Flight - A Descent Into Hubris

T he year 2012 came and went, the elections are over and the Zombie Apocalypse, or worse, the fiscal cliff still haunts us.  In one of the last films of the year, Hollywood deemed it necessary to give us a lesson in choices to open our holiday season.  If you are looking for a review of the new Denzel Washington ('Man on Fire,' "The Book of Eli" film, I'll give you that and a bit more.  For openers, the MPAA rates this film ‘R' for a very good reason, this film is about a man whose moral compass is swinging somewhat out of control, like a plane without pitch control.  As just about everyone I know who talks about film has mentioned, this is director Robert Zemeckis's first live action film since 'Castaway' starring Tom Hanks back in 2000.  In the meantime, director Zemeckis has been working with some top animators to pull off films like 'The Polar Express.’  'Beowulf and 2009’s ‘A Christmas Carol.'  "Flight" is written by John Gatins (Real Steel 2011), and gives us a character study of a man who makes choices, that when seen by other characters in the film and the audience themselves, are clearly unwise, if not just downright wrong.  The character of Whip Whittaker is able to swagger away from his wrecks as if he blessed by some divine being.  ‘Flight’ is a study of hubris.

I am absolutely sure that the executives at Paramount have no reason to think that today's audience is looking for a moral lesson in choice and responsibility.  I am sure that they were looking for a film that would just make them millions of dollars taken directly from the moviegoers pockets.  However, 'Flight' is more than about money or greed; it is about pride, choices, and consequences.  Denzel plays probably one of the coolest characters in film today.  In 'The Book of Eli,' he was the humble servant of the Divine who, like the prophets of old wandered for many years on a spiritual journey to deliver the word of God to a place where that word can be heard by many.  In 'Man on Fire’, he is the tormented ex-CIA assassin out to redeem himself of the many sins of his past.  Washington's character pulls this off by sacrificing himself to save a young Dakota Fanning.  Probably the closest Denzel has come to the character of Captain 'Whip' Whitaker was that of Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling in ‘Courage Under Fire' back in 1996 with Meg Ryan.  The difference is obvious but subtle.  In 'Flight' Denzel is Captain 'Whip' Whittaker, the coolest (did I mention that before?), drunkest, highest S.O.B. that ever flew a commercial airplane.  John Goodman (who has been in just about everything) plays his too-hip-for-you 'friend/supplier/demon' and Bruce Greenwood (Start Trek - 2009) and Don Cheadle ('Iron Man 2,' 'Hotel Rwanda') play the team who are there to keep Washington's ass out of the fire.  Most people who come to see films like 'Flight' come because they saw the trailer where Denzel flies the airplane upside down.  Needless to say, what takes place in the remaining hour after the flight is just as riveting, The action is toned down, however, the acting, editing, and characters jump into high gear as we see how Whittaker, deals with the aftermath, his demons, and the NTSB inquiry into the days leading up to the crash.

Honnestly, Robert Zemeckis is obvious as he gives us musical cues to each character as they step onto the screen.  In some cases, one may wonder if he is a bit too condescending toward his audience, or, does he just want to make sure he gets his point across about the character.  Our antihero, Captain William 'Whip' Whitaker's thematic cue is 'Feelin' Alright' by Dave Mason from the time he was in Traffic, and sung by Joe Cocker.  The song not only plays well when Capt. Whitaker's swaggers into the cockpit after a night of partying with stewardess, Trina Marquez (Nadine Velazquez).  The lyrics hint at a man who is trapped and has a need to escape, and that man is Whitaker, and guess whom he needs to escape from?  Our captain has alcohol for breakfast and a coke chaser (read cocaine) to even himself out.  Arriving at the plane on a cold wet morning, he meets his co-pilot, Ken Evans played by Brian Geraghty ('The Hurt Locker,' 'Jarhead') as your typical Southern Baptist type Holy Roller.  Evans is clean cut and is put off by Whitaker's morning wake up routine of coffee, aspirin, and hits of oxygen.  Now for those of us who went through our twenties living our life on the edge -- this sounds perfectly normal.  People like this thrive on this type of lifestyle, they put on their shades and swagger into work and don't think twice about it - except that these people don't have 102 lives in their hands.

