Above and Beyond
In 1940 Germany's submarine forces are winning the war in the Atlantic, and massive tonnage of allied shipping, including shipments of military aircraft, make it only to the bottom of the sea. This Canadian made-for-TV mini-series uses this dire situation as a backdrop.Since submarine warfare is slowly strangling Britain's ability to defend herself something has to be done to get materials across the Atlantic. A bold military officer and his capable female assistant take on the responsibility of setting up a risky yet vital plan to fly planes across the north Altantic from Newfoundland to Britain.When the officer and his assistant arrive at a small Newfoundland airfield, they face the challenges of recruiting and retaining pilots, and training them to fly across the north Altantic (a risky venture at best), and dealing with the local townsfolk.We soon learn that the assistant has a history with the local airfield operator, and their past catches up to them as men and machines face perilous odds as they prepare to fly.I found this show to depict an interesting and generally overlooked aspect of early WWII. It therefore deserves recognition. At the same time I found the acting and overall quality of the production to be only good, not great.History buffs should enjoy this show, but the average viewer would probably find it to be rather tedious, since it is generally lacking in high-cost digital candy that flavors most movies these days.