max. He has no use for chivalry. Willi von Klugermann (Jeremy Kemp) is the popular ace of the group. Willi's uncle General Count von Klugermann (James Mason) arrives to present the Blue Max to him and sees Bruno as a good propaganda tool while his wife Countess Kaeti von Klugermann (Ursula Andress) starts an affair with Bruno.Peppard is a little wooden but that's what I like about his performance. He's cold-blooded about war. He's ambitious and driven. He's not likable and there's no pretense to like him. There is no pretense to like this war especially since it is the German side. There is some big action with good aerial combat. The cockpit footage with projected background is combined with pre-CGI stunt flying to produce good thrilling action. This is a cold-hearted affair and I appreciate it on that level.

edwagreen Very good film showcasing German pilots during World War 1. George Peppard is as arrogant as ever as he aims for winning the coveted metal by shooting down 20 enemy planes in the closing days of the war. The film is a particularly good one as it shows how the Peppard character becomes part of the German propaganda war-effort. It tragically shows that when he is of no use for them, he can die tragically as a martyr for propaganda purposes. Having achieved greatness as Field Marshall Romel in "The Desert Fox," James Mason is great here as well again as a German commander who is ruthless and if he can live for the next 15 years, a possible favorite of the coming Nazi regime.We see the beginnings of discontent in the Fatherland as Germany is about to lose the war.Ursula Andress is wonderful here as Mason's much younger wife and Peppard's lover. Her unwittingly stupid move condemned the Peppard character.

TurboarrowIII I really enjoyed this film. It has great acting, action and superb aerial scenes. The cast are superb. George Peppard is great as Stachel. He doesn't care for the aristocratic comrades around him. He has fought in the trenches and seen death close up which has hardened him so he doesn't see war as a chivalrous game. He wants to prove he is equal to or better than them all so he will stop at nothing to achieve his aim of winning the Blue Max. Unfortunately this leads him to claim 2 kills which weren't his and this in the end causes his downfall. Peppard isn't wooden I don't think. I believe his character is meant to be cold and ruthless because of his experiences in the trenches. I also enjoyed Karl Michael Vogler's performance. He is very upper class and is still trying to fight a decent war despite the carnage going on around him. He sees the officer class as the backbone of Germany and even when Stachel is virtually murdered at the end he supports it because he believes Stachel and people like him are needed as heroes to help keep Germany from revolution. Jeremy Kemp too is great. He is an arrogant, upper class pilot who looks down on Stachel but sees him as a rival who is "hard to beat". The aerial scenes are great and the planes look brilliant. Other later films, like Aces High, borrowed scenes from this. The dogfights look realistic as do the scenes of fighting on the ground. I think this is a great film well worth seeing.