The Flight of the Phoenix

This is plot 19 in the Hollywood Scriptwriters' Handbook ,its best - known antecedent being "Stagecoach".Take a group of strangers who would normally walk a mile over broken glass to avoid being in each other's company and put them in close proximity to one another in a perilous situation."Lost" is a more recent example. It's an interesting exploration of group dynamics and the evolvement of social hierarchies under pressure.Or it's a Boys' Own adventure story about the survivors of an aircrash in the desert building a fresh plane from the wreckage of the original one and flying to safety in it. If you still live at home with your mum and spend a lot of time in your room playing with your computer you may prefer the former description of the plot to the latter. Once you've accepted that they obviously aren't all going to die of thirst,it's just a matter of making a bet with yourself on which ones are going to be got rid of because the new plane won't be big enough to take them all. With the exception of grizzled veteran pilot Mr James Stewart,none of the survivors is safe from the dread hand of the grim reaper. An unsympathetic bunch,it is hard to care one way or the other about their fate. And they all overact alarmingly,including - unfortunately - Mr Stewart. Mr Aldrich elicits a "Jimmy Stewart" performance from the great man deep from within the actor's comfort zone.It's entertaining - indeed it's the most entertaining part of the film - but it's hack work all the same. After 2 and a half hours I was glad to get out of the cinema and down a pint of lager:"Ice Cold In Alex" - now that was a good movie about a mixed group of people in peril in the desert..................

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Trailer—The Flight of the Phoenix

The Flight of the Phoenix

Where as many films with star casts have failed, this one does not. This film oozes quality by the bucket load. It centres round the story of the survivors of a plane crash who attempt to build a plane out of the wreckage. The tension is apparent from the start with the heat of the desert alone almost driving the characters to madness. The combination of brilliant script and excellent acting brings to the fore a brilliant film. Ian Bannen, in particular, gives gives both grit and relish in his possibily his greatest screen performance.

I have just watched the 2004 version of this film, although entertaining and by no means a bad film, it lacks the realism and grittiness of this 1965 original. I found the 2004 film to be a sanitised version, it failed to convey to the viewer the intolerable heat of the desert and the desperate fatigue and water and food deprivation suffered by the crash victims. This original version also has minor sub plots and the characters are more complex and dare I say, better acted? This film was made at the tail end of when Hollywood still produced class films and used talented actors, who were masters of their craft and not just 'celebrities'.

I have seen this film maybe, 20 times over the last 30 years. It's one of the rare movies that entertains each and every time. Seeing movies like Flight Of The Phoenix only reminds me just how bad "Hollywood" has gotten. The plot. It is quite simple really. Survival. But how the writers, producers and directors mold the basic premise into a complex and compelling 2 hours of cinema is a delight. To watch Stewart, Finch, Attenborough, Kruger and company work in this movie is to see the difference between actors of yesteryear and movie stars of today. I am watching the movie as I type this and I'm watching Attenborough react to finding out Kruger's "secret". His laughter is both hilarious and pitiable. And the look of shock and confusion on Stewart's face says it all. As you can tell, I love this movie. I cannot vote it or recommend it highly enough. You would be well served to find this on DVD. Enjoy and happy flying.

It is not just because of Robert Aldrich Directing that this movie is a must see. James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, George Kennedy, and a fine cast have a lot to do with it. The solid material and script the film is based on has a lot to say for the film. This plane crash film tells the story of humans surviving and then trying to pick themselves up after a plane crash in the desert. Stewart plays the pilot and the hero but in an Aldrich type of scenario he is the anti-hero. He admits his error causes the plane to crash. As it is obviously an old plane there is some conjecture to it all being his fault but he takes the blame anyhow. The cast and direction here are excellent. It is great that Turner Classic Movies has started running this as I have to admit this is a film I had not seen. The film is a bit long though when you consider rebuilding a wrecked plane, you have to factor that in. The movie avoids the drag of length with sold performances and a good script.