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It seems so long since I've reviewed what I consider to be a 5 star film...maybe too long, so I decided to review one of my favorites in The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), a tense and wonderfully entertaining, character driven film about a small, yet diverse, group of men struggling to not only overcome the adversity of a harsh and deadly environment, but also having to come to terms with each other, the strengths and flaws inherent within themselves, to complete a nearly impossible task, one that will determine their very survival.
Based on a popular novel by Elleston Trevor, the film is incredibly well directed by Robert Aldrich (whom I'm a big fan of), who also did Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1965), The Dirty Dozen (1967), and The Longest Yard (1974), to name a few. The film boasts an impressive cast, including James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, and Peter `I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!' Finch. Also appearing are Ernest Borgnine, Hardy Krüger, George Kennedy, and Ian Bannen.
As the film begins, we see a small group of men, some military men, but mostly crewmembers who work on an oil field located somewhere in the Sahara Desert, preparing to leave by plane, one piloted by Captain Frank Towns (Stewart), a world weary airman who's found himself in the position of shuttling men and equipment between outposts in rickety contraptions that resemble airplanes, along with his navigator (who has a penchant for the booze), Lew Morgan (Attenborough). The flight begins well enough, but soon a sandstorm disables the engines, and the plane is forced to crash land in the desert, miles away from any type of civilization, including that precious commodity many of us take for granted being water. After a few days, and hopes of a rescue dwindle away, a German engineer named Heinrich Dorfmann (Hardy Krüger), returning from visiting his brother at the oil field, proposes a completely fantastic and equally outlandish plan of building another plane from the wreckage of the first. The idea is not well received, especially by Captain Towns, due to its' seeming absurdity, but soon it becomes obvious that this one in a thousand chance is the only one they have, as the alternative is to do nothing and allow the desert to consume them slowly, as they suffer from heat and water deprivation. Now it's a race to complete the insurmountable task of constructing a workable aircraft before their limited water reserves run dry, fighting not only the elements within the desert, the burning heat during the day, the freezing cold at night, murderous nomadic tribes, and the ever present sand (don't you hate it when sand gets in your clothes? I do...), but they must also face their own weaknesses, those now magnified as the ever present threat of death looms so very close.
While this film is listed as an action/adventure/drama, the main element that holds it together is the character driven aspects of the plot featuring those played by Stewart, Attenborough, and Krüger. Stewart's character seems locked in a tense battle of wills against Krüger's, as the realistic captain, concerned with the welfare of his charges, feeling the weight of responsibility, fights for control against Dorfmann, the pragmatic, analytical, and logical engineer with Attenborough's character squarely in the middle, trying maintain the peace and keep hope, along with themselves, alive. The rest of the cast does am extremely fine job in their supporting roles, and I especially enjoyed that of Ian Bannen, as the jovial pessimist, who could nearly always be counted on to provide a bit of harsh levity no matter the situation. The one thing I really enjoyed within this film, and reminded me a little of the Humphrey Bogart film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1946) in that as the story progresses, we see the characters stripped of all the superficial aspects they possess, as their true natures are revealed, for better of worse. Aldrich's direction is impeccable, giving the right amount of attention to all the various aspects of the story, and just generally really putting the viewer within the story, feeling not only the disparity of the situation as the characters do, but the hope and faith the men manage to maintain, qualities I believe to be brought forth from our own instincts of survival and self preservation. One thing I noticed is that the film has no qualms about killing off various characters, regardless of the actor's prestige. So often I've seen films populated with seemingly pointless characters, only to watch them predictably perish, but that's not the case here. There are a number of deaths, and not all of them anticipated. Not only that, but also a few characters who normally would have been marked for death in other, more traditional stories, made it through to the end. The film runs nearly 2 ½ hours, and some would consider that too long, but I really didn't notice as the time was used well developing the characters and creating a sense of empathy for their plight, and ultimately a genuine concern for their well being and a desire to see them succeed in their impossible task.
Presented here is a beautiful widescreen anamorphic picture, with the choice of either Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Dolby Digital 1.0 audio tracks, both of which sound clear and crisp. There's little in the way of special features, as all that's included are three versions of theatrical trailers for the film, one in English, another in Spanish, and a third in Portuguese. I've noticed there's a remake scheduled for release later this year, starring Dennis Quaid, Giovanni Ribisi, Hugh Laurie, and someone named Sticky Fingaz (I'm serious...that's his name...I later found out he was a member of the hip hop group Oynx, and has since appeared in quite a few films). All I can say is they've got their work cut out for them...
