The Big Lift

A semihistorical look at the airlift that kept Berlin functioning when the Russians decided to blockade the city. The movie was filmed entirely on location in West Berlin and around Templehof airport. Seaton had a Herculean job in making this subject palatable, as this was only five years after the end of WW II and there were many Americans who could not have cared less about the plight of the Germans. Clift is a pilot and Douglas is the ground operations noncom who hates the Germans because of his war experiences. Seaton doesn't avoid the issue of bad memories: he goes right for it. Clift is in love with Borchers, who gives a fine first performance in films as the...