Writers: Lukas Heller (Screenplay), Trevor Dudley Smith (novel)
Stars: James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Hardy Kruger, Peter Finch, Ernest Borgnine, Ian Bannen, Ronald Fraser, Christian Marquand, Dan Duryea, George Kennedy, Gabriele Tinti
Flight of the Phoenix is quite simply one of the greatest movies ever made. It boasts an unbeatable cast, unreal cinematography, and some absolutely outstanding performances from famous and respected actors. I was gripped from start to finish. It is a suspenseful, emotional journey that not only paints a picture of the madness of men, but also some of the greatest qualities of human beings.
After a plane crash in the Sahara, one of the survivors says he's an airplane designer and they can make a flyable plane from the wreckage. They can either sit and wait for their water supply to run out, or attempt this seemingly impossible mission to live.
The greatest achievement in Flight of the Phoenix is the way the actors convincingly play their parts. They're men, stuck in the desert with a limited water supply and nothing but dates to eat. As days pass and the sun scorches their skin, it seems very unlikely that a search party is still looking for them. With a story like this, there's a fine line between subtlety and melodrama. Director Robert Aldrich found the perfect middle, with just enough drama and reality to make it seem like a perfectly real situation with actual human beings stuck amidst the chaos.
The technical aspects of this film are exceptional. I particularly adored the score by Frank De Vol, who managed to inject the feelings of panic, hope, excitement, tragedy, and a true intensity into the orchestral arrangements. One of the greatest moments in the film comes when the radio plays the song 'Senza Fine', sung hauntingly by Connie Frances. I shed a tear in this scene, because of the stunning performance by Gabriele Tinti, which was elevated to soaring heights by Francis' emotional rendition of the piece. As for the cinematography, I don't believe I need to say much about it. It's so spectacular that it left me speechless. It's kind of like Lawrence of Arabia 2.0, showing both a beautiful and horrifying side of the desert. This whole film is just so well-done, that nothing I say could possibly do it justice.
My personal favourite performance of the legend, Jimmy Stewart. |
Richard Attenborough... I just love you. |
Hardy Kruger shines with an all-star cast. |
Ronald Fraser, one of the MVP's. |
These three outstanding lead performances are enough to seal this as a masterpiece to me... but wait! There's more! Ernest Borgnine was the perfect embodiment of naivety and madness. Peter Finch was bloody brilliant at being poised, selfless, and strong. Ian Bannen was a wise-cracking, often funny, often insulting bastard (which subsequently got him an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actor). My favourite of these minor roles was from Ronald Fraser, who played a coward, a traitor, and a broken-down man. His scenes of hallucination, fear, and anger were superb.
What more can I say? Flight of the Phoenix is one of the best movies I've ever seen. You honestly can't beat a cast this good! It is so finely crafted, that you'd be hard-pressed to find fault within the film. I love this movie more than words can describe. It's one hell of a suspenseful ride!
A minor classic. 5 out of 5 stars is perhaps a bit generous, though it is a extremely compentently shot and acted movie.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a 5-Star movie without a doubt; A ‘man’s’ movie, filled to the rafters with fabulous actors and a superb script (yes, even as the premise, building a functioning single-engine scrap plane, is beyond unbelievable) Regardless, it’s a edge of the seat classic that could never be duplicated in the woke, politically stifling, 21st century.
ReplyDeleteWell, there is a 2004 remake, which is not great, but fairly similar to the original one. Not really woke either
ReplyDeleteGreat review for a great film re: Ronald Fraser: Does anyone know the musical tune which accompanied his character throughout the film??Frank de Vol’s score info doesn’t give any clue. It sounds like a rendition of ‘Humpty Dumpty’! but it could be an army piece. Any thoughts? It’s been a mystery to me for years now.
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