The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) - film review

One night in May 1927, an unknown airmail pilot named Charles Lindbergh tries in vain to get some sleep on the eve of what would be an historic transatlantic crossing.  His goal is to make a solo non-stop flight from Roosevelt Field in New York City to Le Bourget Field in Paris, in his single-engine monoplane, the Spirit of St. Louis.  Despite meticulous preparations and the confidence that he has in himself, Lindbergh is still anxious that something may go wrong.  Others have attempted the crossing and met with death and disaster.  Why should he succeed where they have failed?

An atypical film for director Billy Wilder, better known for his lively comedies and film noir thrillers, The Spirit of St. Louis is a captivating, lovingly crafted biopic that relates one of the most extraordinary exploits of the Twentieth Century.  Charles Lindbergh’s solo crossing of the Atlantic in 1927 is the stuff of legend but the film presents the aviator not as a superhero but as an ordinary man driven by some inner force he cannot explain to achieve what, at the time, seemed virtually impossible.  

The Spirit of St. Louis is an inspirational and informative film that sheds light on Lindbergh’s personality (the story is taken from the aviator’s award winning autobiography) and shows us the extraordinary challenges that he faced, both in convincing sceptical financiers to back his project and in piloting his plane for an unprecedented 33 hours without a break.  Although, at 47, James Stewart was perhaps a little old to play the 25-year-old pilot, his everyman persona, sincerity and subdued charm make him a near-perfect casting choice for the part of the introverted yet very likeable Lindbergh.  

Wilder manages to sidestep the tedium of the lengthy flight by use of multiple flashbacks which recount the pilot’s early flying experiences and his preparations for the historic flight.  Despite its impressive production standards and Stewart’s faultless performance, the film was not a great commercial success and failed to recoup its six million dollar cost.  It may not be Wilder’s best film but it is easily one of his most accessible and compelling.  For anyone interested in the history of aviation, The Spirit of St. Louis is a must-see film, reminding us that what we now take for granted was considered a practical and commercial impossibility less than a century ago. It is thanks to the courage and insight of men like Charles Lindbergh that long distance air travel is now a reality that most of us can experience.

© James Travers 2009

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