FLIGHT FROM ASHIYA
US, 1964, 100 minutes, Colour.
Yul Brynner, Richard Widmark, George Chakiris, Suzy Parker, Shirley Knight.
Directed by Michael Anderson.
Flight Prom Ashiya is a conventional action drama from the 60s. It has wide screen colour and a star cast headed by Yul Brynner . It is interesting in its showing of air rescue operations but it is conventional material, bland war adventure with personal flashbacks. The film was directed by Michael Anderson - at times a hit and miss director. His films range from The Dam Busters and Around The World In Eighty Days to The Shoes Of The Fisherman and in more recent times to Logan’s Run and Orca.
1. Audience interest in the plot and characters? The quality of the film? The adverse criticism by critics? the screenplay and the structure?
2. Audience response to the screenplay, the basic plot, the flashbacks, the flashbacks within flashbacks? the impact of the flashbacks and their melodramatic position? The revelation of character in this? Confused, clarifying?
3. The importance of the initial tribute wide at the beginning of the film and the end? The heroics seen in this light? Convincing and important?
4. How much dramatic tension was there? Because of the rescue and the role of the men, their work? Or because of the flashbacks?
5. The atmosphere of the initial accident of the ship at seas, the men gathering together to take off, the interrelationships, the flight the crash of one plane into the seas, the diving on the part of the rescuers, the getting the other plane on the water, the happy ending? the tribute to those who were dead via the presence of Mrs Cooper?
6. How was Stephenson the hero of the film? Piecing together the events of his life and career: his work in Manilla, the earthquake rescue, Caroline's intrusion in his plans meeting her again, the quality of their affair, her pregnancy and their marriage, the illness and the Japanese refusal to help and its impact on Stephenson? the death, his prejudice and his warnings, his toughness? His treatment of the other men? What did he learn by his experience in this incident?
7. The importance of the flashbacks to Germany and the rescue? heroism of the men, decisions and seeming to play God? Stephenson and his awareness of Takashima as a Japanese? The importance of Gregg, wanting to return, the comment of the boy scout, his causing the avalanche, the effect on Gregg and his re-landing, Stephenson
Ordering him to go up again? How did this affect the three men?
8. How well drawn was the character of Gregg? His memory of his attempting to rescue people in Germany, blaming himself and Stephenson? His participation of the rescue?
9. How interesting was Takashima? His seeming to drown in the water, the flashback to Tunisia, his love for Leila, the family, wanting to marry her, the war and their leaving, her death? His work with the Air Rescue, friendships, especially with Lucille?
10. The portrait of the ordinary men, their wives? The personal issues in this background?
11. The human values behind this action adventure? Strength of its achievement, the weaknesses?
