View it with an open mind to what the filmmakers intended.

Rating: Null/10 (28 March 2005)

"The Aviator" is director Martin Scorsese's ambitious biographical account of Howard Hughes' life as a wealthy director-cum-aviator in the late 1920's through the 40's, with Leonardo DiCaprio as Hughes.
The film begins with Hughes already embroiled in his first motion picture, "Hell's Angel's", a war-drama that took four years to produce and was re-shot due to the discovery of audio! For its time it was the most expensive film ever produced. Hughes, after making a few more features, mainly focused his attentions on his airline corporation.
DiCaprio skillfully portrays a young wealthy man brimming with confidence and inspiration. His acting goes to new heights as he depicts Hughes' struggle with his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The supporting cast is outstanding, particularly Alan Alda as a corrupt Senator (on the payroll of Hughes' detractors) and Cate Blanchett as the late Katharine Hepburn, who was one among many of Hughes's love interests. Blanchett gave a performance that was Hepburn in every way. What was more exceptional about Blanchett's performance was that she went beyond what we saw of Hepburn. Blanchett brings emotions and humanity to a person who led quite a secluded life for a star of such status.
This lengthy biopic, abounding with vibrant characters and embracing a massive scope, loses sight of its goal or any overall vision and begins to wander about aimlessly. What we have left is a skeleton of what was first presented to us. I'm not criticizing Scorsese for sparing us emotional crying scenes. For this I admire him since his pictures tend to be darker and more insightful towards the lives of those who hold power and then lose it in a downward spiral because of their own faults (similar to classic Shakespearian tragedies). Once Hughes hits rock-bottom Scorsese lets us linger in his insane private world for too long. The acting suffers from this since DiCaprio repeats himself during these sequences. All that is left is the beautiful cinematography and score. Scorsese does finally attempt to rekindle the excitement at the end when Hughes successfully flies a mammoth plane (which took years to build) and is also brought to Senate hearings for allegedly wasting government aeronautics funds during World War II. All of which comes too late to salvage our interest. After it's all over the story is wrapped up with Hughes descending further into paranoia and seclusion. He ultimately became a recluse until his death in 1976 from a kidney failure.
What is "The Aviator's" goal? We initially think it's to accurately portray the life of Howard Hughes, who was a very powerful and mysterious figure in society. This can't be so since Hughes is said not to have been so affected by his disorder during the period which the film is set. Also, the attention given to Katharine Hepburn is strange considering her relationship with Hughes was brief and he was also involved with countless leading ladies. Is it because Hepburn died recently? All of it suggests that the film is less fact oriented and is actually motivated by its message's significance, which in the end is left to each viewer's interpretation.
View it with an open mind to what the filmmaker's intended. Only then will "The Aviator" be truly appreciated, despite the irregularities.
8/10