Actor/writer John Gatins ('Coach Carter,' 'Real Steel') has two storylines going during the first act.  The first, of course belongs to Whip and his adventures in the sky, the second belongs to Nicole (Kelly Reilly).  Nicole seems like your typical anorexic, tattooed, needle scarred, heroin addict.  Reilly's plays Nicole almost perfect in the sense, that she too like, Whip is trapped in a life filled with choices that are dragging her down.  We follow Nicole as she tracks down her next heroine score.  What Zemeckis shows us, is the stereotypical girl from the wrong side of the tracks who has some sense of morality.  Nicole, while begging for a hit of Heroine flatly turns down being in a porn film.  Nicole is messed up, but has some sense of morality.  While Nicole is shooting up some high-grade Afghanistan heroine, the Cowboy Junkies are heard in the background singing 'Sweet Jane.’  What Gatins and Zemeckis try to show us are two characters that are fated by their choices, and perhaps by a higher power to meet.  This is one of those scenes where Robert Zemeckis makes it painfully obvious as he shows the paramedics who are wheeling the overdosed Nicole out her apartment in a gurney as they, along with Nicole’s sleazy apartment manager take a second to look up into the sky to see Whitaker's plane is flying upside down.  In many ways, Robert Zemeckis spoon-feeds his audience details that are obvious to the most clueless viewer.  I find that insulting, however, because of the pace of the film, and the journey Whip, Nicole, and the audience are quickly taking, I will forgive the director for this.

Although Washington's Whitaker makes his own choices, he is not alone in making them. 'Flight' gives us several excellent, but brief, performance from John Goodman, as Whip's over the top drug dealer.  As Goodman's character -- Harling Mays -- saunters into the hospital telling the nurses that 'he is on list' while listening to, The Rolling Stone's 1968 classic 'Sympathy for the Devil.'  This song too, is very appropriate, because, like the devil, Mays doesn't cause Whitaker to make bad choices.  However, like Old Nick himself, he is there to ensure that those dark choices are made.  Goodman, in his several short appearances, also provides in this otherwise serious film, a touch of comedic relief.  What we find in 'Flight,' is a closer look at what we a moviegoers, and how filmmakers tend to gloss over - the aftermath of disaster.  I don't know how many main characters in the history of filmmaking have causes so much destruction in a film, and because they are the 'hero,' of the film, they walk away scot-free.  Think ‘Die Hard.’

Haling Mays is not Whitaker’s only enabler.  Bruce Greenwood serves as the pilot’s union representative, Charlie Anderson. Anderson informs Whitaker upon regaining consciousness in the hospital that essentially he has his back covered.  In entering into this relationship with Whip, he too enters the world as a co-conspirator in Denzel’s descent into deception.  Enter Don Cheadle as the lawyer brought in to get Whip out of the potential prison sentence for flying while impaired.  

While watching this film other flight disaster films also come to mind, such as ‘Alive,’ ‘Castaway,’ ‘Flight of the Phoenix, ‘Passengers,’ ‘Final Destination,’ etc. where the passengers struggle with trying to survive after the crash.  The difference here is that the person struggling to survive is the pilot himself.  There are many scenes where there is no action but intense conversations between, Greenwood, Washington and Cheadle volleying back and forth about right and wrong and Denzel always declaring himself the winner because he save 96 people out of 102.  Most people in today’s society would see Captain Whip Whitaker’s point of view, and there lies the problem.  In today’s society, being right seems to come down to a matter of opinion, and we root for Whip as he lies to himself.  We feel bored and annoyed as Whip attends an AA meeting with Nicole and has to listen to a guy talk about how he is an alcoholic.  We don’t care, we don’t want to hear him, we want to focus on how the hell Whip is going to stay out of jail.  Whip leaves the meeting with a look of annoyance on his face, goes off, and does what he always does… drinks to excess.  As William Blake said, “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.”  For Whitaker, the road is a bumpy one.

Robert Zemeckis paces his film, giving us equal amounts of fast pace action with moments of thoughtful introspection, giving the audience a moment to reflect on Washington’s performance, and his choices.  The scenes are crisp, to the point and while giving the audience that moment to breathe and allow them to ask the question:  Would I have done that?

For the most part, ‘Flight’ is peppered by Rock and Roll classics like the ones already mentioned but also including another Rolling Stones hit ‘Gimme Shelter,’ Bill Withers’ ‘Ain't No Sunshine,’ Marvin Gaye;s "What's Going On," and trying to sum it all up with Johnny Lee Hooker’s  blues classic, ‘Never Get Out of These Blues Alive.’  The music is blatant but helpful in setting the tone of the scene and describes the mood accurately.  Or maybe, too accurately. 

