Breaking The Sound Barrier

Richardson, in his understated way, is powerful, if not frightening, as an airplane manufacturer obsessed with breaking the sound barrier. To that end he sends aloft his son-in-law, who is killed. But Richardson continues to send pilot after pilot to achieve what American test pilot Chuck Yeager had already done secretly. Not one of director Lean's greatest, the film's semi-documentary style is one of its greatest assets, while its rather dull stiff-upper-lip dramatic sequences are the largest drawback. None of the talented cast members other than Richardson gets much chance to make an impression. The production's technical achievements, however, are considerable, ...