While there are many reasons to love Masters of the Air, one aspect of the series in particular makes it a great watch, and it shares this detail with another amazing World War II project. Since 1998, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have been at the helm of some of the best World War II movies and series of the last few decades. Masters of the Air is only the latest in a long line of successful war dramas, including Band of Brothers and The Pacific. However, Hanks and Spielberg aren’t the only notable World War II directors.
In 2017, Christopher Nolan released his highly-lauded World War II film, Dunkirk. The film, which is based on a true story, follows Allied troops that become stuck on the beaches of Dunkirk as German troops make their approach into France. The story is difficult but inspirational, depicting the successful evacuation of approximately 330,000 Allied soldiers. Additionally, Dunkirk stands out because of the different stories it follows throughout, taking audiences from land to air to sea. Though their stories are quite different. Dunkirk and Masters of the Air share a tiny but important detail that makes them both outstanding.
![Masters Of The Air Repeats One Great Thing From Christopher Nolan’s Epic 7 Million War Movie](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/callum-turner-as-john-bucky-egann-masters-and-austin-butler-as-major-gale-buck-cleven-laughing-in-masters-of-the-air.jpg)
Masters Of The Air Just Did 1 Thing Band Of Brothers & The Pacific Never Could
Though Masters of the Air is a companion to Band of Brothers and The Pacific, the war drama did something in its 3rd episode that the others didn’t.
Masters Of The Air Relies On Brilliant Eye Acting, Like Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk
Because Dunkirk and Masters of the Air both include characters flying planes, the two projects stand out, not only for their regular acting, but for their eye acting. While this may seem like a somewhat arbitrary aspect of a performance, the eye acting that is prevalent in both Masters of the Air and Dunkirk truly makes the project. Because Tom Hardy’s character Farrier is mostly seen flying throughout Dunkirk, a majority of his screen time includes a mask. Therefore, without his incredible eye acting, audiences wouldn’t understand the emotions going through his character’s head.
The same goes for Masters of the Air. In episode 3, the 100th goes out on a mission that results in heavy losses and plane damage. Although the Masters of the Air cast is mostly wearing masks throughout the episode, how they are feeling is made abundantly clear via eye acting. Their mouths may not be visible, but their eyes portray the fear and panic they feel as their planes sustain damage and their lives become more in peril. This makes the episode much more terrifying and anticipatory, and therefore, effective.
Masters of the Air Actors | Masters of the Air Characters |
---|---|
Austin Butler | Major Gale ‘Buck’ Cleven |
Callum Turner | Major John ‘Bucky’ Egan |
Barry Keoghan | Lieutenant Curtis Biddick |
Anthony Boyle | Major Harry Crosby |
Nate Mann | Major Robert Rosenthal |
Ncuti Gatwa | 2nd Lieutenant Robert Daniels |
Raff Law | Sergeant Ken Lemmons |
Masters Of The Air’s Cast Is One Of The Best Parts Of The Show
![Callum Turner and Austin Butler as John Egan and Gale Cleven in Masters of the Air](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/callum-turner-and-austin-butler-as-john-egan-and-gale-cleven-in-masters-of-the-air.jpg)
Ultimately, Masters of the Air’s cast is one of its greatest strengths. Like its predecessor Band of Brothers, Masters of the Air has a massive cast, which can be risky if the characters are not introduced sufficiently. However, in just three episodes, Masters of the Air has proved that it has interesting characters played by talented actors. Thus far, there is not a single weak link in the project. Plus, the series is able to switch back and forth between characters and still maintain interest. This will likely prove to be a great foundation for the rest of the series.
Masters of the Air
- Release Date
- January 26, 2024
- Cast
- Austin Butler , Callum Turner , Barry Keoghan , Nikolai Kinski , Stephen Campbell Moore , Sawyer Spielberg , Isabel May , Anthony Boyle
- Where To Watch
- Apple TV+
Dunkirk
- Release Date
- July 21, 2017
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
- Cast
- Kenneth Branagh , Aneurin Barnard , Mark Rylance , Tom Hardy , James D’Arcy , Jack Lowden , Cillian Murphy , Harry Styles , Fionn Whitehead , Barry Keoghan