I rented this film in furtherance of my duty as something of a Roger Corman completist, and was very pleasantly surprised to find what I consider one of his very best films. Perhaps due to its lack of rubber monsters and scream queens (not to mention acid trips and biker chicks),this one has kind of slipped through the cracks of the director's massive output. It deserves rediscovery, as it is an excellent film featuring quality performances that I think rivals "The Intruder", his other attempt at serious film-making.

Some will complain I'm sure about this film's lack of historical accuracy. Hermann Goering (Barry Primus),for example, is shown fighting in the same air squadron as Baron Von Richthofen (John Phillip Law). I'm not very concerned with history myself because I think that history is better conveyed through books than film, and I would prefer for a film to have more focus and intent than a strictly accurate representation would allow. This film follows in the same line as great films like "Lawrence of Arabia" in choosing to throw aside historical accuracy in favor of what its writers considered historical resonance and perspective. It is not concerned with where Goering and Von Richthofen fought their battles, or even with who exactly shot Von Richthofen down in the end, but rather with the essential transformation that was taking place in the nature of combat in the early 20th Century. Goering and Von Richthofen were transposed because it provides a fascinating context as far as the kind of schism that was developing among warriors between the old and new ways. Von Richthofen is a man who prides himself deeply upon his aristocratic heritage and who insists at all points on fighting an honorable war -- for example when ordered to paint his airplanes in order to camouflage them from the enemy, he instead paints them all in bright colors and gives birth to the legendary "Flying Circus." He says to his superiors, "You can order us to die, but you cannot order us to hide from our enemy." He says that he is a knight who has traded in his horse for an airplane.

The contrast between Goering and Von Richthofen is interesting, and serves largely to make Von Richthofen more sympathetic than some of the other Germans, but it's the juxtaposition of Von Richthofen and the Canadian Roy Brown (Don Stroud) that is really at the heart of this film. Brown has a cynical view towards warfare, seemingly resigned towards the most brutal and callous aspects of war and deliberately eschewing all talk of "glory" and even "victory." "How can it be over? There's still some of us alive," he tells a reporter from Toronto in one of the film's most striking scenes. Von Richthofen and Brown each have an interview, which we hear on the soundtrack as we see them fly their planes in the sky. I was really struck by the writing in these scenes and the way that the contrast between their attitudes towards war was brought out by them.

I shouldn't end this comment without making mention of the excellent aerial photography that was used in this film. Today's audiences would demand some kind of over-the-top display of showmanship aided by CGI. Although I'm not completely against the use of CGI, in the case of a film like this I greatly prefer the way it was done back at the time this film was made, with what seem to be authentic airplanes of the period and some really exciting stunt flying. Von Richthofen's flying circus is truly a sight to see piercing its way through clear blue skies, and we don't need any digital manipulation to enhance the majesty of that vision.

I loved John Phillip Law in this performance. I've always enjoyed him in all the sci-fi films I've seen him in, as well as his sincere performance in "The Russians Are Coming! The Russians are Coming!". I think he showed his real leading man strength in this role, and his style was not patronizing towards the Germans in any way (in fact Law often worked as an actor in Germany in the 1980s and 90s). Don Stroud really amazed me because I've never particularly cared for him in all the biker movies I've seen him in, but he had the perfect amount of gravity for this role.

Kudos to Roger Corman -- other than a one-off return to directing in the early 90s, this was his swan song. He decided that if he couldn't make it as a top notch director that he would rather produce other director's films rather than go back to making schlock. And even though he was one of the greatest schlock-meisters, you have to respect that decision. And you have to wonder how different things might have been if this film had received the kind of attention that I think it deserved at the time it was made. Probably he did not make enough concessions to what he surely knew to be the popular taste -- there is only the smallest romantic element in this film, and it is a film more of ideas than of emotions.

John Phillip Law is cast in the role of Baron Von Richthofen and Don Stroud as Roy Brown--the man who is PARTIALLY credited with killing the Red Baron. The real stars of the show, however, are the airplanes. Now I am not saying the aerial scenes were well done--they were at best fair because you rarely knew who was shooting at who, and so it often just seemed very random. As for the acting, it was pretty one-dimensional (especially Stroud) and this was mostly due to the writing. In addition, while SOME of the details are correct, others are not--so you can't exactly see this as a bio-pic--more like a fictionalized look at BRIEF periods of the lives of both men. One serious problem with the film is the final scene where Brown shoots down Von Richtofen--as there was SIGNIFICANT ground-fire and most experts believe this actually caused the Red Baron's plane to crash, not Brown! Yet, inexplicably, there are no soldiers on the ground--none--and the credit goes entirely to Brown--who was, for the most part, a rather unremarkable pilot otherwise.

