Breaking the Sound Barrier

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Breaking the Sound Barrier

1952

1h 55m

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

15 Reviews

59%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

With a passion for aviation design and engineering, wealthy oilman John Ridgefield (Ralph Richardson) is determined to break the sound barrier with the aircraft company he owns. He has already lost his son in the pursuit, and his daughter, Susan (Ann Todd), resents her father even more when he chooses her husband, World War II pilot Tony Garthwaite (Nigel Patrick), to be one of the test pilots. Yet Ridgefield stands resolute in the name of scientific progress.

David Denby

The New Yorker

05/01/2013

The aerodynamic issues in the movie may now be antiquated, but the excitement and beauty of early jet aviation are still irresistible.

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Empire Magazine

05/01/2013

4/5

It's an interesting scientific-military soap opera, acted with stiff upper-lip restraint by a great cast, but Lean's visual sense really comes into play in the aerial sequences.

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

05/01/2013

4.5/5

This must be said about this picture: it soars far above its clumsy tag and it comes pretty close to being the most exalting of contemporary films.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

07/15/2020

7/10

This aircraft film directed by Lean is very exciting. [Full review in Spanish]

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

05/12/2020

3/4

One of the more overlooked achievements from the director of The Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia.

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Tom Cassidy

Common Sense Media

03/12/2020

4/5

Thoughtful and thrilling test pilot drama; moments of peril.

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06/09/2021

An absolute classic! The movie is a master class in movie making, superb cinematography and well acted too.

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08/13/2016

one of leans 'little pictures'

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04/05/2016

The subject matter sounds very boring, but the film does manage to bring some credible drama to what is essentially a film about testing jet engines.

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09/06/2015

David Lean at his most effective.

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02/09/2014

An exciting Lean film and unlike anything I've really seen from him before. It is a smaller scale to most of his best works but it contains plenty of thrills.

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06/08/2013

Love that movie. Ralph Richardson was so good!!

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David Lean

Director

Ralph Richardson

John Ridgefield

Ann Todd

Susan Garthwaite

Nigel Patrick

Tony Garthwaite

John Justin

Philip Peel

Joseph Tomelty

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Synopsis

With a passion for aviation design and engineering, wealthy oilman John Ridgefield (Ralph Richardson) is determined to break the sound barrier with the aircraft company he owns. He has already lost his son in the pursuit, and his daughter, Susan (Ann Todd), resents her father even more when he chooses her husband, World War II pilot Tony Garthwaite (Nigel Patrick), to be one of the test pilots. Yet Ridgefield stands resolute in the name of scientific progress.

Director: David Lean
Producer: David Lean
Screenwriter: Terence Rattigan
Distributor: Lopert Pictures Corp.
Production Co: London Film Production, British Lion Film Corporation
Genre: Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 21, 1952, Original
Release Date (DVD): May 27, 2008
Runtime: 1h 55m