BLIND FLIGHT
UK, 2004, 98 minutes, Colour.
Ian Hart, Linus Roache.
Directed by John Furse.
This is one of those films that are described as 'worthy' but which audiences generally choose not to see because they are based on true stories and people find them gruelling to watch. That is a pity, since Blind Flight is based on the account written by teacher, Brian Keenan, about his four years of being held hostage in Lebanon and the screenplay's adviser is British journalist, John Mc Carthy, who shared his cell for most of those years.
The film is particularly relevant in recent years with the world's fear of terrorism and the number of people abducted.
Ian Hart plays Brian Keenan, snatched in a Beirut street, hustled into the boot of a car, imprisoned, tortured and kept in the dark, both literally and figuratively for a great deal of the time, as to why he had been taken. Linus Roache plays John Mc Carthy, whose mother made a video message pleading with his captors to free him. There is no mention of government efforts to have the hostages freed except for Mrs Thatcher's declaration that governments did not deal with terrorist.
It is difficult to watch scenes of imprisonment, especially when so much of the time was spent in very confined and dark spaces. At times the captors are friendly and make concessions, for example about washing. At other times, they are cruel. Like the hostages, we, the audience, do not know
where the hostages are, why they are there and what might happen to them.
The attitudes and behaviour of both men, sorely tried and sometimes prepared to give up, show what the human spirit is capable of.
1. The film based on a true story? Brian Keenan and his co-writing the script? John Mc Carthy as being script consultant? The authenticity of the screenplay?
2. The reality of the abduction of Keenan and Mc Carthy in the 80s, in Lebanon, the political reasons, their treatment? The aftermath?
3. The opening with Margaret Thatcher and her comment on not giving in to terrorists? The hostages and the four and a half years of imprisonment? The captors finally letting them go? The end of the war in Lebanon? To what effect their imprisonment, the response of the British government? Allowing them to remain as hostages?
4. The basic situation: Brian Keenan, teaching in Lebanon, his Irish background? His moving away from home, the memory of his father and his not responding to him? The memories of his Irish upbringing, the flashbacks to the boys, his being the isolated boy? Not letting people see him cry? The Catholic boys? The Irish Protestant who went to work in Belfast? The comparison with John Mc Carthy, his English background, his mother appearing on the video asking his captors to spare him? His work as a journalist, his going to trouble spots, his own realisation of his self-centredness in pursuing his career? The two men finding themselves together in Lebanon?
5. The abduction of Brian Keenan, seeing him at his apartment, the swift abduction on the street? In the boot of the car? The range of people in the imprisonment? Screams, cries of torture, gunshots? Mc Carthy and his being put in captivity?
6. Brian Keenan, his character, his spirit and strength? His not reacting violently to his captors? His refusing to eat until he knew why he was there? His having to veil his eyes and not see his captors? His exercise regime? The possibilities for food, drink, cleanliness, toilet facilities? The psychological effect of being in isolation? His being moved, discovering John Mc Carthy? The relationship between the two, friendship, getting to know each other, having to share so much detail of their life at such close quarters? Mc Carthy's different attitude towards food and clothes, towards haircut and beard trimming? The talk, the suffering, the food, the reaction of their captors? Their being eventually moved to a larger room? The exhilaration of walking around it? Their sharing of memories? John and the video of his mother? The captors and their being generous, bringing the baby for them to see? Their being taken out of the city? The young boy and his use of power, beating Brian Keenan's feet? The complaint by John to the man in charge? The long years, the effect, the fact that they were together giving each other moral support? The possibilities for each for a collapse of spirit?
7. John Mc Carthy, his journalistic background, his being more robust at times than Brian Keenan, his own eventual collapse and Keenan helping him? The shared experiences over the years, his not being released at the same time as Brian Keenan?
8. Brian Keenan and his release, his wanting to talk to John before he left? The return to ordinary life, at home, in the pub in Ireland, the sense of isolation, feeling the aftermath and trying to adjust? The phone call in the pub, the news that John Mc Carthy had been released, going to the airport to meet him, the intensity of their reunion?
9. The captors, their being anonymous, the film not giving any background to the Lebanese war except to say there were factions? The two men not knowing of any intervention by their government? The captors giving Brian Keenan a copy of Time Magazine? Otherwise, their isolating them, treating them as prisoners, having them veil their eyes? Issues of food, sanitation, showers and cleanliness? The gunshots being heard in other cells? The men themselves, young, audiences not knowing anything of their experience? The genial young man and his turning on Keenan and beating his feet? Their letting their captives go?
10. The nature of abduction and its effect? Imprisonment, isolation, shared cells? Drawing on human resources of exercise and physical wellbeing, of mental wellbeing, of spiritual wellbeing? The importance of friendship in shared experiences?
11. This film as a portrait of survival and the human spirit?
