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David Lean's third and final film with his wife Ann Todd was also his first for Alexander Korda's London Films, following the break-up of Cineguild. Prompted by a newspaper story, the film was fundamentally a tale of male courage in exploring the unknown, and the women who wait at home. With its exciting, if repetitive, flying sequences, the film marked a departure from the domestic or literary concerns which had characterised Lean's choice of subject matter to date. Its heroics look forward to Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962).
Lean devised some effective sequences, especially Tony and Susan's flight from London to Cairo, when the Alps and Greek and Egyptian antiquities are seen to the accompaniment of the jet's vapour trail in the sky, and the roar of its engine on the soundtrack. Also memorable is the prologue to Tony's fatal test flight, when he observes a bird climbing high into the sky before dropping like a stone towards the earth.
Distinguished playwright Terence Rattigan's script is strong when charting the difficult relationships of John Ridgefield with his daughter and his chief designer, but the domestic scenes between Tony and Susan, Phil and Jess, are weak. The mix of 'human stories' with supersonic thrills is an uneasy one. Renowned stage actor Ralph Richardson, who had appeared in several films for Korda, is a powerful presence as the ruthless tycoon and his two big scenes with Ann Todd are very effective.
The Sound Barrier was a great box-office success, but it is now rarely seen and has become one of the least-known of David Lean's films.
Janet Moat
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1. Flight to Cairo (4:42)
Monthly Film Bulletin review
