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The Sound Barrier
By Tom Cassidy,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Thoughtful, thrilling test pilot drama has moments of peril.

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The Sound Barrier
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What's the Story?
In THE SOUND BARRIER, a wealthy owner of an aircraft company, John Ridgefield (Ralph Richardson) sets his sights on breaking the sound barrier. He hires Tony Garthwaite (Nigel Patrick) a gifted RAF pilot who also happens to be married to his daughter, Susan (Ann Todd). In the pursuit of scientific progress, family tensions rise to the surface as tragedy unfolds.
Is It Any Good?
This is a masterfully balanced piece that celebrates test pilots as aviation adventurers but never ignores the feelings of those who are impacted by them risking their lives in the name of science. Directed by British legend David Lean -- Lawrence of Arabia and Brief Encounter -- the movie can be seen as a blueprint for Damien Chazelle's "Space Race" drama First Man. Despite being made 66 years prior, The Sound Barrier matches it blow for blow, even down to the flight sequences, which are just as thrilling and rattly at Chazelle's 2018 movie. The Sound Barrier's Oscar-nominated script by playwright Terence Rattigan is steeped in admiration for the story's dashing adventurers of the skies but feels wholly for the widows in the picture. Leads Patrick and Todd both won BAFTA awards for their performances, while the movie won Best Film and Best British Film.
The photography of The Sound Barrier is beautiful, with the wonder of flight lavishly shown with a sense of awe for an activity not yet commonplace for the general public. The roar of the new jet engines is impressive too, and earned the movie the 1952 Best Sound Recording Oscar. The movie is an ode to post-war progress -- the final shot of a telescope looking up at the stars and a model of a futuristic looking aircraft points directly to the next two decades of aviation exploration and man reaching the moon. An inspirational and heartfelt thrill ride even after all these years.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the scientific progress depicted in The Sound Barrier. Is it right that lives are risked as people try to explore and develop new technologies? What other examples of scientific progress can you think of?
Discuss some of the character strengths displayed? Why are perseverance and courage so important?
What difference has the jet engine made to the world?
Discuss the character of Susan. How does her story counter that of the heroic pilots? Why is this important to the narrative?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 22, 1952
- On DVD or streaming: August 11, 2008
- Cast: Ralph Richardson , Ann Todd , Nigel Patrick
- Director: David Lean
- Studio: British Lion Film Corporation
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: STEM , Science and Nature
- Character Strengths: Courage , Perseverance , Self-control
- Run time: 109 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Award: BAFTA
- Last updated: June 20, 2023
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