The Great Waldo Pepper: Redford's risky, oddly modern fable

Many viewers breeze past The Great Waldo Pepper when scanning Robert Redford’s filmography, perhaps put off by the quirkiness of the title. The film opens with a rambling, carefree energy as Redford’s Waldo charms, annoys and bolts from one half-baked aviation stunt to the next, often dangling thousands of feet in the air in planes that look held together by optimism.

What starts as a shaggy comedy gradually reveals something darker: a band of former World War I pilots who can’t replace the purpose and camaraderie they found in the skies. Flying ceases to be a hobby and becomes the one place they still feel like themselves, which explains why the stunts keep escalating even as the danger grows.

When Ernst Kessler (Bo Brundin) arrives, the rivalry feels sad and haunted rather than heroic.

waldo pepper, robert redford, ernst kessler, bo brundin, wwi pilots, aviation stunts, stunt flying, film fable, camaraderie, rivalry