THE CONCORDE AFFAIR
Italy, 1979, 96 minutes, Colour.
James Franciscus, Mimsy Farmer, Edmund Purdom.
Directed by Ruggiero Deodato.
An Italian production, with international settings including New York, London, the Caribbean. Filmed with gloss and with compliments to British air industries for collaboration with Concorde sequences, the film is an attack on the multinationals and their using of further destruction to their own financial interests. The Concorde is a threat to Latin American and South American air sales.
Joseph Cotten and Edmund Purdom embody very well, the villains in their New York offices. Hero is James Franciscus as a hard-bitten reporter who performs all kinds of heroics. Van Johnson appears as the sturdy pilot of the second stricken Concorde. There are all kinds of heroism, plots, saving of the Concorde by a phone link-up with London security. Brief, full of conventions, yet blending them quite well for undemanding popular entertainment.
1. The impact of the film in itself, entertainment, reflecting the trends of the seventies with the disaster films?
2. An Italian production and its values, international locations, international atmosphere? Colour photography, the score? Using the conventions of the disaster genre? Borrowing from such films as Airport 77?
3. Audience views on the Concorde and its use, its hazards to ecology, fuel usage, manufacture and money deals? The pros and cons? The film's praise and presentation of the Concorde, its thanks for technical cooperation? The technical aspects and security and safety of the Concorde and airports?
4. The attack on multinationals and their operations? The presentation of the personalities and their ruthlessness, the head and his shooting at the beginning, the management of the meetings, the paying of blackmail, the theory of war for protection of interests, the buying off of opposition? The motivation of the men? The critique of the multinationals?
5. The impact of the initial crash and the way that it was handled, the visuals, the human element? The irony of Jean and her surviving? The second crash and the repetition with the further explanation of the microwave oven, the failing of power? The security contacts, the simulation and the, discovery of the faults?
6. The focus on Moses Brody as hero, the hard-bitten reporter, his life in New York and his callous attitudes? His presence with the research for the Concorde crash? The communication from Nicole and the background of her being in Antilles, the fishermen and their rescue of Jean and the brutality of their deaths? Moses' arrival and the puzzle, George and the beating up in the alley, George's plan, the underwater exploration, George's death? Moses wanting to prove himself, failing to persuade the consul, the rescue of Jean, the danger hazards, the heroism and the rescue? The American reporter of popular fiction?
7. George and his relationship with Nicole, his helping and rescuing Moses, the underwater exploration? The lack of proof of the disappearance of the Concorde but the audience seeing it on video?
8. Jean's story? her being rescued, the photography and her being used for the blackmail, her escape attempts, her reaction to the rescue, the participation in the chases, her guidance over the telephone and Moses helping her to do this, the gratitude she received at the end?
9. The underwater photography, its contribution, the exploration, the fights?
10. The chase sequences and their conventions, the humour of the bank hold-up and the shoot-out?
11. The consul and his role, his collaboration with the search his disregard of Moses and his reputation, the attempts to find Moses and Jean?
12. The melodramatics of the link-up, the presentation of the Concorde in flight, the people on it, the various steps for the sabotage, the breakdown, the power failure? The safety of the Concorde? Moses and his role reassuring Jean after the dangers of the shooting and the chase?
13. The sketch of the characters on the plane, the variety of people, their reactions? The pilot and his control?
14. The happy ending with the safe landing, Moses and his farewelling of Jean, the company and their planning to buy off Moses, his counter-plans to expose them?
15. The use of the disaster trends and conventions, or popular audience enjoyment of these? The basic human values of life and survival, danger, heroism?
