Sound barrier (film)

After the end of the Second World War, the British Royal Air Force pilot Tony Gartveyt marries Susan, the daughter of a prominent industrialist and aircraft manufacturer John Ridgefield. The father-in-law introduces the son-in-law to a completely secret new development - a jet engine for the Prometheus fighter, which will be able to overcome the sound barrier of speed.

During the training flight Christopher, brother Susan perishes. Tony goes to work in the test-test firm as a test pilot and “lights up” with Ridgefield's enthusiasm. Susan is expecting a child and seriously objects to the dangerous experimental flights of her husband. With the next test, Tony dies. Susan leaves her father's house and stops with her friends - the families of Philip and Jesse Peel, where her son is soon born. A year later, Philip Peel, also a pilot working for Ridgefield, follows in the footsteps of Tony and after a while reaches the speed of sound on a new instance of the aircraft. Susan gradually realizes that the father is not driven by greed and cruelty, but by the desire for technical progress, the strict demands of the scientist towards himself and others. She and her son returned to the estate of Ridzhfield.

• Ralph Richardson - John Ridgefield
• Ann Todd - Susan Gartveyt
• Nigel Patrick - Tony Gartveyt
• John Justin - Philip Peale
• Dina Sheridan - Jess Peel
• Joseph Tomelty - Will Sparks, aircraft designer
• Denholm Elliott - Christopher Ridgefield, Brother Susan

• 1952 - 3 awards of the National Council of Film Critics of the United States : Best Foreign Film, Best Direction (David Lin), Best Actor (Ralph Richardson).
• 1952 - New York Film Critics Prize for Best Actor (Ralph Richardson).
• 1953 - 3 BAFTA Awards : Best Film, Best British Film, Best British Actor (Ralph Richardson). In addition, the tape was nominated in the categories of "best British actor" (Nigel Patrick) and "best British actress" (Ann Todd).
• 1953 - the Academy Award for best sound recording, as well as the nomination in the category “best script” (Terence Rettigen).

In addition to a good reception of critics, the film was accompanied by a large box office success, but over time it became the least famous film by David Lyn ^[2] . Modern observers point out ^[3] :

“Sound Barrier” is an interesting story with believable characters, well chosen by age, <...> which boasts impressive technical achievements, good work of a famous director and remarkable skill of experienced actors.

• film High Flight (United Kingdom, 1957);
• the film The Barrier of the Unknown (USSR, 1961);
• the film He submits to the sky (USSR, 1963);
• film Over the clouds - the sky (USSR, 1973).

• “Sound Barrier” (Eng.) On the Internet Movie Database  
• "Sound Barrier" (English) on the website allmovie  
• The Sound Barrier (English) on the Rotten Tomatoes website