| 14th August 2006 05:12 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
HFX DAILY
Sunday, August 13, 2006
A tragic tale, or just tacky?
Films based on real-life tragedies can push the boundaries of taste, and not all have respected the limits
By Ben Carrozza
CanWest News Service
Adapting real-life tragedies for film is tricky - especially when you're a major studio exec looking to cash in big on someone else's misfortune. Timing is crucial. If you green-light a film too soon, people still might be too sensitive and the box office is going to suffer. After all, no one wants to pay to watch a film about a tragedy when they can watch the real thing on the news.
With the release of 9/11 "tribute" World Trade Center this week, director Oliver Stone may be pushing the boundaries of what is tasteful. We look at 10 other films based on real-life tragedies and decide if they're tacky or tragic.
Alive (1993)
Tragedy: A flight carrying 45 people (mostly a student rugby team) crashed in the Andes between Argentina and Chile on Oct. 13, 1972. During weeks without rescue, the 27 survivors faced countless hardships, including the sad reality of having to eat their dead friends to survive. The remaining 16 were rescued on Dec. 23, 1972.
The Film: The film, starring Ethan Hawke, was panned by most critics for its use of obviously non-Hispanic actors.
Tacky or tragic? Tragic. Alive holds up as a bittersweet tale of survival and the triumph of the human spirit under the harshest of conditions.
United 93 (2006)
Tragedy: United Airlines Flight 93 was one of four planes hijacked as part of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the only one that did not strike its intended target, instead crashing in a Pennsylvania field. It was later determined the crew and passengers had heroically attempted to stop the hijackers.
Film: Paul Greengrass's real-time drama attempts to recreate the events onboard Flight 93 leading to its eventual crash - events many feel can't (and perhaps shouldn't) be recreated.
Tacky or tragic? Tacky. While given countless favourable reviews, as the first major post-9/11 film, United 93 has a "too soon" and exploitive stink about it, no matter how well made.
Perfect Storm (2000)
Tragedy: In Oct. 1991, a powerful storm ravaged much of the east coast of North America, killing many fishermen.
Film: Based on the bestselling Sebastian Junger book and starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Diane Lane, the film follows the Massachusetts fisherman of the Andrea Gail, who were eventually lost at sea during the tempest.
Tacky or tragic? Tragic. Great acting from Clooney, Wahlberg and John C. Reilly helped rein in the histrionics of the big-budget storm effects (that studios very obviously used to lure moviegoers) and keep the film human.
The Hindenburg (1975)
Tragedy: The German airship Hindenburg exploded into flames while landing in New Jersey on May 6, 1937. Thirty-six of the total 97 passengers and crew died in the crash.
Film: This '70s ensemble cast extravaganza - featuring George C. Scott, Anne Bancroft and Burgess Meredith - creates a conspiracy behind the explosion involving spies, countesses and Nazis, to mixed results.
Tacky or tragic? Tacky. Speculative at best, the film's attempt to paint the disaster as some kind of anti-Nazi heroism is more than a little tasteless.
JFK (1991)
Tragedy: U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. While allegedly killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, conspiracy theories abound as to the real assassin(s).
Film: Oliver Stone's labyrinthine journey through the possible cover-up behind J.F.K.'s death resonated deeply in the conspiracy-addicted early '90s - winning big at the box office and earning eight Oscar nominations, including best director and best picture.
Tacky or tragic? Tragic. JFK presents Stone's obviously passionate case that a government cover-up of the assassination occurred.
Last Days of Pompeii (1935)
Tragedy: The ancient Roman city of Pompeii was destroyed in a cataclysmic eruption of volcano Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, burying it under lava and ash for 1600 years.
The Film: A good ol' fashioned 1930s talkie starring Preston Foster and John Wood as Romans in the doomed city living out its final days.
Tacky or tragic? Tacky. Not being very sentimental, old films with their bad sets, too much talking and static camera angles make us feel funny. Plus: no awesome explosions!
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Tragedy: On Dec. 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Over 2,400 US military and civilians were killed and 1,178 were injured, as well as 16 ships sunk, enraging the American people and bringing the U.S. into the Second World War.
Film: Director Michael Bay and actor Ben Affleck hoped to do for sensitive historical topics what they had done for hypothetical asteroid attacks in Armageddon with this film by the seemingly unstoppable team of producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Tacky or tragic? Tacky. Trying desperately to target "the kids" by hiding the horrors and moral ambiguities of war behind a sexy, simplistic face, Pearl Harbor is gaudy and ridiculous.
Helter Skelter (1976)
Tragedy: Over the course of two nights in August of 1969, members of an apocalyptic hippie cult known as "The Family" committed several brutal mass murders in Los Angeles. After a frantic investigation, police eventually arrested the murderers and their enigmatic leader, Charles Manson.
The Film: A chilling adaptation of the Vincent Bugliosi true crime best-seller. The film, despite its unintentionally campy voiceovers and off-putting semi-documentary feel still manages to inspire the necessary pathos and fear.
Tacky or tragic? Tragic. Only somewhat dated, Helter Skelter holds up as a solid true crime piece and a look into one of the most feared psyches of the 20th century.
Titanic (1997)
Tragedy: The "unsinkable" Titanic was one of the greatest sea vessels ever constructed. On its maiden voyage in 1912, it struck an iceberg and sank off the coast of Newfoundland. According to reports, 1,523 people died in the wreck that remained undiscovered until 1985.
Film: Director James Cameron's bloated epic of doomed forbidden love on the high seas is one of the most successful movies of all time, grossing over $1.83 billion US and winning 11 Oscars, including best picture and best director.
Tacky or tragic? Tacky. It's not really that bad, but we just think that whole necklace thing at the end was pretty lame.
Munich (2005)
Tragedy: Eleven members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually murdered by a Palestinian terrorist organization during the 1972 Summer Games in Munich. Five of the eight terrorists were killed and three captured by police during the disastrous rescue attempt.
The Film: The aftermath of the Munich massacre and Israel's quest for revenge sets the stage for Steven Spielberg's tale of political intrigue. Munich faced criticism for historical inaccuracies, most notably for being based on Yuval Aviv's false biographical accounts documented in the book Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team.
Tacky or tragic? Tragic. Despite being based on erroneous facts, Munich still portrays the fallout (both human and political) of the massacre with sensitivity and objectivity. The film also acts as a timely recognition of the significance the 1972 incident has played in modern Middle Eastern politics - one that grows more relevant with each passing day.
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| 14th August 2006 05:13 PM |
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| glencar |
What a dopey article. |
| 14th August 2006 05:16 PM |
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| egon |
titanic.
let's be honest;
we all were very happy when that F'in ship
finally hit the iceberg & started to sink.
And the fact that Leonardo died in the end,
was a little bonus as well. |
| 14th August 2006 05:17 PM |
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| glencar |
The denied Oscar nom was the icing on the cake! |
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