Devotion (2022)

★★★
The U.S. military has long had non-white members in its ranks, though they were not initially seen as equals. It took people like Ensign Jesse Brown to break the color barrier and prove that they belong. His story is one of triumph and tragedy. He demonstrated his ability to fly a plane just like anyone else, but he endured heckling from fellow service members who should have treated him much better. Devotion is his story. It takes place during the lead up to the Korean War and follows a group of pilots through training, qualifications and finally the mission at the North Korean/Chinese border to take out vital enemy supply lines. Despite the hardship, Ensign Brown demonstrated his patriotism and commitment to the mission.

Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors) is a fighter pilot stationed at Quonset Point Naval Air Station. He gets along well with his immediate circle of pilots, especially Lieutenant Tom Hudner (Glen Powell), who finds himself fighting Jesse's battles, sometimes to Jesse's chagrin. He and his fellow pilots are conducting carrier training to qualify for an upcoming deployment. Jesse keeps his head up even under intense circumstances. Those not close to him treat him badly when all he wants to do is fly planes. He and his wife Daisy (Christina Jackson) ensure snarky remarks and dirty looks from their ignorant neighbors. Jesse lets none of these distractions deter him. He is determined to fight through the intolerance. Much like Jackie Robinson in 42, Jesse Brown has to fight for acceptance and demonstrate that he is an asset to his teammates.

The action shifts from the base to the aircraft carrier. The war has not started yet. A port visit in France proves that in Europe Jesse can't catch a break. A chance encounter with Elizabeth Taylor (Serinda Swan) shows that he can still find allies in the most unexpected places. She permits him entry in an exclusive club when the doorman refused him entry. A group of Marines proves more difficult to handle, though. Despite Jesse's skills—and with them an expectation that he might have to use them against a common enemy—his fellow service members only see his skin color. War is declared, and the U.S.S. Leyte is tasked to head to the fight. Jesse's unit gets a dangerous mission: blow up enemy bridges under heavy fire while being restricted from firing on Chinese targets on the other side of the border.

Devotion perfectly captures the look, the mannerisms, the dress, the fashions and the attitudes of a pre-Korean War United States. The flying scenes look fantastic. There's less in the way of battles and dogfights that we saw in recent war films like Roland Emmerich's Midway. This movie is focused more on the battles Jesse fought on the ground against sailors unconvinced of his worth. He had his supporters, though. Tom Hudner is a friend and colleague, though sometimes he overcompensates when defending his fellow pilot. Jesse has to remind him that he can stand his own ground. The black sailors on the Leyte look up to him with admiration. He represents a beacon of hope for future black sailors who aspire to perform less-menial tasks and be treated with respect.

Devotion examines the challenges of living in this era, as many movies have done, but Devotion is also a retelling of events that are largely unknown. The Korean War, called the Forgotten War, was short, but it was costly in terms of the toll it took on the land and its participants and the civilian population. Jesse Brown's role was but one component in the war effort that was fighting to beat back Communism, resulting in a long armistice that carries on to this day. He did his part to ensure freedom on South Korea's soil. During his mission, he defied expectations and plowed ahead into hostile territory because he knew it was important. He had a job to do. He treated the moment just like any other difficult situation placed in front of him.

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