SKYJACKED

US, 1972, 98 minutes, Colour.
Charlton Heston, Yvette Mimieux, James Brolin, Walter Pidgeon, Jeanne Grain, Marietta Hartley, Rosie Greer, Leslie Uggams.
Directed by John Guillerman.

Skyjacked was for a time banned in Australia as government officials and pilots feared its influence in the international climate of constant hijackings and the consequent dangers. However, it was shown widely throughout the world without any apparent repercussions. In fact, Charlton Heston was quoted frequently as saying that the film was highly moral and the ending served as a deterrent to would-be hijackers.

However, Skyjacked is a very enjoyable plane thriller in the vein of - The High and The Mighty; Fate is the Hunter; Airport. It has the same sense of inevitable success because the pilot is Charlton Heston. It makes some emphasis on a selection of passengers - this time the first-class group, with Walter Pidgeon and Jeanne Grain for older audiences, and some personal clashes and melodramatics with the skyjacker. John Guillerman is the director, a maker of such action films as - The Blue Max; House of Cards; P.J.; El Condor; Towering Inferno.

1. Was this a good adventure story? (Why are films of adventures on planes, ships etc., always so popular?)

2. In view of the international hijacking situations, was this in any way a dangerous film?

3. How important for the film and its impact was the fact that Charlton Heston played the Captain - someone who is always associated with reliability? Was his character well-drawn? Did the romantic flashbacks have any importance?

4. How was suspense built up? Was this well done?

5. Was the collection of passengers interesting? Why? Did it matter that the film focused on the small group in the first-class? Did these personalities contribute much human interest or not?

6. Comment on the relationships between pilots and hostesses.

7. Was the technical side of the film well done? Was there enough authenticity?

8. Did the Captain handle the tricky situations well?

9. The hijacker - what had gone wrong with him? Imagining himself decorated, his parents, paranoia? Did the black handle the situation well? Why did the hijacker have such a fear of authority?

10. How exciting was the diversion to Anchorage and why did the Anchorage authorities spoil the chance of ending the affair? What impact did these sequences have in the film?

11. Why did the hijacker want to go to Moscow? Did the Captain have any option?

12. Were you surprised at the suspicions of the Russians? How exciting were the sequences of the Russian jets chasing the plane?

13. Was the final clash between the Captain and the hijacker convincing?

14. How insane was the hijacker - why had he come to Moscow? Was his death inevitable? The irony of his death at the Russians' hands?

15. Was the whole film exciting, worthwhile? Was it mere commercialisation of a current trend? Do you think it would encourage skyjackers or deter them?

16. What light did the film throw on human nature - fears, hopes, survival, heroism, quick-wittedness?