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The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Released in 1957 - "The Spirit of St. Louis" was a fairly entertaining bio-picture that closely covered the events that surrounded aviator, Charles Lindbergh's historical, trans-Atlantic flight (from New York to Paris) back in 1927.As I understand it - (director) Billy Wilder made a deliberate point of creating a film of simple, straightforward realism that stuck to the facts about Lindbergh and his world-celebrated flight.Here Lindbergh was presented as being a very real person who was repeatedly faced with many daunting challenges and doubts about his overall ability as a flyer.It was actor, James Stewart who played the Lindbergh character.And, even though Stewart was 50 years old at the time (playing a man half his age) - His sincere and believable portrayal was enough for me, as a viewer, to be quite satisfied watching him go through his paces in this dramatic production.

The first non-stop transatlantic flight was made by the British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Brown in June 1919, but for the next eight years nobody equalled this feat in a heavier-than-air machine, although two airships succeeded in making the crossing. To encourage the development of aviation, the New York hotelier Raymond Orteig offered a prize of $25,000 for the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a considerably longer journey than that flown by Alcock and Brown, whose flight was from Newfoundland to Ireland. (The French-born Orteig limited the competition to nationals of the Allied Powers in the First World War). As we all know, the Orteig Prize was won in 1927 by Charles Lindbergh (but only after several other aviators had died in the attempt). This film is the story of how he did it. (Tactfully, it omits Lindbergh's later role as a Nazi sympathiser, which tarnished his image as an all-American hero).The title is taken from the name of Lindbergh's plane, "Spirit of St. Louis". I had always assumed that St. Louis was Lindbergh's home city, but he was actually from Minnesota; the plane was so called because his flight was sponsored by a consortium of St. Louis businessmen. The plane, a high-wing monoplane, was purpose-built to a very odd design. To maximise the amount of space available for fuel tanks, it had no front windscreen; Lindbergh needed a periscope-style device to see forwards.The most curious feature of the film was the casting of James Stewart. Lindbergh had only been 25 at the time of his flight; by the time the film was made Stewart, in his late forties, was nearly double that age. He got the role because of his lifelong passion for aviation; he always said that the Lindbergh flight was one of the defining events of his youth and inspired him to become a pilot himself. (Stewart served as a USAAF pilot during the war and later served in the Air Force Reserve, reaching the rank of Brigadier General). I felt, however, that this casting rather detracted from the film because the screenplay stresses Lindbergh's youth and comparative inexperience and paints his flight as a daring, almost reckless, adventure.There is some attempt to create a sense of tension- Lindbergh battles to stay awake and has one nasty moment when ice starts forming on his wings- but this is ultimately unsuccessful because even today most people know- and in 1957, only thirty years after the event, everyone would have known- that Lindbergh's venture ended in success. It might have been more interesting if the film had told the story of the Orteig Prize itself and shown us something of the other competitors, particularly of the French fliers Charles Nungesser and Francois Coli who mysteriously disappeared over the Atlantic while attempting the more difficult east-west crossing, and whose story is not well known in either America or Britain. (Lindbergh, of course, flew from west to east, with the prevailing winds). The film was, however, intended as a patriotic epic, and there was no way in which Hollywood film-makers were ever going to allow two little-known Frenchmen equal billing with an American national icon. Even if they might have improved their film by doing so. 5/10

