FIRESTORM

US, 1998, 89 minutes, Colour.
Howie Long, Scott Glenn, William Forsythe, Suzy Amis.
Directed by Dean Semler.

Firestorm begins as if it were to be a documentary along the lines of the 1952 Red Skies of Montana. It promises to show the courage and action of firefighters who parachute into the forest fires and the firestorms.

While it does this in some detail, it also shows a prison break and the track of the escapees with hostages through the fire area.

This means that the film is a combination of the documentary and the melodramatic.

Howie Long is the hero, going into dangerous situations to rescue people and finding himself involved with the prisoners. Scott Glenn is the veteran who is injured in an attempt to rescue a child from a burning house. William Forsythe is particularly villainous as the leader of the prison escapees. Suzy Amis is one of the hostages. Barry Pepper is a rapist who is part of the escape group.

The film is well photographed because the film has been directed by Oscar-winning (Dances with Wolves) cinematographer Dean Semler.

1. Entertainment value of the film? Documentary? Melodramatic prison break and pursuit?

2. The location photography, the American mountains, the forests? The burning forests? Rivers and waterfalls? The action sequences and stunt work?

3. The presentation of the firefighters, the training exercises, the demands made on the trainees, the decisions that had to be made as to who was fit and who was not? Wynt and his experience, the training sessions? Jesse as the core of the group? Monica and the presence of the women firefighters?

4. The team going into action, on the planes, camaraderie, the jumps parachutes? Landings, going into action? The rescuing of civilians? Calls for helicopter rescue? The burning house, the child inside, Jesse cutting the tree and using the log to get into the house, the search for the child, seemingly not there, in the dolls’ house, the rescue? The house falling in, Wynt and his being stuck, the injury to his leg?

5. The year later, Wynt as the instructor? His not going into action? Jesse and his regrets?

6. The prison scenes, Shaye, the background of his crimes, the other prisoners, his getting them together, the plan for the escape? The details of the escape?

7. The plan to escape in the forest, the vehicle? The log across the track? The pursuit through the forest? The killing of the other criminal? His being pushed over the cliff? The double-talk on the part of Shaye? The rapist? The taking of the hostages? The death? Jesse and his arrival, rescuing Jennifer? Jennifer and her confrontation with Shaye?

8. The dangers, Jesse and his injury? His rescuing Jennifer, her fixing his leg? Her background as an ornithologist? The eggs – and their later being hatched?

9. The action, Shaye and his executing the rapist? His pursuit of Jesse and Jennifer? Their going over the cliff, the parachute? Jennifer and her fall into the river? Jesse and his fall, the rescue? Their going downstream? The vessel, Shaye and his catching them?

10. The firestorm, the fires meeting, boiling the waters? Jesse and Jennifer under the boat? Shaye’s attack, their pushing him through the boat, his death?

11. The final rescue? Wynt and his coming in – and his death?

12. The overall effect of the film – as entertainment, the lives of the fighters, the prison break and escape? The documentary feel with the portrait of the people at work?