Águilas frente al sol: A Dusty Look at Old-School Aviation

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you are a completionist for 1930s Mexican cinema. If you need a tight, fast-moving plot, you’re going to be frustrated by how much time we spend just hanging out in barracks or watching people talk in stiff, formal poses.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s got that weird, grainy soul that makes you feel like you’re digging through a dusty archive in a basement somewhere.

Notes from the screen

The flying sequences are... well, they are definitely from a different era. You can practically hear the cardboard hitting the floorboards whenever a plane touches down. There’s a bizarre lack of urgency in the cockpit scenes.

I found myself getting distracted by the background extras. There’s a guy in the back of the mess hall scene who literally does nothing but stare at the camera for a full forty seconds. Nobody told him to look away, I guess.

There is a lot of posturing here. Everyone stands with their chest puffed out, chin high, like they’re trying to impress a statue. It’s almost exhausting to watch for an hour and a half.

Odd comparisons

Watching this reminded me of the stiff, earnest energy in Greater Than Fame, though with significantly more planes and less dancing. It lacks the zippy, clever editing you find in something like Sherlock Jr., which is basically an unfair comparison, but still—it’s hard not to notice how static the camera feels by comparison.

The dialogue? It’s heavy on the melodrama. People don't talk to each other; they deliver speeches at each other. It gets a bit much, especially when the music swells for no reason.

The verdict

It’s not bad, just slow. Like, really slow. Really.

If you like historical curiosities, go for it. If you want a movie that actually respects your time, maybe skip this one and stick to something a bit more polished. Or don’t! Maybe you love watching people stand around in uniforms. No judgment here. ✈️