FLIGHT CREW

Russia, 2016, 128 minutes, Colour.
Danila Kozlovskiy, Vladimir Mashkov, Agne Grudyte, Sergei Romanovich;
Directed by Nikolai Levedev.

Flight Crew seems rather a quiet and unassuming name for this adrenaline-pumping disaster and heroism film.

In the latter part of the 20th century, the American film industry capitalised on so many disaster films, whetting the audience appetite for dangers that they could identify with, especially with airport and so many flight disaster films – which continued into the 21st century. More latterly, the Russian film industry has been producing its own disaster films. This one is quite competitive with American productions.

Because the film is so exciting, audiences will make allowance for the plausibilities and implausibilities of the plot – and there are many of these. The screenplay is humanised by its focus on the central characters. Young pilot, Alex, is shown to be quite genial, especially when he takes a stand against an official who uses a cargo plane for getting gift cars to a wedding and wanting to dispose of a cargo of charity goods. He loses his job and goes for another and is tested quite effectively in a sophisticated simulator. The officer in charge is rather disdainful but eventually hires him and becomes reliant on him.

There is also the touch of romance, a chance encounter between Alex and Sandra and his helping her with her locked-in parked car. There is a back story for the stern pilot, his being away from home, his relationship with his wife, the troubles with his teenage son who has moments of rebellion.

The next flight scenes to lull the audience into relaxing and watching commercial flights – though Alex does challenge one of the Russian Mafia who wants to drink cognac and smoke as the plane takes off. There is an episode indicating dangers when a flight goes to Africa and has to take off with fleeing foreigners leaving the locals storming the runway during a revolution.

But this is all to get us ready for the big moments, a rescue flight to an island which has been experiencing earthquakes, shattering the airport terminal, planes disabled – and this because of the eruption of a volcano which sends out fireballs and lava streams. There is chaos at the airport, plenty of panicking passengers, shouting and screaming, trying to escape…

There are heroics with minibuses amidst the lava, dangerous takeoffs, even more dangerous flights – and a mid-air feat which has to be seen to be believed. Even at the end we might wonder whether it was possible or not.

So, reasonably interesting characters, even more interesting situations, and even more exciting action sequences and special effects – but definitely not an in-flight movie!

1. The tradition of the disaster action film? Into the 21st-century? Contemporary stories, technology, heroism?

2. Audience familiarity with American conventions? The Russians and their use of the conventions? Similarities, differences?

3. The title, the expectations, the personnel, the characters in themselves, relationships, their work and their skills? The heroism?

4. The Russian city, the airports, commercial flights, terminals, cargo? Homes and the domestic sequences? The atmospheric score?

5. The special effects and action? The initial flight, the heavy plane, the buffeting, the dropping of the car into the lake? The simulation machine, the flights, the crashes? The ordinary commercial flights and the various cities visited?

6. Africa, foreigners allowed to leave, the locals and their trying to get onto the plane? Alex, his wanting to help, Leonid?

7. The island, the earthquake and its repercussions, the volcano, the lava, the buses and the crash, the fires, the airport and light, buildings tumbling? The cargo ship taking off, the commercial flight taking off, fires in the engines, the ash cloud? The action with the two planes, the transfer in midair, the basket, the loads, the people saved? The people falling? The difficulties of the landing, the storm, the crashes? The adrenaline for the audience?

8. The introduction to Alex, casual, on the flight, his decision about the charity goods, the car, letting the car drop? Losing his job? Applications for the new job, the encounter with Leonid and his severity, firing the pilot? In the simulation, showing his skills, Leonid asking for more difficulties, the simulated crash? Leonid and his being urged to do the same thing? Also crashing? Hiring the Trainee? Alex, the encounter with Sandra, her car, driving it out? The further encounters with her, the fact that she was a pilot? The relationship, its development? Alex and his being second pilot on the commercial trips, the African trip and his wanting to help? Mafia type, wanting cognac, smoking, his bodyguard, fighting with Alex? Leonid standing up to the authorities, being more favourable to him? The set up of the special crew, with Sandra, with Andrew, Vicki and the staff? Going into the island, the earthquake, his tough stances, taking the minibus, rescuing the people, the lava falling, the passengers escaping across the roof? Going to the plane, the takeoff, the fire, the reaction of the passengers? Vicki and her fascination with Alex? Andrew and his heroism with the minibus? His clash with Sandra, her being a pilot? The idea for the midair transfer, the execution, his holding the plane, his tension in landing the plane, unable to see? His father and the alienation? His father guiding him how to rescue the people? The pilots lining up, Sandra married?

9. Sandra, pilot, the first interaction with Alex, the comment about people’s reaction to a female pilot, second-class citizen? In action? In the backseat during the final landing?

10. Leonid, tough, dismissive, the test of the failure, his own crash, hiring Alex, their work together, his hiring Sandra? The volcano, his decisions, taking the cargo plane and rescuing the people? Collaborating with the midair transfer, going across on the rope? Helping with the landing? At home, his wife, being absent, the son and the conflicts, the son and his exercise, studies, the tutor for English, the sexual reaction, the reaction of his parents? Leonid taking him away for the month, his participation in the rescue, his heroism – and the final meal sequence?

11. The flight attendants, Vicki and her flirting, Andrew and Alex’s comment that it was a woman’s job? Andrew and his heroics with the minibus, with the transfer of passengers? Vicki and her attraction?

12. The managers, their attitudes, the man taking the cars for the wedding and dismissing the charity cargo? The owners, at the controls, Alex’s father? The decision about the final flight?

13. The impact of the quake, the lava, the fire?

14. The plausibility of the plot, the low flight, the wire, the basket, the doors, saving the passengers?

15. The range of passengers, familiar characters, those afraid, those heroic, children, young marrieds…?

16. The audience identifying with the ordinary people, the fears, the dangers, the landing and their being saved?