Flight of the Phoenix, The (1965)

reviewed by
Shane Burridge


The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) 148m.

I was mightily impressed with Robert Aldrich's enthralling story when I was a youngster and was glad to see none of its power had been diminished upon viewing it again as an adult. James Stewart is a pilot for an oil company whose cargo plane crashes 130 miles off course in the Libyan Desert. It soon becomes apparent to the small contingent of survivors that they are beyond any hope of rescue. When it appears they have no other choice, Stewart reluctantly agrees to go ahead with aviation designer Hardy Kruger's bold idea to construct a new plane by cannibalizing parts of the old one - if they can stay alive long enough to see their project through.

Absorbing study of men under pressure never flags: there is no wasted dialogue, no maudlin 'I got a gal back home' or 'I was gonna open my own business' soliloquies. There is always a conflict, a new plot turn, a grim revelation. It's grueling just watching the men in their despair, knowing that a stroll from the shade of their wrecked plane can mean death. The friction and tension between members of the group only exacerbates their situation (it's fun watching Aldrich's sweaty, confrontational closeups - you can almost see the testostersone dehydrating off them in the desert heat). There is no bonding of survivors here - if anything, they split apart and dislike each other even more intensely than when they were airborne. Stewart isn't interested in having us sympathise with his character - he's short tempered and stubborn - but some viewers may prefer him to Hardy Kruger's self-possessed designer (my favorite performance in the film). Their conflict is the hinge of the story, in which the need for leadership within the group is eventually distilled down to these two protagonists. Within the group two camps emerge, those who want to organize and assume some form of control, and those who are unwilling to do anything unless ordered (and even then do it begrudgingly). This highlights an interesting human/animal trait (is it purely masculine?), namely the automatic higher positioning of any one individual within a group and the behavior system's subsequent pecking orders and heirarchies. And in FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX's case, survival isn't necessarily only for the fittest.

Acting performances all around are magnificent. You'll admire Peter Finch's captain, one of the few truly likable characters. He's ably supported by Richard Attenborough, Dan Duryea, Ernest Borgnine, Christian Marquand, Ronald Fraser, and Ian Bannen. Who survives and who doesn't is almost abitrary by the film's end - you'll be more concerned about the progress of their rebuilt plane than the passengers themselves, especially at the heartpounding climax. Tragically, stunt pilot Paul Mantz was killed during these final scenes. Prolific novelist Elleston Trevor wrote the source novel, Lukas Heller the sharp screenplay.


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