The classic tale of the salient events up to and during the much celebrated first non-stop flight from the US to mainland Europe, by dark horse contender Charles Lindbergh: the youngest, least experienced, least well financed, and only solo pilot of a small group of contenders from both sides of the Atlantic. As mentioned, several teams had already died or wrecked their planes attempting to win the $25,000. prize for first success. The remaining contenders were: the favored Columbia team, the Richard Byrd team, and 'unlikely Lindy'. In May '27, the Bird tri-engine America was still being repaired from a crash during a test flight. The single engine Columbia had recently set a new non-stop endurance record of 55 hours: long enough to make it to Paris and beyond under reasonably favorable weather conditions(not brought out in the film). Two pilots were planned to soon fly it to Paris. As dramatized, Lindbergh had tried to buy this plane some months before, as everyone agreed it had the best chance for a single engine plane, which Lindbergh insisted on. But, the owner wanted to try to win the honor for himself, so Lindbergh had to look for a company willing to make a smaller, cheaper, version, and eventually found such.What wasn't brought out in the film is that all 3 of these planes had a recently improved radial engine: the Wright J-5, and all 3 would make a successful flight from near NYC to France or Germany within a few weeks of each other! Thus, the real 'hero' of this incremental aviation milestone should be recognized as the developers of the J-5 engine! The fact that Lindbergh happened to accomplish this feat a few weeks before the others was a quirk of fate: hence 'Lucky Lindy'. The Columbia was quite ready to challenge Lindbergh, but squabbling between the pilots and owner about how to divide up the monetary reward should they win led to the cancellation of their planned simultaneous take off with Lindbergh! This drama could have been included in the film in place of some of the section detailing the construction of Lindbergh's plane, the episode flying with the priest and some of the filler portions of the flight. Also, the ending could have generously included a shot of newspaper headlines of Chamberlin's subsequent solo pilot flight of the Columbia to Germany, with passenger, and Byrd's subsequent flight to France, demonstrating that a tri-engine plane, with a 4 man crew, using the same engine, could make the flight. These forgotten flights demonstrated that Lindbergh's highly modified, bare bones plane and single occupant was not necessary to accomplish his feat, thus providing further hope that transatlantic flights carrying cargo and passengers would be forthcoming. But, as Byrd correctly predicted, it would be many years before technological and other advances would allow regularly scheduled transatlantic passenger flights in planes(as opposed to Zeppelins). In fact, regular land to land US-Europe flight schedules didn't begin until the conclusion of WW II! Although briefly lionized almost as much as Lindberg, both in Germany and the US, neither of the two occupants of The Columbia proved to have an ounce of Lindberg's perceived charisma, hence were soon forgotten by the media and public. Chamberlin would soon pilot the first successful takeoff from a ship, even without the aid of a catapult. This film didn't do very well at the box office, but has subsequently been elevated as a classic. Perhaps the salient features of the story were still too well known by the public. Perhaps the film was too long and had some rather boring segments. Perhaps many Americans were offended by Lindbergh's subsequent close association with Nazi-Germany and anti-Jewish sentiments. Perhaps many thought that Jimmy Stewart, at nearly twice Lindbergh's age, was too old to convincingly portray his youthful enthusiasm. Lindbergh preferred Anthony Perkins for the role. I thought Stewart was fine. I have already made some suggestions on how the film's interest could have been improved, primarily by toning down the hero worship, cutting out the least interesting or relevant segments, and substituting some scenes devoted to his worthy competitors.The hazards of Lindbergh's brief career as an air mail pilot, just prior to his quest for this fame is dramatized in the first portion. Several episodes of his prior experiences as a serious or stunt pilot are dramatized later as flashbacks during his epic flight. This was an excellent idea, with some comedic elements added. Although not much emphasized, Lindbergh credited his training as an army corp pilot as being the most important experience in preparing him for his epic flight. In the film, his experience as a mail pilot in bad weather is portrayed as being most important.The film dramatizes some of Lindbergh's key problems getting aloft and during the flight: the muddy take off strip after days of rain, just clearing the telephone wires and trees, icing of his wings and carburetor, periodic nearly falling asleep, and balancing the depletion of his 5 gas tanks. It fails to mention the importance of his periodic reductions in engine RPM setting with the gradual depletion of his fuel, thus extending his range. Also, since his plane didn't have a variable propeller pitch pilot control, it was critical to set the pitch just low enough to get airborne with his weight, but high enough to allow reasonably efficient utilization of fuel during cruising.

The picture often took on a carnival like atmosphere when it recalled some of Lindbergh's adventures in flying through the years.We literally see the problems he had with design and financing to attain his goal.Jimmy Stewart was perfect for the lead role as he always exemplified the "aw shucks" guy.Of course, the picture ends with a triumphant Lindbergh being honored with a ticker-tape parade up Broadway. Yes, it's true that the French went wild after he landed in their country.Note that Lindbergh's isolationist and pro-Nazi beliefs are not discussed in this film. To me, this would have given the film an opportunity to show what a first class stinker he was. Of course, the famous kidnapping and murder of his child is also omitted.