THE MOVIE

For those of you who didn't grow up in hte 1970's, the experience of seeing "Airport" may be a novel one. See, before the rise and rise of the slasher film, and the rogue-buddy-cop movie - the disaster film was the genre of choice for mainstream filmmakers and film-goers. Generally given massive budgets, excessive running times, and ensemble casts, "Airport" is the granddaddy of them all. You may have heard of some of the titles that cropped up throughout the early 70's - "The Towering Inferno", or "The Poseidon Adventure" - "Airport" is incredibly similar in almost every respect.

One of the major differences is that "Airport" is not a simple tale of a disaster and it's consequences - but is, rather, a series of subplots woven together, surrounding a snowed-in airport, and a terrorist attempt over the Atlantic. The film is structured as a series of intersecting narrative pathways, involving failed marriages, adultery, deception, fraud, and - amazingly - a little old lady who manages to stow away on flights in order to see her daughter in New York. Normally, I applaud this approach to narrative - when it works, as in "M*A*S*H", or "Boogie Nights" - the results can be quite fascinating, as the actions of the characters impact on each other in often surprising ways. "Airport", however, is not what we could consider a "literary narrative". Despite being based on a novel, "Airport" wears it's intentions on it's sleeve - it is the proto-event film. It is "Armageddon" for the 1970's - and, interestingly, it represents the point in which the careers of filmmakers such as Herschell Gordon Lewis see their marketing approach to the art of film slotting nicely into the mainstream - what is in the film is more important than what the film is. As we watch "Airport", we want to see big-budget disasters - up close, and in detail. Unfortunately, on this level, "Airport" fails to deliver - as it seems confused between what it ostensibly is - a disaster flick, tailor-made for popcorn and drive-ins - and a literate, complicated ensemble piece. Both sides of the film's split personality seem to pull at each other - until they pull the film apart. The film is, needless to say, extremely dated - with a cheesy score, and little in the way of inspiring camerawork. Visually, it quite obviously comes from another time, and structually - it contains none of the irony-drenched, pop-culture referential dialogue - it is a film which is obviously rooted in the tradition of narrative realism.

That is not to say that "Airport" is a complete disaster (ho-ho). It is definately worth seeing for the historical significance of the film - for better or worse, it instigated the wave of Hollywood cinema that still exists to this day - films which are constructed to offer an audience thrills, rather than complexity, and which encourage voyeurism on the part of the viewer - the bigger the explosions, and the more epic the carnage onscreen - the more the audience enjoys and responds to the film. Airport also captures the final moments of a landmark career - it was Dean Martin's last real success (Unless you count the "Cannonball Run" films, which I would prefer not to), and he is a pleasure to watch, although his "Dino" persona has well and truly been laid to rest. It also marks one of the first major successes of Jacqueline Bisset, who puts in a serviceable, if unexceptional performance. Burt Lancaster is, as always, wonderful - and it may be my favourite performance of his, with the exception of 1983's "The Osterman Weekend" - which really needs to be transferred to DVD. As far as other performances go, the film has no real standouts - nothing on the level of Steve McQueen's tour-de-force in "The Towering Inferno".

What do we have here, then? We have a film which, although flawed, is historically important since it ushers in a new genre of film, and a new age of American cinema. It is horrendously dated, and will provide little entertainment to the current generation of cinema fans, but for those who enjoyed The "Towering Inferno" - or even the current crop of neo-disaster films such as "Independance Day" or "Armageddon", it is a history lesson which you may enjoy.

THE TRANSFER

Video:

"Airport" is presented in 2.35:1 widescreen, and is 16x9 enhanced. The transfer is relatively clean, although it appears washed-out, particularly with regards to the colors - which dramatically show the film's age. Edges are all relatively soft, and there is little evidence of film grain, which is remarkable given the 33 years since the film's release. Image artefacts are a problem, although I did not find them to be intrusive - a number of scratches and so forth, and a dirt mark or two. Overall, the transfer is acceptable, while not being outstanding.

Audio:

The soundtrack is presented in English and German, both in Dolby Digital 2.0. The soundtrack is serviceable, with dialogue being consistently in sync, and audible.

THE EXTRAS

Trailer: A 1.85:1, non 16x9 transfer of the original trailer which is hilariously dated, and quite forgettable. The abundance of image artifacts certainly does not help.
Nothing else in the way of extras, which is disappointing - although does keep in sync with Universal's current policy of releasing discs with nothing but a trailer.

SUMMARY

"Airport" is a film which, at this price, is worth seeking out if you are a fan of disaster films, or are a student of the Hollywood system. Casual buyers should beware - the film is very badly dated, and simply does not provide the thrills that it may have given audiences in 1970.