THE AVIATOR by Martin Scorsese
December 15th, 2004 by Andre Soares
The Aviator (2004) 
Director: Martin Scorsese. Screenplay: John Logan. Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, Alan Alda, Alec Baldwin, Kelli Garner, Gwen Stefani, Ian Holm, Adam Scott, Frances Conroy, Willem Dafoe, Jacob Davich, Jude Law, John C. Reilly, Edward Herrmann, Stanley DeSantis
WHAT’S NOT GOOD FOR THE SPRUCE GOOSE. . .
Imagine Citizen Kane directed by Steven Spielberg. The final result would look something like a Barry Levinson film — for instance, the superficial and glitzy Bugsy. Or the superficial, glitzy, and bloated The Aviator. Except, of course, that Levinson is not the man responsible for the mega-production starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the eccentric, womanizing billionaire Howard Hughes. Strangely enough, that man is Martin Scorsese, the director of hard-hitting films such as Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and Gangs of New York.
Scorsese, a fan of Old Hollywood, apparently wanted to have some fun with the nine-figure budget that was provided for his latest opus. The director no doubt had a ball while making The Aviator, but whether he will be able to impart that joie de filmmaking to most moviegoers is debatable.
Clocking at 169 minutes, The Aviator tries to stay aloft, but like Hughes’ much-too-big and much-too-heavy Spruce Goose (aka, The Hercules), this cinematic jumbo can only keep itself on air for a few minutes. Central miscasting, a yearning to turn the conflicted protagonist into a (somewhat) conventional film hero, and an excess of glitz (so we won’t notice the story’s lack of substance) bring The Aviator down each time after takeoff.
Synopsis:
Having finished his bath, the boy Howard Hughes (Jacob Davich) is being dried by his strange mom. She wants to make sure he can spell the word “quarantine.”
Cut to the late 1920s. Howard Hughes is now a wealthy young Texan (Leonardo DiCaprio) — thanks to his deceased father’s money — living in Hollywood while directing the World War I aviation drama Hell’s Angels. When Hughes decides to shoot a spectacular air fight sequence, he does his own stunts up there in the sky.
Fearless in the air, Hughes is also fearless on the ground — at least as far as women are concerned. He picks up waitresses and actresses with equal aplomb, or lack thereof, considering his high-pitched voice that is made even more grating by a nasal Southern twang. The women, however, don’t seem to mind. Hughes is both boyish and filthy rich, and a dashing aviator to boot. Film star Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett) is one of the women who are enchanted by Hughes’s daring. They play golf together, eat together, fly together, and may or may not do together other things that lovers do — Hughes is averse to being touched by anyone for fear of catching germs.
Yet, Hughes is not averse to risking his life in other ways, as he becomes a record-smashing flying ace. He also gets TWA off the ground much to the dismay of rival Juan Trippe (Alec Baldwin), the head of Pan Am. When World War II begins, Hughes is busy doing some fighting of his own: against Hollywood’s film censorship board, so he can secure the release of The Outlaw, an outrageous Western starring Jane Russell’s breasts.
All the while, Hughes stays at the helm of his fast-growing business empire. One of his major clients is the U.S. government, for whom Hughes promises millions worth of military goods. And of course, his life is also filled with women such as Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale) and Faith Domergue (Kelli Garner), with whom the increasingly quirky billionaire has simultaneous affairs.
In the late 1940s, a horrific plane crash leaves Hughes in a state of shock. The dashing risk-taker starts going totally bonkers and becomes a recluse, but he is eventually saved by Ava Gardner, who gives him a life-altering shave.
At that time, a major battle erupts between Pan Am, represented by corrupt senator Ralph Owen Brewster (Alan Alda), and the Hughes empire, represented by Hughes himself. Senator Brewster accuses Hughes of having cheated the U.S. government, and the billionaire must defend himself or face ruin.
LES SOEURS FÂCHÉES / ME AND MY SISTER
THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON
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