The Perfect Storm

It’s 1991, Captain Billy Tyne (played by George Clooney) is the skipper of the Andrea Gail, working out of the tough port of Gloucester, Massachusetts where commercial deep sea fishing is a highly competitive industry. Billy and his crew have worked these waters for several years, but his operation has had a few rough months recently and Billy really needs to bring in a good catch soon. Although it’s getting very late in the year (October – and the weather can get pretty ugly), he hears that the fish are running and decides the potential harvest offers enough incentive to go out and bring it in. His five loyal crew would much rather stay on shore with their loved ones than venture back into the cold unfriendly Atlantic, but they each decide to join him on this potentially lucrative mission. On board with Billy are young Bobby Shatford (by Mark Wahlberg) who is keen and is in the first exciting flush of new love; Dale ‘Murph’ Murphy (by John C. Reilly) recently divorced and a devoted father; David ‘Sully’ Sullivan (by William Fichtner) a good crewman but hated by Murph; Mike ‘Bugsy’ Moran (by John Hawkes) who is reluctant to leave shore because he’s finally found a woman who likes him; and Alfred Pierre (by Allen Payne) the quietest of them all. As they depart from port, storm warnings start to come through, but they press on to their anticipated catch. Meanwhile, three weather systems collide off the coast of Nova Scotia that create a furious storm with hundred foot waves and fierce winds. It is the “storm of the century” and it strikes with virtually no warning. Out to sea, Billy and his crew have mechanical problems on board and they must change course quickly, which means they are stuck out there with this “perfect storm” between them and safety. They must face the treacherous stormy high-seas and try to make it home, at the same time they pray for rescue …

 

This movie is great – it is a true story. The tough life of working a fishing trawler, the difficulty of intermittent on-shore relationships and the emotional investment in dealing with such dangerous work in the unpredictable sea and forces nature is depicted superbly. Those “left on shore” are played very well by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Diane Lane, Bob Gunton, and Karen Allen – we really feel the anxiety and uncertainty in these people’s lives. I had little knowledge of this true-life event, so the story doesn’t go where I thought it would, but that made it better. It’s a very good movie – I wouldn’t venture onto the high seas again for a while after I saw it. The men in the Andrea Gail are courageous beyond belief.

 

This great drama is based on the best-selling book by Sebastian Junger,

Made in 2000. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen

 

Raiders of the Lost Ark

It’s 1936 and Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford), our intrepid archaeologist and part-time professor is hacking his way through the South American jungle to retrieve a priceless solid gold archaeological relic from a booby-trapped ancient cave. He gets his hands on the idol but only for fleeting moments, until his arch-rival French archaeologist Rene Belloq (by Paul Freeman), steals it from his grasp as he is held at poison arrow-point by a tribe of South American indians. Indi escapes with his life, but without the idol and he curses Belloq’s victory over him this time.  We next see the mild-mannered, bespectacled Professor Jones teaching class in downtown USA, when his colleague Marcus Brody (by Denholm Elliott) accompanied by US government officials approach Indi to ask him about the The Ark of the Covenant – a biblical artefact that is said to hold the key to human existence. Indi is engaged to find The Ark, knowing that given the Nazi unrest in Europe at this time, others are equally as keen to find it and harness its power for their own evil ends. Indi must first retrieve a medallion with a clue to the Ark’s whereabouts from his old friend Abner Ravenwood, whose daughter, Marion (by Karen Allen) manages to tag along with Indy. The hunt takes Indy and Marion across Asia, Europe and Africa – crossing paths with Belloq and the Nazi’s time and time again – in an adventurous cat-and-mouse search. Indi must find The Ark, keep hold of it and then to return it for safe-keeping to the US. Easy plan … if only it were that simple …

 

I really love this movie – it’s one of my all time favourites.  It’s just a good old adventure – there’s no swearing, little violence, few special effects – but good ones (for the time) and just a hint of romance.  The dialogue is cleverly witty and the whole thing is just an entertaining jaunt into Boys Own escapism.

 

I’ve been a fan of Indy ever since I heard him say those immortal words “I hate snakes, Chuck!!” … There are two classic scenes in this movie that always stick in my mind (yes, even thirty years later …). The first is a scene relatively early in the movie when a sword-wielding Arab has Indi cornered in a Cairo Bazaar – he’s waving his sabre around with reckless abandon, the razor-sharp blade getting closer and closer to Indy at every swing – then Indy just takes out his revolver and shoots him … The second scene takes place when Indy and his search partner Sallah (by John Rhys-Davies) are peering into a deep tomb and Sallah says ” … Indy, why does the ground move?” …. Indy just mutters to himself… ” Snakes … why did it have to be snakes??? ….” – that makes me laugh every time!.

 

The score is great and the stirring theme music evokes imagery of adventure, thrill-seeking and heroics too. 

 

Enjoy!

 

“Raiders” won the Academy Award (Oscar) in 1981 for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction and Best Sound Effects Editing.

 

Made in 1981. Directed by Steven Spielberg