The Aviator

LEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, I got that out of the way. This one is my films and while I thought my wife liked it when she saw she said she had no interest in it when I bought it. Oh well, perhaps this is further evidence that I need to listen to here more or at least better.
For those who are unfamiliar with the film, Aviator is a biopic about the life of the eccentric and reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes. Along with Leo it boasts an impressive cast which includes Cate Blanchett, Alec Bladwin, John C. Reilly, Alan Alda, Kate Beckinsale, Jude Law and Ian Holm and is directed by Martin Scorsese.
The film itself is a sprawling impressive epic that is fueled by strong performances and fantastic visuals. Howard Hughes' life is that of a man who was born into wealth and spent every moment there after pushing the envelope and trying to take things further. We open seeing Hughes on the set of his film "Hell's Angel's." Hughes is determined to create a spectacle the likes of which has never been seen before on film and is willing to pour millions of his own money into doing so. The film makes him a star and becomes a playboy of sorts as he engages in relationships with Katherine Hepburn, Ava Gardner and Jean Harlow to name a few.
In his life outside of Hollywood, Hughes is determined to push the limits of aeronautics forward. We see him setting records for speed of travel and traveling around the world. His company is contracted by the U.S. government to develop war planes including the Hercules which may be better remembered as the Spruce Goose.
I'm not sure what it is Scorsese is saying about Hughes in this film. We see Hughes mentally breakdown as his eccentricities turn into compulsions. We see him take on congress and Pan America's monopoly for the right to fly commercial flights internationally. The film treats Hughes as a sort of hero and it sets up the head of PanAm Juan Trippe and Senator Brewster as sorta villains trying to tear down Hughes. The scenes were Hughes is meeting with Brewster's senate committee are set up to be a climax and we see Hughes fly Hercules when many believed it would never fly.
While the film wants Hughes to be a hero, it does not shy away from his flaws. His relationships with woman are superficial, he throws money around like it grows on trees and his compulsions turn him into a shell of the man he was in the beginning.
Like the film Amistad which I previously wrote about, this film does a fantastic job of telling a story whose historical significance has been lost over the years. And like Amistad, it doesn't completely convey the importance of the story the way you imagine the filmmakers see it. You watch and you know why it's important but it ultimate goes back to being one of the forgotten stories in history.
It is a film worth watching for the performances. I remember when Leo came out with Gangs of New York and Catch Me if you Can in 2002 and telling a friend of mine who was still caught up in the post Titanic "I hate Leo" backlash that both films were most sees. He refused because Leo was in them, but following the release of the Aviator he called me and said that Leo had won him over. The story is captivating and I perhaps it also shows how we take for granted the road that needed to be paved in order for commercial airline travel to be what it is today. But, I leave this film putting Howard Hughes back into the same historical place I found him before watching this film. This is not a historical film I would use in a history class, but it is an opportunity to watch great actors and great story tellers do what they do best.