THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
After being stunned of greatness that was Top Gun: Maverick, you would think we had a fair share of bold storytelling in the military perspective during 2022. Nevertheless, Paramount would surprise us again with Devotion.
PLOT
Based on the 2015 novel by Adam Makos, the film takes place in 1950 during the Korean War. Lieutenant Tom Hudner has transferred to Fighter Squadron 32 at Quonset Point Naval Air Point Station. There, he meets the only African American in the unit, Ensign Jesse Brown. As Hudner integrates well with the rest of the squadron, all are assigned with F4U-4 Corsairs, planes powerful enough to cause fatal accidents if not handled properly. During training, Tom would befriend Jesse by giving him rides home when the latter’s car would break down. Eventually, he would meet his wife Daisy and daughter Pam. The Browns live in a white neighborhood, which only results in them getting harassed by racist neighbors. Due to this, Jesse would motivate himself before missions by shouting racial abuse towards himself in the mirror. After the whole VF-32 squadron pass their carrier tests with the Corsair, they transfer to USS Leyte that deploys them to the Mediterranean Sea to deter Soviet aggression. Before deployment, Tom would promise Daisy that he’ll be there for Jesse. During the voyage, fellow pilot Carol Mohring (Nick Hargrove) dies in a crash after a failed attempt to land a Corsair. When Tom wonders why didn’t he follow instructions that could’ve saved him, Jesse assured him that following orders doesn’t always work for everyone, hence why he has made it this far in his career. When their unit has shore leave in Cannes, France, they enjoy themselves more than ever when encountering famous actress Elizabeth Taylor who invites them all to a casino she’s attending. After enjoying the luckiest night of their lives, the unit would later visit another bar. This would only lead to Tom defending Jesse from a Marine harassing Jesse. When they return to Leyte, Jesse makes clear that he doesn’t want anyone to fight his battles for him. After this, he would gifted a Rolex by the ship’s black crewmen that admire him. The day after this, Leyte would be deployed to South Korea and aid them against North Korea. By the time they get there, the fight becomes more difficult than expected upon learning China aiding North Korea. The VF-32 squadron get deployed to destroy a pair of bridges on Yale River that connect China & North Korea. They take out one, but are forced to retreat when the Chinese force them back. However, Jesse would disobey to take out the second bridge. During a whole other mission to support Marines at Chosin Reservoir, Brown would get crippled and crash land in the mountains of North Korea. Tom would try aiding him by putting out the engine fire, but would be unable to pul him out of the cockpit due to being trapped inside. Despite his efforts, he would be forced to leave him behind when a military helicopter picks him up. Upon returning to Leyte, he would be told by Lieutenant Commander Dick Cevoli (Thomas Sadoski) that rescuing Brown would be impossible due to it being deemed too risky to go back for him. Knowing that the pilot would die from his wounds, the VF-32 squadron would be sent on a funeral flight to destroy the downed Corsair’s, including Jesse’s. Months later, Tom would receive a Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman for his attempt to save his friend. On the day of this ceremony, he would give his condolences to Daisy, apologizing for not being able to bring her husband home. She would quickly forgive him as she remembered only telling him to be there for him. They would remain in amends with each other when Tom would share that Jesse’s last words were how much he loved his wife. The film would end with an epilogue, noting that while Jesse’s remains have never been recovered, his and Tom’s families have remained friends to this day.
THOUGHTS
I’ve always admired military stories, so I knew that I would get around this. So I was relieved to get to this one sooner than I imagined. And rest assured, I enjoyed this one as well. Director JD Dillard brought his own flavor of commitment with something so grounded, which is ironic for a movie of fighter pilots. With the editing and cinematography being well done together, you feel the action that ensues during the climax as well as the energy of the era this movie is set in. The said grounded aspect comes from this feeling of understanding, understanding that whether or not you'll be forgotten, it will always matter on when you choose to make a difference in the generation you live in. And when you decide to be a good example, you must be able to express it's good to be different because if not, it'll only be more difficult to succeed when you learn/act the same. You feel all of this through the fantastic dynamic of Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner whose chemistry was well executed thanks to the performances of Jonathan Majors & Glen Powell. Their friendship originates from the respect they have over witnessing each other live up to the film's title when it comes to the position they choose to be in. Majors had us create deep admiration towards Jesse for showing people to remain strong no matter the scenario. He boldly made used daily negativity as a source for inspiration and that is goddamn powerful in his position. Powell on the other hand showed Tom as a man who can't stop himself from helping people, which is far from a selfish thing to do. The more he spent time with Jesse, the more he respected how he had a stronger will than him. When he met his family, he knew he had something to live for just as much as he did, which made him committed to bring him back home until he couldn't. It was heartbreaking for Jesse to die the way he did when all he did was put others before himself. What really made me choke up though was Tom being grounded during the funeral flight because had he not, he would've died as well trying to save his friend. It is tough noticing someone leaving behind loved ones for a good cause, but it oddly becomes worth it when they share the same will. Christina Jackson was great in portraying Daisy as a wife strong enough to prepare for the worst, comfortable or not. She never asked Tom to bring Jesse home because she believed it to be too selfish of a burden to ask. It pleases me knowing that her and Tom's families have remained close to this day because it shows how strong friendship can be. If I'm gonna get it off my chest now, I was completely thrown off with the appearance of Elizabeth Taylor in the best way possible. Within the limited amount of time, Serinda Swan straight up became the iconic actress who owned the spontaneous attitude she was known for. Whether or not Jesse's squadron actually got to meet her, it was a pleasant moment to witness. To wrap up, Devotion is a well made military film for being very poignant of its kind. If you respect military stories, this is totally worthwhile.
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