After the land battles (Band of Brothers) and those at sea (The Pacific), Steven Spielberg e Tom Hanks they return to tell the events of the Second World War in a serial context as producers of Masters of the Air, new Apple TV+ series available from January 26th. An impressive project (the budget is estimated at around 250 million dollars) which confirms Apple’s ambitions for its platform and gives viewers the third chapter of what we can consider a serial trilogy, divided into three parts between land, sea and sky as Dunkirk Of Christopher Nolan (set during the same conflict, but dedicated to the heroism of the British troops).
Masters of the Air resumes many of the dynamics of its “sister” miniseries, telling the tragedy of the Second World War from the point of view of those who fought in it and taking advantage of a remarkable ensemble cast, in which some of the most talented young stars in Hollywood stand out. In this case, at the center of the story is the 100th Bomber Group, concentrated on the European front and in particular against the Nazi troops. Poised between introspection and heroism, but without ever leading to the glorification of war, Masters of the Air recounts the exploits in the field and the private lives of the soldiers, focusing above all on John “Bucky” Egan and Gale “Buck” Cleven, played respectively by Callum Turner e Austin Butlerclassic opposites that attract.
Over the course of the miniseries we learn to admire their courage in battle and to learn about their intimate fragilities, in a crescendo of emotions and pain that touches even the darkest pages of the history of the Second World War.
Masters of the Air: a sumptuous new serial war drama after Band of Brothers and The Pacific
For attention to detail, production effort and visual rendering, Masters of the Air it has little in common with most recent series. The one orchestrated by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and directed by directors of the caliber of Cary Fukunaga (No Time to Die) is real A-list war cinema, closer to Top Gun than to the most popular original series on the various platforms. A feast for the eyes, in which Spielberg’s hand can be perceived above all in the search for the unfashionable atmosphere of the great war cinema of the past, in which to combine spectacularity and introspection. On the other hand, it is certainly no mystery that the Nazis are the villains par excellence of Spielberg’s entire filmography.
There is no shortage of poignant moments, such as when the latent racism in the US Air Force is openly addressed or the atrocious risk to which these young men are constantly exposed is outlined. Unlike Band of Brothers e The Pacific, however, one has the feeling that the human and narrative material to deal with is excessive, with consequent time dilations on non-central implications and on the contrary some excessive superficiality in the characterization of some characters. Also noteworthy is some rhetorical excess, understandable and ultimately realistic in the dialogues between the soldiers, but decidedly intrusive in the voice-over, too often busy explaining the obvious.
A miniseries that raises the bar of quality on the small screen
The small defects reported, however, cannot diminish the significance of a miniseries which, like the previous serial excursions of the award-winning Spielberg-Hanks company. raises the bar of quality on the small screen, creating a visually sumptuous picture of ardor, sacrifice and desperation. A work in front of which it is difficult to remain indifferent, in which the sky becomes a canvas on which to tell through images and challenge technical and production limits.
A mention is due for the cast, in which in addition to those already mentioned they stand out Barry Keoghan (on the crest of the wave for Saltburn) e Joanna Kulig (unforgettable in Cold War), as well as children of art such as Sawyer Spielberg, Raff Law e Nikolai Kinski.
Masters of the Air is available from January 26 on Apple TV+, with the first two episodes out of nine total. The other episodes will be distributed on the platform on a weekly basis.
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