Cookieman108
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It's unfortunate that this review will never get much attention since Amazon groups all reviews of a film together. This review focuses on the very special Criterion release.
I first watched Flight of the Phoenix on TV during a Sunday matinee, or at least most of it. I probably watched it two more times before ever seeing the entire film. While not a perfect film, I have always held it in high esteem. I'm was a little surprised it took this long to get a proper restoration until I learned that it was considered a box office flop. The second I saw a pre-order for it on Amazon, I put it in my cart. I've been waiting patiently for 2 months for this film to arrive.
For suspense, I rate Phoenix up there with some of the best. It's not quite on the level of Sorcerer, but it is very nerve-wracking if you don't know the final outcome. I have never been a huge Jimmy Stewart fan. He epitomized everything I didn't like about Hollywood in that era. He always played unrealistic, moralizing characters. Phoenix was quite a change for him. I know he has done many other serious roles, but Phoenix really showcases his range and I admire him for taking the role. It's a truly great performance for Stewart. Attenborough has such a distinguished career that it's hard to say this is one of his best, but it's a very strong performance nonetheless. The only real dud is Ernest Borgnine in a truly cringe-worthy performance as a lunatic.
As for the Criterion presentation it's really good, but not exceptional. This is only a 2k remaster, but I don't believe a 4k remaster would have done anything more for the film. Colors look good and there is plenty of resolution, but there's also a lot of grain. I just finished watching the 4k remaster of The Godfather and, while there are only 6 years separating those two films, the difference is immense. I wish Phoenix could look that good, but this is undoubtedly as good as it will ever look.
Despite having sat through a 2.5 hour film and desperately needing to use the restroom, I couldn't finish before watching both documentaries. Unfortunately those and a trailer are the only film extras, but I suppose it's hard to find anyone with much first-hand knowledge of the production who's still alive. It's a little light on extras compared to something like an Arrow special edition or other Criterion releases, but I'm not disappointed. The documentaries were interesting and I had no idea Jimmy Stewart was actually a bomber pilot.
Even though this doesn't rank up there with the best Criterion releases, it's a strong effort and a great film so I'm overjoyed to finally have it in my collection. One final thing: there's an awesome easter egg in the box and probably the best supplement I've ever found in a Criterion release. It's paper cutout of the Phoenix. This more than makes up for the limited film extras and I was really surprised to find it in there.
I first watched Flight of the Phoenix on TV during a Sunday matinee, or at least most of it. I probably watched it two more times before ever seeing the entire film. While not a perfect film, I have always held it in high esteem. I'm was a little surprised it took this long to get a proper restoration until I learned that it was considered a box office flop. The second I saw a pre-order for it on Amazon, I put it in my cart. I've been waiting patiently for 2 months for this film to arrive.
For suspense, I rate Phoenix up there with some of the best. It's not quite on the level of Sorcerer, but it is very nerve-wracking if you don't know the final outcome. I have never been a huge Jimmy Stewart fan. He epitomized everything I didn't like about Hollywood in that era. He always played unrealistic, moralizing characters. Phoenix was quite a change for him. I know he has done many other serious roles, but Phoenix really showcases his range and I admire him for taking the role. It's a truly great performance for Stewart. Attenborough has such a distinguished career that it's hard to say this is one of his best, but it's a very strong performance nonetheless. The only real dud is Ernest Borgnine in a truly cringe-worthy performance as a lunatic.
As for the Criterion presentation it's really good, but not exceptional. This is only a 2k remaster, but I don't believe a 4k remaster would have done anything more for the film. Colors look good and there is plenty of resolution, but there's also a lot of grain. I just finished watching the 4k remaster of The Godfather and, while there are only 6 years separating those two films, the difference is immense. I wish Phoenix could look that good, but this is undoubtedly as good as it will ever look.
Despite having sat through a 2.5 hour film and desperately needing to use the restroom, I couldn't finish before watching both documentaries. Unfortunately those and a trailer are the only film extras, but I suppose it's hard to find anyone with much first-hand knowledge of the production who's still alive. It's a little light on extras compared to something like an Arrow special edition or other Criterion releases, but I'm not disappointed. The documentaries were interesting and I had no idea Jimmy Stewart was actually a bomber pilot.
Even though this doesn't rank up there with the best Criterion releases, it's a strong effort and a great film so I'm overjoyed to finally have it in my collection. One final thing: there's an awesome easter egg in the box and probably the best supplement I've ever found in a Criterion release. It's paper cutout of the Phoenix. This more than makes up for the limited film extras and I was really surprised to find it in there.
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