Pilots and samurai
AFTER “Dune: Part Two,” I know I should relax and take a breather from massive, epic things before I head right back to the cinema when I catch a break to re-watch it.
However, I found myself at the home of friends on a Sunday night who decided to screen “Masters of the Air.” It was intense, gripping and in no way relaxing. The episodes drop once a week and it can be heavy to take on anything more than three.
Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, who worked together on “Saving Private Ryan” (1998) and were co-producers for “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific,” continue to tell stories of the Greatest Generation and their “courage and sacrifice” and are collaborators on this series again. This time, they’re focused on the 100th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force based in eastern England — there’s heroism, humor and camaraderie but also danger, devastation, sad, gruesome deaths and heartbreak.
I would keep hearing in the briefing scenes where they recount how many “forts” they lost. Apparently, forts are short for the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses. Many went down in flames on their bombing missions over Europe, and the loss of life was staggering. According to the “Smithsonian magazine,” “The 100th’s high casualty rate mirrored that of its parent division, the Eight Airforce, which suffered more fatalities — 26,000 — than the entire Marine Corps over the course of World War II.”
The significance of the Bloody 100th’s effort during the war can be viewed on History Hit’s “The Real History Behind the ‘Masters of the Air’ Bombing Campaigns in WW2” on YouTube. “Masters of the Air” is based on a 2007 book of the same title by Donald L. Miller. It stars Callum Turner as Maj. John Egan and Austin Butler (last seen as the villainous Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in “Dune”) as Maj. Gale Cleven. Barry Keoghan (“Saltburn”) also appears in a few episodes. Colleen Atwood also does an impressive costume design on the show.
The ninth and last episode airs next Friday, March 15, on Apple TV+.
If you’re not tired of big-budget TV, the new “Shogun” is out on FX and Hulu, which means you can stream the show here on Disney+.
John Blackthorne, an English pilot (of the seas), initially mistaken for a scheming pirate, washes up on the shores of “the Japans” in 1600. At the same time, the leader of Japan, the Taiko, has just died, leaving five regents to rule together until his young son comes of age to rule. Clearly, this is a situation ripe for a power play.
Lord Yoshi Toranaga (the excellent Hiroyuki Sanada), the guardian of Taiko’s young son, is on the verge of impeachment (and likely assassination), but the shipwreck and crossing paths with Mr. Blackthorne turn the tide on his fate.
There’s a lot of history, politics, elaborate sets and costumes, and details. There’s an accompanying FX podcast for those wanting to do a deep dive.
“Shogun” is based on the 1975 novel by James Clavell. A 1980 miniseries starring Richard Chamberlin as John Blackthorne and Toshiro Mifune as Toranaga premiered. The new ten-episode miniseries premiered on February 27.