German soldier Bruno Stachel (George Peppard) abandons the trenches for the romance of aerial combat. Commissioned an aerial officer, he clashes with his squadron leader (Karl Michael Vogler), who considers him excessively ambitious, and Willy (Jeremy Kemp), an aristocrat contemptuous of Bruno's working class origins. But Bruno wins the respect of General Von Klugerman (James Mason), who makes him a proletarian propaganda tool. Soon however, Bruno's pursuit of the Pour le Merite (the titular "Blue Max") endangers his colleagues.
Director John Guillerman marshals an impressive production, mixing battle scenes with period recreations shot in Ireland. The infantry battles, handsomely dressed locations (especially Klugerman's luxurious headquarters) and Berlin bread riots are effective in their own right, maintaining interest between aerial combats. Only Ursula Andress, as Von Klugerman's wife and Bruno's paramour, seems misplaced in modern hairstyles and lingerie - adding sex to the omnipresent violence.
Blue Max rightly stands on its incredible combat scenes. Real WWI mock-ups strife and dive against Douglas Slocombe's widescreen canvas, equaling anything in Wings and Hell's Angels. Unlike say, Battle of Britain it's easy to keep pilots straight, keeping audiences engaged in the action. But Guillerman outdoes himself with the massed air raid coordinated with a ground assault. This jaw-dropping sequence ranks among the most impressive battle scenes ever. Accompanied by Jerry Goldsmith's sweeping score, Max is an exhilarating epic.
The interstitial material can't help being shakier. Blue Max's script (credited to five writers) probes class warfare conflicts familiar since Grand Illusion. Proletarian Bruno resents his peers' condescension, eager to outperform the stuffy Prussian blueboods. Interestingly though, Bruno isn't likeable himself; he's a boor who endangers his colleagues for personal glory. This conflict works fine, but the romance wastes time and the Bruno-Willy rivalry aborts just as it heats up. Max concludes with a pathetic tragedy that seems rushed and anticlimactic.
George Peppard makes Bruno an arrogant, driving antihero. Jeremy Kemp (Operation Crossbow) provides a study in icy contempt. James Mason lends dignity to his expositional role, but Ursula Andress is less character than sex toy. Karl Michael Vogler (Patton) gets a nice role as Bruno's resentful superior. Derren Nesbitt (Where Eagles Dare) and the ubiquitous Anton Diffring have smaller parts.
It says much for The Blue Max that it compels even when the story sags. Like most dogfight movies, it's more fun epic than deep drama. But war movie fans, aviation buffs and casual filmgoers should find plenty to enjoy.