"Von Richthofen and Brown" is a competent enough movie to merit your watching it. However, it is far from a great aviation film--mostly because the characters are so one-dimensional and because the film seems more fiction than biography. Instead, you may consider better WWI aviation films like "The Dawn Patrol" (either version),"Wings" or "The Blue Max".

Baron Manfred Von Richthofen (John Phillip Law) was the most feared and celebrated pilot of the German air force in World War I . Manfred Von Richthofen arrives from the Cavalry, at a squadron in the German Airforce under the command of honorable Oswald Boelcke (Peter Masterson). He quickly becomes an aerial ace with several victories . To him and his companions , air combats are events of sporty nature , technical challenge and upright acting, ignoring the terrible extent of war . Manfred must decide if he is a soldier first or part of the ruling class whose father is a notorious Baron (Ferdy Mayne) . But after Manfred realizes he is only used for propaganda means , as the tactics of both sides break more rules and become more destructive . This is an exciting story based on facts about Manfred Von Richthofen, the German air ace during the World War I and his struggle with the enemy aces and some jealous German officers as the ruthless Herrmann Goering (Barry Primus) who subsequently will have a long career as Nazi leader during WWI . The allied squad has similar class divisions : its Major , an aristocrat , laments that men he considers peasants are now fliers , including a tough and Canadian named Roy Brown (Don Stroud) , the squad's main ace . Von Richthofen is wounded during an aerial battle and Brown and his squadron decide to attack Allied airfield , destroying their planes on the ground and killing his brother Lothar (Brian Foley). Then the baron seeks vengeance and attacks on the opposite British airfield . Red Baron and Brown have some strong aerial battles , trivial in the larger scheme yet fateful . Caught between his disgust for the war , and the responsibility for his fighter wing , Von Richthofen sets out to fly again . With the help of a batch of new fighters from Anthony Fokker (Hurd Hatfield),the 'Richthofen Flying Circus' launches a counter attack against English aircrafts . On April 21, 1918, the Red Baron of Germany and the Black Sheep of the R.A.F. met in the skies of France for the last time.

Spectacular dogfighting , impressive scenario , fine star cast and memorable acting . Acceptable budget extended adventures produced by Jimmi T Murakami and Gene Corman about a maverick pilot and his partners undergoing risked feats on air and bombing on earth . Very good aerial actioner plenty action , tragic drama , fantastic cloudy scenes and breathtaking dogfighting . John Philip Law and Don Stroud show professionalism as crack fighter pilots , two ambitious young men assigned to dangerous missions . Top-notch support cast gives excellent performance as Stephen McHattie , Barry Primus , Ferdy Mayne and Hurd Hartfield as Fokker . Colorful cinematography by Michael Reed and rousing musical score by Hugo Friedhofer .

The motion picture is professionally directed by Roger Corman . After his period realizing poverty-budget horror movies as ¨Swamp woman¨, ¨The beast with a million of eyes¨, ¨Attack of the crab monsters¨, ¨Undead¨, then came the cycle of tales of terror based on Poe as ¨ House of Usher¨, ¨Pit and pendulum¨, ¨The raven¨ , ¨Tales of terror¨, ¨The masque of the red death ¨ , and Corman made his undisputed masterpiece , ¨X¨ , that won the Golden Asteroid in the Trieste Festival of Science Fiction Films in 1963 . Later on , he directed films as ¨Angels of hell¨, ¨The St. Valentine's day massacre¨, ¨The trip¨, ¨Bloody mummy¨, ¨Gas or It became necessary to destroy the world in order to save it¨ and of course ¨Von Richthofen and Brown¨, and finally (1990) ¨Frankestein unbounded¨ . ¨Red Baron¨ rating : 6 , acceptable and passable , definitively wholesome watching , Corman's achievement to have bent the wartime genre with nice results. Good and entertaining fare , it's a fairly watchable and spectacular film and results to be a good treatment of WWI flying aces .