Scorsese Illuminates Hughes' Enigma, Dicaprio Grows...

Rating: 7/10 (6 April 2007)

This 2004 Howard Hughes biopic stands out amongst the best biographical pictures of the last 10 years. Although not as gritty and intense as Scorsese's greatest film "Raging Bull" (1980), this picture is well-crafted and sleek. The life and times of the enigmatic Howard Hughes make for compelling subject matter and Socorsese's effort does not disappoint.
Those of us Scorsese fans that look upon his work as commercially defiant, and nuanced towards sophisticated viewers have witnessed a gradual, relentless modifying of his technique toward a wider demographic. This evolution of Scorcese's once radical film-making style towards a more commercial, big budget approach is natural and expected given the increasing commercial success of each successive Scorsese film, (not to mention major studio desire to release the next potential Scorsese classic i.e. "GoodFellas"). These changes in style and presentation are also closely linked to the diverse screenplays and proliferation of new A-list talent (such as Mr. DiCaprio) headlining Scorsese's pictures. Given these considerations, "The Aviator" still manages to showcase quite a few original Scorsese sequences recalling his raw and intensely personal early films.
Howard Hughes was a filmmaker as well as an aviator and it's no surprise that the chaotic production of Hughes first film ,1930's "Hell's Angels" (which Scorsese clearly admires) is chronicled in detail at the outset of the movie. We witness the continuous nervous energy and persistent drive of Hughes to achieve his daring goals, all the while breaking new ground in aviation, film and big business. This film closely tracks Hughes' personal life as well, his well-publicized affairs with famous starlets of the day such as Katherine Hepburn (played well by Cate Blanchett) are illustrated in-depth with notable performances throughout.
Leonardo DiCaprio continues to grow and develop under Scorsese's direction, and the development is phenomenal to witness. Beginning with "Gangs Of New York" (2002) and continuing beyond this movie (2006's masterful "The Departed"), DiCaprio's acting chops are sharpening with each performance, eclipsing his previous work and establishing his talent amongst Hollywood's A-List actors. As the Hughes character, DiCaprio is able to captivate and compel us with flashes of OCD symptoms and manic behavior to the extreme, all the while struggling to balance these chaotic forces with his public and managerial personas. A fascinating example of this balancing act occurs when Hughes is confronted with a ruthless public relations attack, designed to coerce him into selling his airline TWA to his commercial competitor, Pan Am (whose chief, Juan Trippe is played by Alec Baldwin). Hughes collects his faculties and battles back with impressive vigor, this after nearly dying in a spectacular crash of his XF-11 spy plane prototype. All of these events unfold beautifully and the rhythm of this film holds our attention despite the nearly 3 hour running time.
"The Aviator" holds up well on repeat viewings despite the long running time, it covers the entire first half of Hughe's remarkable life and career, and a second feature could easily be written detailing Hughes' subsequent years in Las Vegas and his premature death. All in all, DiCaprio's growth as an actor cannot be understated, this is a must see performance.