Toward the Unknown story
A film about the dawn of supersonic flight filmed on location at Edwards Air Force Base.
11 total · 7 major · 4 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| belonging | major | Lincoln Bond felt at home in the Air Force working as a test pilot, after having spent 14 months as a prisoner of war and then sent home and put behind a desk. |
| fighting one's inner demons | major | Lincoln Bond was scarred from his experiences as a prisoner of war during the Korean War. |
| love triangle | major | Lincoln Bond, Brigadier General Banner, and Connie Mitchell. |
| old flames | major | Lincoln Bond and Connie Mitchell. |
| passion for flying machines | major | Major Lincoln Bond jumped at the chance to leave his desk job to become a test pilot for the experimental Gilbert XF-120 supersonic jet fighter. Brigadier General Banner was also enthusiastic about test piloting this aircraft. |
| romantic love | major | Lincoln Bond and Connie Mitchell. |
| sub-orbital spaceflight | major | Lincoln Bond is assigned to test pilot the rocket-powered X-2, which is designed to fly to the edge of outer space and back. |
| alcohol abuse | minor | Major Bromo had an alcoholic relapse. |
| coping with being tortured | minor | Major Lincoln Bond was captured during the Korean War and subjected to solitary confinement and psychological torture, finally cracking after 14 months and signing a confession used for propaganda. |
| trust in intentions vs. trust in judgement | minor | Should Brigadier General Banner trust Lincoln Bond, whose test pilot skills are not in question, when he urges Banner that he is of sound enough mind to handle test piloting responsibilities? |