Aviator

Review by Richard Lee

Warner Home Video / 2004 / 170 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: May 24, 2005 

Specifications:
-DVD-Video
-DVD-9
-Region 1 

Aspect Ratio:
-2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen 

Audio:
-English 5.1
-Francais
-Commentary by director Martin Scorsese, editor Thelma Schoonmaker, and producer Michael Mann 

Subtitles:
-English 
-Francais
-Espanol
-Off 
Main Menu:
-Play Movie
-Scene Selections
-Special Features
-Languages 
Special Features:
-Filmmakers’ commentary on Disc 1
-Disc 2 special features to be covered at end of review 

Howard Hughes’ life story is certainly one of the most interesting of the 20th century. Here was a man who pioneered the foundations of modern air-travel, made the first blockbuster motion picture while at the same time, bedding Hollywood’s leading ladies. His inventions ventured into military applications, satellite transmissions, space exploration, and even had a hand in today’s adjustable hospital bed. But during this time with his involvement in all of this technological innovation, his personal world was diminishing because of what was then an un-diagnosed illness called obsessive-compulsive disorder that would later drive him into complete isolation in his later life. It is a wonder that it took so long for his biopic to be translated onto the big screen. 

In the capable hands of Martin Scorsese, “The Aviator” is a masterful achievement in recreating the golden age of Hollywood; in the thrilling sequences of Howard Hughes’ test flights; and his ultimate disintegration and self-imposed exile from society. Scorsese is so meticulous in his attention to detail that he filmed segments of the movie with the two and three strip Technicolor process that was used at the time. In doing this, the film’s look of the corresponding decade that was taking place would look the same way had it been filmed at that time. Regarding Scorsese, here is a man who has directed some of cinema’s greatest works; yet has been overlooked by The Academy time and time again; “Raging Bull” and “Goodfellas” should have given him matching Oscars to be used as bookends for his mantle. The way things are going, he may meet the same fate as another of motion pictures’ greatest over-looked directors, Alfred Hitchcock, who only after his prime received a life-time achievement Oscar, which many regard as little more than a consolation prize. 

Which brings us to the casting of this movie; the production team has done a superb job in casting all the roles save for the lead. Not to put down DiCaprio’s acting abilities, they are just fine; but his physical appearance is just plain wrong for this role. Poor Leonardo will always be indelibly stamped in my mind as Johnny Depp’s younger retarded brother in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”, and the years since that movie have not seen much of a change in Leo’s appearance. He still looks like he should be starring in a “Porky’s” sequel than a movie about Howard Hughes. Whether you believe Leo is a convincing Howard Hughes will either make you love this movie or ignore it entirely. Here is a man who should be playing teenagers, not larger than life adults; he just doesn’t look mature enough for the roles that Hollywood has been blessing him with lately. Didn’t anyone consider John Cusack maybe? As for Cate Blanchett, she is well deserving of the Oscar for her convincing turn as Katherine Hepburn. Kate Beckinsale, Alec Baldwin, and Alan Alda all give fine performances as, respectively, Ava Gardner, Juan Trippe, the head of Pan-Am Airways, and Ralph Brewster, Juan’s bought and paid for politico crony. Singer Gwen Stefani is little more than window dressing as screen siren Jean Harlow and Jude Law does a cameo appearance as Errol Flynn. 

So why was “The Aviator” passed over by The Academy? Scorsese might have figured it was a shoo-in by choosing as the subject of his movie an American icon who was such a prominent figure of the twentieth century; recreating old Hollywood was literally icing on the cake. And yet, a small film with barely any advertising, released strategically in a small number of theaters just before the deadline for Oscar consideration, and relying on word-of-mouth, swooped in and denied Scorsese another golden boy. Granted, as of this writing, I have not seen this little film directed by another American icon, Clint Eastwood, and has as its crucial plot device the theme of euthanasia, but Clint already has his Oscar for “The Unforgiven” and poor Marty is long overdue for his recognition. Does he have another “Goodfellas” or “Raging Bull” in him? We’ll have to see if “The Departed”, another Scorsese/DiCaprio collaboration currently in production will bring the award that has eluded him so far. “The Aviator”, if you can accept little Leo as big Howard, is grand entertainment in the old Hollywood style with a dash of “The Right Stuff” thrown in. If you are a fan of Scorsese’s work, this movie will not disappoint.
 
Picture Quality: 
Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen the movie is given the scope a cinematic spectacle deserves; particularly the flight sequences and the scenes in The Coconut Grove, the posh nightclub hangout of Hollywood’s elite at the time. As mentioned earlier, Scorsese shot “The Aviator” using the two and three-strip Technicolor process that used at the time and the results are immediately evident. The colors that come out are unlike anything else we are seeing today; everything looks painted with pastels, particularly teal which is a bluish-green hue. Look at the grass during the golf scene with Howard and Kate Hepburn – teal; the walls in Howard’s hanger – teal; even Howard’s eyes during close-ups – teal. The whole color scheme is meant to harken back to The Golden Age of Hollywood when Technicolor movies were vivid with rich colors and it certainly works, thus the Oscars for Cinematography and Art Direction. The picture is sharp and crisp throughout; black levels are solid with deep shadowing. 

