The Sound Barrier (Restored) (1952)
Manufacturer Code : OPTD 3004
Release Date: 11 April 2016
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Directed by DAVID LEAN and written by TERENCE RATTIGAN, THE SOUND
BARRIER is about the men who challenged the speed of sound, told from
the viewpoint of central character, Sir John Ridgefield (RALPH
RICHARDSON). The oil tycoon and aircraft constructor is determined to
manufacture a supersonic jet that will travel faster than the speed of
sound. Ridgefield’s desire to reach this goal has already led to the
death of his test pilot son (DENHOLM ELLIOTT), and his daughter Susan’s
(ANN TODD) fighter-pilot husband (NIGEL PATRICK). Shocked at the death
of her husband and her father’s disregard of human life in his
single-minded determination to achieve his goal, Susan walks out on
him. Unperturbed, Ridgefield approaches another pilot with the
challenge of piloting his test craft. The film marked a departure from
the domestic or literary concerns which had characterized the director
David Lean’s choice of subject matter to date. Its heroics pre-empted
his later films Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) and Lawrence of Arabia
(1962). EXTRAS • BFI interview with DAVID LEAN • Interview with
GEOFFREY WANSELL (TERENCE RATTIGAN Biographer)