Aces High

Aces High is a World War One film from 1976 directed by Jack Gold and starring Malcolm McDowell, Peter Firth, Christopher Plummer and Simon Ward. Croft (Peter Firth), a public school boy turned RFC officer, arrives in France to take over as Second Lieutenant of a British detachment. He has deliberately manoeuvred his way into this particular position in order to be with Gresham (Malcolm McDowell), an old boy from his school who has become something of a flying ace. Gresham however, is an alcoholic cynic whose brilliance in the air is at least partly due to drunken bravado. Over the course of a few days, Croft is introduced into various facts of life; sex, drink, horror and the hell of 20th century warfare.