My last post reviewed Twelve O'Clock High. Twelve years after Twelve was released, another film with a similar theme was produced. The War Lover, starring Steve McQueen and Robert Wagner also reflected on the lives of B-17 pilots flying dangerous missions from bases in England during World War II. However, unlike Twelve, the focus of Lover is not on the pilots as part of a dynamic organization. Instead, Lover focuses on personal relationships. If you like romance in your war films, this movie is for you. Of course, Steve McQueen's true love is the war, and there is plenty of action in the air. Overall, The War Lover is best described as "Twelve O'Clock Low." A good, but not great, film that takes you back to a time when U.S. Army flight crews really did not know whether they would live another day.
John Greanias Copyright 2013
