D III 88 | |
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Directed by | |
Written by |
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Produced by | Fred Lyssa |
Starring | |
Cinematography | |
Edited by | Carl Otto Bartning |
Music by | Robert Küssel |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Tobis Film |
Release date |
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Country | Germany |
Language | German |
D III 88 (sometimes written as DIII 88) is a 1939 German drama film directed by Herbert Maisch and Hans Bertram, the latter also co-writing the script. It stars Christian Kayßler, Otto Wernicke and Heinz Welzel. It was made as a propaganda film with the support of Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring, and was the last of a series of Nazi aviation films to be made before the outbreak of World War II. It was one of the most commercially successful films released during the Nazi era.[1] It was praised by Joseph Goebbels as "an irreproachable film of national destiny".[2] The title, referring to the serial number of the Albatros D.III flown by one of the characters in the World War I, was an attempt to re-inforce the propaganda link between the modern Luftwaffe and that of World War I.[3]
Two extraordinary young pilots engage in a competitive rivalry and also fight over the same girl. In an effort to show off both fly into a dangerous storm, damaging their planes and are suspended from duty. They are finally convinced by their commanding officer, a veteran of World War I, to use their talents in a more disciplined way for their country.