‘Devotion Review: Jonathan Majors Pilots A Drama Thats Searing On Racism But RahRah About War
Squadrons of F4U Corsairs fill the sky in perfect formation, bullets piercing them, explosions and accidents galore; JD Dillard's Devotion is a very compelling war film. While depicting war so beautifully can detract from the "war is hell" vibe that most films strive for, Devotion takes a more romantic approach to its central conflict. Dillard paints the Korean War against the background of heroic deeds and masculine bonds, without considering the complexity of the geopolitical situation.
For high complexity it doesn't matter. As a war story, it's surprisingly light-hearted for modern cinema. The Korean War was a conflict to be fought out of "piety," not negotiable. In fact, the pilots behind The Devotion were mostly World War II pilots who graduated too late to see action in the so-called "Big Show" and got an itch to fly and defeat the enemy. A fighter for almost every cause.
Considering the time, this is not surprising. It's a little retro for a modern film based on this understated depiction of a brutal global conflict. Like it or not, it's probably just a matter of taste or values.
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But if you can go for a cool vintage military look, Devotion has some good ones. It's a stunningly beautiful production, and Jonathan Major's lead role as real-life pilot Jesse L. Brown, layered and impressive. As a black pilot in the 1940s, he endured an incredible amount of racism, so much so that he filled a notebook he carried with him, writing down all the horrible things white people said to his face. And he refers to it every time he feels the need for anger to cheer himself up.
Written by Jake Crane and Jonathan A. H. Directed by Stewart (scholarly adaptation by Adam Makos), Devotion hides much of the most overt racism, but Majors proves his influence. We see Brown code-switch, turning off different parts of his personality depending on who he's talking to. And when he meets his friend Tom Hudner (Glenn Powell), we see Brown struggle to open up to a white man who has no idea what he's been through and what he has to endure every day.
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Devotion, like everything else, is a movie about loneliness. Majors portrays Brown as deeply kind and private to his family, and his romance with his wife Daisy (Christina Brown, House of Night) is rich and loving. He's a great dad and definitely a decent guy. But at work, she is isolated among a group of co-workers, and when she feels she can trust Hudner not only with her mortality, but also with her real life, Hudner is inclined to leave her forever and into oblivion to guess. the realities of racism
The Majors are once again phenomenal, but Powell is struggling to keep up. A strong presence in his own right, the actor gets far more screen time than Top Gun Maverick, but just as little character development. We know very little about Hudner other than his special relationship with Brown. His interests are minimal, his view of the world narrow. Obviously, he exists to explain to Brown how to become a better ally. And by the time he does, it will be too late to be useful.
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Devotion picks up speed in the second half with dazzling aerial combat scenes and impressive choreography. Cinematographer Eric Messerschmidt (Munk) makes everything look great, but composer Chanda Dancy (Aftershock) does most of the hard work throughout the film. His catchy and emotional songs carry the film to its most iconic moments. It's a truly breathtaking soundtrack, turning the best scenes into giants for the audience to enjoy in classic Hollywood style.
There are moments of odd and memorable interest in "Devotion," such as the detour the film takes during a beach vacation in Paris where someone shows up out of the blue, but for the most part it's a straight shot with the majors' yet-so-fantasy war. leading lady Cookie. Small characters and straight WWII melodrama. Thomas Sadoski, in particular, plays a commanding officer that verges dangerously on parody. Throughout the film, he makes several appearances as Aaron Sorkin. always telling the truth, always extremely intelligent, never hinting at real humanity. Only wisdom and intelligence. You must have a "For Your Consideration" sticker on the uniform.
And yet. Every time the camera pans to the big leaguers, every time the planes soar through the deadly skies, and every time they reach the top, J.D. Dillard's film comes very close in size. As long as the rest of the movie doesn't get in the way.
Devotion hits US theaters on November 23rd via Columbia Pictures.
