Howard Hughes: The
Real Aviator is a documentary on the visionary and eccentric millionaire Howard
Hughes that focuses mainly on Hughes’ interest and work in the field
of aviation. Much has been made of Hughes’s playboy lifestyle, his
obsessive-compulsive disorder and his eccentric ways, but this
documentary never goes down the sensationalist path. This documentary
focuses on Hughes’s fierce determination and ingenious business savvy
to realize his dreams and feed his love of aviation.
The life story of
Hughes is narrated by Michael Ferreri as Howard Hughes himself,
narrating the story from his birth, through his tenure as the head of
a tool company at the age of 19, his various entrepreneurial
enterprises through his twenties and thirties taking him around the
country, his brief run as a successful Hollywood producer and starlet
scout, and (most importantly) his obsession with flying and the field
of aviation and how his success let him embellish this obsession. The
film intercuts this narration with interviews from Hughes’s surviving
family members and friends and uses a mix of footage and animated
stills to tell the story visually.
CRITIQUE
Howard Hughes: The
Real Aviator is an interesting film for anyone fascinated with this side of Howard
Hughes, the determined and ambitious man who loved to fly and succeed
in every aspect of his business enterprises. The film itself is
actually very short (which is welcome as the subject matter is not
exactly thrilling) and combines the raw footage, interviews, and
narration flawlessly. Having someone else narrate the film pretending
to be Hughes himself is a bit off-putting at first, but Ferreri does a
wonderful job of capturing the essence of the man.
But be warned, this
is not a film for anyone not truly interested in Howard Hughes. The
film does not cross boundaries the way many other great documentaries
have done to capture a larger audience than those just specifically
interested in the subject matter. This film is also not for viewers
that are only interested in the quirky, gossip-filled side of Hughes’s
life. The film dances around this subject without ever fully diving
into it, which is good or bad depending on what interests you in the
life of Howard Hughes (if anything at all). The focus is squarely on
his love of aviation and business savvy. I found this part of his
life to be interesting but not quite as stimulating as the other
parts. Here’s hoping The Aviator tells the whole story.
THE VIDEO
The transfer is
quite crisp and without noticeable flaws but the clips and old footage
looks very poor because of the source material (it is not the DVD
transfer that has the flaws). The video transfer is actually an
exceptional transfer.
THE AUDIO
The audio is a bit
of a problem with the disc. There are noticeable balance problems and
the sound from the old newsreels and footage are difficult to hear.
THE EXTRAS
The DVD contains a
multitude of interesting and detailed extras; the extras make up most
of the disc, as the feature is very short.
Hughes Conquers
Hollywood
– Nice extra that delves more into an area the film stays away from
but is a very interesting subject. This includes trailers for the
films Hughes produced, newsreel footage and discussion on some of
Hughes’s relationships with some famous starlets.
Hughes Takes on the
U.S. Government
– Rare and dramatic footage of Hughes’s Senate testimony about alleged
inappropriate profits gained from a government financed project.
Hughes really gets into it with some members of Congress and it gives
you a great sense of Hughes’s persuasiveness and articulation.
The Flying Boat:
World’s Largest Plane – This is some spectacular footage of Hughes’s most famous
creation, the Spruce Goose, a flying boat from its final assembly to
its test flight in California.
The Constellation
– Silent footage (with musical accompaniment) of Hughes’s passenger
plane that was the world’s first pressurized, piston driven airplane.
Interesting, cool extra.
Hughes in Flight
– Combines old newsreel and silent footage of Hughes piloting a
variety of aircraft with accompanying music. Some truly great
footage.
Hughes Aircraft
Facilities
– Tours Hughes historic air hangers in Culver City, CA. Very short
but interesting extra.
Extended Interviews
– This is all the interview footage that didn’t make it into the
feature, with more interview footage from the likes of Terry Moore
(Hughes’s wife), George Francom (Hughes’s personal aide), Jack Real
(Hughes’s friend), etc.. The interviews are all very informative,
frank, and interesting.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Howard Hughes:
The Real Aviator
is an interesting documentary focusing on one aspect of the
visionary’s life, but it leaves you wanting more and it is truly just
for Hughes buffs.
