Watch Burning Blue

"Burning Blue" is a riveting drama from writer/director D.M.W. Greer that explores the consequences of love and desire amid the strict social and structural hierarchy of Navy fighter pilots in the United States. The film delves deeply into issues of loyalty, friendship, and integrity, and how one’s personal and professional life can quickly become entangled in ways that can lead to trouble.

The story follows two Navy fighter pilots, Daniel Lynch (Trent Ford) and William Stephenson (Morgan Spector), who have spent years training together and formed a close bond. When a beautiful woman by the name of Susan Taylor (Tammy Blanchard), enters their lives, as an investigative journalist, their world - and their friendship - gets turned upside down. After a fling with Susan, Daniel realizes that he has romantic feelings towards William, and his whole world comes crashing down.

While the two try to maintain their friendship, societal pressures and military rules placed upon them are making their lives difficult. They are supposed to be the embodiment of disciplined, ultra-masculine soldiers, and admitting romantic feelings for one another is a serious breach of the military code of conduct. As they try to navigate the choppy seas of their emotions, they realize that their ship may be sinking as they become embroiled in a scandal that will rock their already unstable lives.

The film takes place in the late 1990s and provides a gritty and realistic portrayal of the homophobic attitudes prevalent in American society in the military. Based on the 1995 play "Burning Blue" by D.M.W. Greer, the movie paints a bleak depiction of how difficult it was for two gay men to live their truth at a time when active service members could be fired from the military for being gay. That political backdrop adds an additional layer of complexity to the experiences of Lynch and Stephenson.

The acting is outstanding, particularly by Trent Ford and Morgan Spector. They both deliver nuanced, multi-layered performances that illustrate the humanity behind their characters' struggles. Tammy Blanchard is also excellent as the journalist who sets the drama in motion. The love triangle between the three is both complex and understated, which makes the drama more realistic and compelling.

"Burning Blue" explores themes that still have resonance today, including social alienation, self-doubt, and the dangers of living a life that does not fit the mold society has constructed for you. And though it highlights the challenges of being gay in the military, it also zeroes in on the challenges that arise from pushing back against convention and authority more generally. It’s a remarkable film that resonates on multiple levels.

The visual aspects of the film are also worth mentioning. The cinematography is excellent, and the movie features a lot of breathtaking aerial shots of fighter planes darting across the sky. The editing is smooth and unobtrusive, keeping the pace of the film moving forward without any awkward transitions.

In conclusion, "Burning Blue" is a remarkable drama that captures the angst of coming to terms with one's sexual identity, while also highlighting the military's harmful and archaic attitudes towards homosexuality. It is a film that is both inspiring and heart-wrenching in equal measure, and it is not to be missed by anyone interested in complex human dramas with outstanding performances.

Burning Blue is a 2014 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 36 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.2 and a MetaScore of 29.