FILM CHALLENGE: 123) The Aviator

123) The Aviator

Director: Martin Scorsese

Year: 2004

Plot Summary: A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career, from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s.

It would be impossible to say that Howard Hughes lived anything other than a fascinating life. He was a millionaire who risked his entire fortune directing what was deemed in the 1930s as 'the most expensive movie ever made'. He flew around the world in a record breaking four days and later suffered a near fatal plane crash. He took on one of the most successful airlines in the world and came close to losing his sanity in the process.

However, as compelling as Hughes' life was, Martin Scorsese's big screen treatment lacks any focus or purpose. While a biopic like Capote was successful for using Truman's life story to produce a brilliant examination of the psychology and inner-workings of its subject, or while a film like Milk used Harvey Milk's fight to become to first elected homosexual in America to give an insight into the prejudice that many gay people suffered from in the 1980s, The Aviator doesn't have any motive, theme or intentions. We simply watch as things happen without any connections between them and without any meaning behind them. In many ways, therefore, Scorsese's movie is just the cinematic equivalent of reading through a person's webpage on wikipedia.

As a result, as the movie reaches its climax after three-hours, it would be understandable to find yourself questioning what it was all about and what the story actually was. Furthermore, because so little of The Aviator actually has any purpose, it's a film that's impossible to find entertainment in should you choose to revisit it like I did tonight.

Nevertheless, one thing that cannot be faulted in Scorsese's picture is the actual look of the film. It's obvious that he went to great lengths in order to make The Aviator as authentic to it's period as humanly possible. Everything from the art direction and make up to the $2 million dollar costume designs helps to place you right in the world of 1930s America. Moreover, ignoring a cringe-worthy performance from Ian Holm, the entire cast all do a decent job with what they are given from a poor and generic script.

But, in the end, does all of that amount to anything if there's no story? If there's no point or motive behind the movie? My answer would be no. Regardless of how marvellous it looks, The Aviator is still a highly overrated and painfully boring test of endurance that is among Scorsese's worst.

2/5

By Daniel Sarath with 1 comment