Audio Quality: 
To preserve the maximum bit-rate for video, the producers of this DVD have decided to sacrifice a DTS track and it leaves me wondering how much of an improvement it would have been; but this well-authored DD track comes very close. The dialogue is always clearly audible; the sweeping music score by Howard Shore completely envelops the listener; directionality is well-defined and thunderous bass comes alive when aircraft engines are revving and during the horrendous crash sequence. 
Scenes for Demonstration Purposes: 
1. (15:00) – Shooting “Hell’s Angels”; (42:50) – Aircraft Speed Trial; (101:15) – Crash in Beverly Hills; (150:20) – Testing the Hercules (Spruce Goose). 

Special Features: 
Disc One features an optional audio commentary with director Martin Scorsese, editor Thelma Schoonmaker and producer Michael Mann. Recorded separately, Scorsese offers most of the information and his rapid rate of talking is at times overwhelming when trying to take it all in. 
Disc Two offers a wealth of featurettes into the making of the picture and into the life and illness of Howard Hughes himself. There is one deleted scene which is actually an extension of a scene between Howard and Ava Gardner that brings to light an interesting tidbit of Howard’s history not brought to light in the theatrical cut. 
A Life Without Limit: The Making of The Aviator is basically a Leo love fest with various cast and crew members spewing praise in turn. One interesting fact is how Scorsese came to cast Gwen Stefani; seeing her visage on a billboard, he said, “She looks just like Jean Harlow!” 
The Role of Howard Hughes in Aviation History is a featurette focusing on the contributions Hughes made to the aviation industry. We get real pilots commenting on how much is owed to Hughes’ pioneering efforts. The best part is old newsreel footage and interview footage with the real Howard Hughes. 

Modern Marvels: 
Howard Hughes is a History Channel documentary that chronicles Hughes’ life from birth to death, explaining his interest in building and modifying things even during his childhood; his move into Hollywood and the aviation industry. We get more footage of his movies, shots of his test flights and a glimpse at the government investigation and finally the Spruce Goose flight. 

The Affliction of Howard Hughes – An Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a featurette that takes a more detailed look at Howard’s OCD problem. DiCaprio offers his insights into the illness and how he spent time with a real sufferer to prepare for this role. There are interviews of people with OCD and information from medical experts, most notably how if Hughes received treatment that is available today, he would have conquered the illness and gone on to do even more great things.
 
OCD Panel Discussion in a live recorded event and therefore has poor audibility at times but offers more insights into the illness with Scorsese, DiCaprio, and most importantly, Hughes’ widow Terry Moore who relates anecdotes of her experiences with her husband’s illness first-hand. DiCaprio relates how his method-acting had him at times falling victim to OCD’s symptoms and his sometimes strange behavior on the set. 

An Evening with Leonardo DiCaprio and Alan Alda is a featurette with the two stars talking live about the production in front of what must be a film class. Alda talks of how shocked he was to receive the acclaim and Oscar nomination for his role and DiCaprio relates on how the life of Howard Hughes has captivated him since he was very young. They go more into detail about their characters and give the obligatory praise to their director. 
The Visual Effects of The Aviator takes a close look at the flight and crash sequences of the film, dissecting them with behind the scenes and green screen effects shots. It is surprising to see how much of these scenes were actually created using a computer. 

Constructing The Aviator: 
The Work of Dante Ferretti looks at the Art Director and his work on the film. Ferretti explains that this is his sixth collaboration with Scorsese and reiterates the meticulousness and attention to detail that the director demands. Most impressive is the fact that the production crew recreated a life-size replica of The Spruce Goose for this movie. Again, their efforts were rewarded with an Oscar. 
Costuming The Aviator: The Work of Sandy Powell shows the work that went into recreating the fashion that was popular for that time – another Oscar went to this department. 

The Age of Glamour: 
The Hair and Makeup of The Aviator takes a look at the hairstyle and makeup on the movie but is more an extended TV ad for Max Factor, who used many of the real stars of this movie to advertise their product. 

Scoring The Aviator: 
The Work of Howard Shore showcases the score and features interviews with the composer as well as behind the scenes footage of the orchestra in action. Shore states that he researched the musical styles that were popular in movies at the time and used them as a foundation for his score for this movie. 
The Wainwright Family – Loudon, Rufus, and Martha is a curious addition that spotlights Loudon and his children who make appearances in the film as nightclub performers. Loudon, the father, beams about the musical talents and achievements of his family who each represent a different era of music in the film. 
Finally, we get a brief TV spot for The Aviator CD soundtrack and a Stills Gallery that can be viewed as a slide show or advanced manually. As far as bonus discs go, this is about as in-depth and all-encompassing as they come. Practically everything you would want to know about The Aviator is included on this DVD.