THE PLOT THUS FAR
Fireballs of high-speed air action explode off the screen in this exciting story of the “Fighting 99th” – the first squadron of Black American pilots to be allowed to fight for their country. It is 1943 and the Germans are winning the Second World War, as the U.S. suffers huge losses on the ground and in the air. Four newly recruited pilots are united by a desire to serve their country, at a time when black flyers are not welcomed in the Air Force. Now, through the brutal demands of their training, to the perils of flying over nations at war, the men they call “The Tuskegee Airmen” must undertake the riskiest mission of their lives – to prove to America that courage knows no color. Their success could earn them respect, save lives, and help win a terrible war. Their failure could destroy more hopes and dreams than their own.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
In World War II, the 332nd Air Force squadron was honored for keeping casualties low and bombers safe. But it also made history because its members were the first African-American pilots to take to the skies for America. Few knew of their accomplishments, however, until decades later. Laurence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Andre Braugher lead a talented cast of characters who managed to serve despite the rampant racism they endured.
Racism did play a part in the making the 99th fight in WWII. An example was a committee that was considering whether the “experiment” was worth the go ahead. Some committee members did submit a scientific paper that said that black people do not have the intelligence to operate complex machinery, but the majority of the committee voted in favor of the Airmen. What added to the effects of racism was the acting.
They served with especial distinction in bomber-escort duty over Europe, and while the claim in the movie that they did not lose a single bomber to enemy action is not true, the bomber losses were minimal while the 332nd served as escort. They didn’t win the battle against institutional racism outright; but they put the lie to a number of pseudo-scientific studies that concluded blacks were an inferior race and could not possibly operate complex machinery like airplanes.
The Blu-Ray comes bundled in Digibook packaging with extensive information on the true story surrounding the film. The A/V Quality is pretty sharp and it looks like the original Pay TV movie has been upgraded to a clean 1080p transfer. The DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track provides a powerful prescence that actually mixes audio into the back channels. That’s something I’ve never experienced while watching it on regular broadcast. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: 01/17/2012