My favorite scene comes near the end of the film when Whitaker is found in a hotel suite passed out and hung over right before he is supposed to testify at a NTSB hearing.  A hearing that Don Cheadle’s character has gone through enormous effort in trying to prepare both the NTSB head investigator and Whitaker himself into steering the board into declaring the whole tragedy an ‘Act of God.’  What Cheadle and Greenwood come up is insane, wrong, and very funny.  Denzel’s performance during the hearing is worth watching as you see a man who is totally struggling with his conscience, his integrity, his demons, and the truth.  Flight is worth watching, if not for the story, but for Denzel Washington’s performance.  Like a man with both a devil and an angel on his shoulder, he tries to ignore both and go his own way only finding that he cannot serve two masters.  ‘Flight’ is a little over an hour and a half, and is a great film to rent or own.

Movie Data

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Year: 2012

Staring: Denzel Washington, Bruce Greenwood, Don Cheadle, John Goodman, Kelly Reilly

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Producer(s): Laurie MacDonald, Walter F. Parkes, Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis

Writer: John Gatins

Rating: R

Running Time: 138 minutes

Release Date: 11/2/2012

Final Prayer

Dear Lord, Thank you for giving me the strength and the conviction to complete the task you entrusted to me. 

Thank you for guiding me straight and true through the many obstacles in my path. And for keeping me resolute when all around seemed lost. 

Thank you for your protection and your many signs along the way. 

Thank you for any good that I may have done, I'm so sorry about the bad. 

Thank you for the friend I made. Please watch over her as you watched over me. 

Thank you for finally allowing me to rest. I'm so very tired, but I go now to my rest at peace. 

I fought the good fight, I finished the race, I kept the faith

- Eli's Final Prayer
From "The Book of Eli"

The Book of Eli, A Western, told as a Biblical Parable from the Twilight Zone

The Apocalypse comes and goes and the Apostle Eli spreads the word.

B efore you sit down and watch "The Book of Eli," starring Denzel Washington, put your thinking cap on and prepare for a spiritual journey across the sepia-tone ravaged land of a post-apocalyptic landscape.  "The Book of Eli" is a film for those who, when given the concept of a film as a framework, and then let the film speak to your heart, mind and perhaps your soul.  Denzel Washington is both producer and star, a thinly veiled attempt at telling a story of hope, amongst the hate and violence of the world.  Gary Oldman plays your typical big man in a small western town.  Washington delivers action, adventure, and the drama.  Gary Oldman provides the tension, and the two of them provide the thrill.

It is 30 years after a warhead explodes and rips a hole in the ozone layer, which allows gamma radiation onto the earth, destroying the ecology, and wiping out whole populations of humankind.  As a lone walker, Eli, travels from the East to the West on a journey that is both physical yet is also spiritual in nature. 

Encountering the wicked along the way,  Eli, armed with a machete, a pistol and a shotgun, stands as an avenging angel on the road to the west where he can deliver his precious object, a book that only Eli reads and only he can touch.  The immediate survivors of the war and the radiation blast they held a pogrom against the book that they believe that started the war.  The book in question, the book that started the war, the book that has started many wars is The Holy Bible.  Walking on a long, lonely road, he comes upon a woman whose cries for help attracts his attention.  Before coming too close Eli proclaims that without soap, one can smell their enemies over 30 feet away.  It's an ambush, and a biker gang surrounds Eli.  Taking on the leader, Eli warns the man that if he touches him again, Eli will not give him back his hand.

The leader takes the challenge and instantly finds his hand on the ground.  Ordering his gang to, "Kiss Him!”  Eli explains and corrects the leader, "He's in shock, and he meant kill him."

Washington is quiet throughout this movie only speaking a few words at a time, and wearing sunglasses through most of the film.  Surviving the ambush by taking out about eight thugs including one with a chainsaw, Eli continues with his trek.

Dialog is minimal through the first quarter of the film, Eli only speaking when spoken to, like when the woman who was acting as bait, asks him where he is going, Eli's reply is "West."

"Can I come?"

"No." says Eli.

Continuing his travels, Eli comes across a couple with all their earthly possessions in grocery carts.  Watching the couple from afar, as another gang of thieves attacks them, chanting to himself to, "Stay the course, their problems are not his,"   Eli continues until he finds a town.

