High Journey

In this film, ten European countries (France, Italy, Greece, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Turkey) are photographed from low-flying aircraft against an evocative soundtrack, revealing the features of their ancient capitals, historical heritage and remarkable landscapes in a new dimension.

This could almost pass as an aerial visit the EEC film if it weren't already a visit NATO one - which explains the military escorts this travelogue gets as it takes us on a whistle-stop tour of continental Europe. Orson Welles provides the American input as the narrator and there are a few plucky British voices now and again, but otherwise this is aimed squarely at the Danes, Dutch, French, German, Italian and Turkish members of the Alliance as our journey shows us the grand sites of these nations, reminding us as we go along of their histories and their grandeur. Copenhagen, Paris, Berlin, Rome and Istanbul all look glorious from the air, and the Dutch penchant for reclaiming land from the sea also features as we take in the Alps and the snow-capped crater of Mount Etna poking through the clouds. Welles mixes up his commentary quite well - bits from classical literature merged with more modern epithets but it's all rather dry. A little humour would not have gone amiss here especially as these are all sights we have seen many times before - and probably with a more focussed and descriptive a narrative. It does feature some impressive aerial photography, but underwhelms I'm afraid.