The Flight of the Phoenix

Dir: Robert Aldrich

1965

*****

Robert Aldrich's The Flight of the Phoenix is the ultimate 'Against all odds' thriller. The story is very clever, as ingenious as the film's story itself. The role each person plays in the story is key though, with pretty much every character in society and human emotion represented. Some of the acting may have been a little over the top but it doesn't last long. The subtitles are part of what make the film so powerful; the contemptuous silence between Captain Harris and Sgt Watson, the quiet impatience of Dorfmann, the cutting jest of Crow. That said, the performances are big when they have to be and I would argue that Richard Attenborough's performance wins outright. His rage feeling every bit as real as it would be in his characters situation. An original and intelligent story, a dream cast with some brilliant performances and glorious direction. You can't really ask for much more!