Looking for a charge for his battery charger so he can keep his iPod alive.  He strolls into a town right out of the old west.  Saloon owner and mayor of the town, Carnegie (Oldman) has the ability to read, and knowledge of where the water is, he provides for the town who are essentially his slaves.  As Carnegie builds towns, he is obsessed with obtaining the one book that he feels that with it, he can use it to rule the people.  It is a symbol of power, and like the Catholics of the Middle Ages before the printing press, most people under 30 can't read.  In that sense, Carnegie plans to use the Bible to twist the words to suit his needs.  While at the saloon filling up his canteen with bartered materials, in typical barroom cinematic style, someone takes offence with him.  Offering several apologies for bothering the man's cat, the biker thief gets into Eli's face and pushes the issue; Eli slams the guy's head onto the counter, telling the man that his evil deeds of robbing travelers will be accounted for.  Then he takes on the rest of the bar, only stopping when Carnegie and his personal guard come have him surrounded.  In typical western fashion, the Boss wants Eli to join him in his search for the lone copy of the Bible.  Eli plays dumb, not acknowledge Carnegie's search for the Book; instead, Carnegie offers Eli to stay the night and sleep on the decision.  Eli, like the saints of old resists the pleasures of the flesh in the form of Solara, played by that "70's Show's" Mila Kunis.  Carnegie sends Solarain as a temptress to find out if he has the book or not.

Blending the classic western with a biblical parable is not in itself not a new concept, however, how Denzel Washington plays this role, is more like the apostle Paul, who was blind and now can see, and charged with spreading the word of God.  Eli is in the same boat.  Carnegie and his men confront the departing Eli, demanding the book.  Moreover, telling Eli that with the book Carnegie can rule his towns efficiently with less bloodshed.  Not dissuaded by Carnegie and his men, Eli walks through the town like Eastwood or Wayne, turning his back and walking out of the town heading west, Redridge (Ray Stevenson), Carnegie's second in command, and shoots at Eli, seemingly grazing him.  Carnegie screams for the rest of his thugs to shoot, they do, and a gun battle breaks out.  Eli pulling his pistol, unloading rounds into his assailants, pulling his shotgun, Eli takes out the rest including firing a shotgun blast into Carnegie's leg, causing him to limp.  During this battle with Carnegie, Eli wins, however, the viewer is sure that he was hit in the shoulder.  A goof? Perhaps it is.

Carnegie isn't the only human that Eli and Solara have found with a compromised sense of morality. George and Martha are the other two. Living in a house in the middle of the desert, the two are seemingly just an old peasant couple who live simply, are cautious, and have a horrible secret to hide.

The Apostle Paul had Luke as his disciple, and Eli has Solara. As the viewer, we get glimpses of the book, and it sure looks like a Bible.  On the cover, we see the cross on the front of the leather cover.  The book is locked by a clasp on the side.  Like the Bible itself, the lesson learned about the book is not so much what is in the book, but how much you take to heart.  When Solara questions why go west, Eli explains that, after the war, a voice told him to take the book to the west and so he is doing just that.  "There are things you don't question; you just take them on faith."  

The sepia-tone background serves its role well creating a depressing aura around the whole film.  The symbolism is there for all to see, but few rarely do.  "The Book of Eli" is a message of faith, a parable of using your talents and not hiding them away.  Finally, Eli is the last Apostle of God delivering his word of God to the world.  Oldman, like Ahab, consumed himself with the book only to find that he is not worthy.  And like Ahab the creature he obsesses over and finally attacks, attacks back wounding both his leg and his mortal should.  The pacing is slow at points; however, the intrigue of the book and tension of completing the journey drives Eli, Solara, and the viewer.  The Hughes Brothers take on deep material in "The Book of Eli," and they do a decent job of showing us a world where all there the only hope left in the world is faith.  The ending is a classic "Twilight Zone."

Movie Data

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller 

Year:  2010

Staring:  Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Jennifer Beals, Frances de la Tour, Michael Gambon 

Director: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes

Producer(s): Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Joel Silver, David Valdes, Denzel Washington

Writer: Gary Whitta

Rating:R

Running Time: 118 minutes

Release Date: 1/15/2010
Published originally on Associated Content by Robert Barbere on 1/17/2010