Basic HTML Version
by
Robert
A.
Ginskey
.
W
hat happens when an ordi-
nary group of people is sud–
denly p l unged into a
catastrophic situation? Perhaps it's
a sinking ship, ora raging tire. Per–
haps a crippled jumbo jet, a devas–
tating earthquake, or a volcanic
holocaust.
What happens at such traumatic
moments? A "hero" arises, of
course, and through his daring ex–
ploits manages to save all those in
distress. Or maybe, in spite of his
heroic efforts, he only saves a few
.fortunate souls, including himself.
Would you believe he saves
no one,
including himself?
Somewhere among the above
scenarios is a winning plot for any
number of disaster movies-an art
form apparent ly well suited to
today's film audiences.
lt all started back in 1973 when
The Poseidon Adventure- a
rather
contrived tale of a ship turned up–
side down-became a box-office
sensation. Though the plot was
weak, the
Poseidon
disaster struck
a responsiva chord in millions of
viewers. How responsive? Over 160
miIlion dollars gross so far!
Poseidon
's economic success
was not lost on Hollywood film
makers, and soon a whole bevy of
disaster flicks began to parade be–
fore titillated viewers. The movie
Earthquake
literally shakes au–
diences in their seats with "Sen–
surround " superspeakers, as
viewers watch Los Angeles
38
crumble. The 135-story
Towering Interno
proves
conclusively that a good fire makes
a far better star than even the best
actor (yes, that includes Paul New–
man). Then there's
Airport 1975,
which portrays a case of jumbo jet
jitters after a midair coll ision inca–
pacitates the captain. The corny
plot is melodramatic and the special
effects are hokey, but the flick is at
least good for a few laughs. And of
course we can't forget
The Hinden–
berg,
that colossal disaster fi lm in
which George C. Scott joins 34
other characters who all manage to
die in the final horrific holocaust.
A half dozen more quintessential
disasters are currently being pro–
duced or considerad. ls there an
ultimate disaster movie yet to be
released? Warner Brothers'
The
Day
the World Ended,
scheduled to
be completad sometime next year,
promises to feature "the world's
worst volcanic eruption, tidal wave,
and earthquake." Simultaneously.
In a final blaze of glory- with "Sen–
su rround" -type special effects–
some 64,000 people die in ten
minutes.
But why the disaster movie?
Wherein lies its special appeal?
A fascination with others' mis–
fortunas is a perennial procl ivity of
mankind. From rubbernecking
f reeway drivers to the gawking
crowds around a local tire, men
have always displayed an almost
morbid interest in the tragedias and
cata.clysms t·hat befall others.
Yet the current spate of disaster
movies may be saying as much
about the times in which we live as
about human nature itself. Ever
since "the 8omb, " people have
a
lived with the uneasy feeling that
~
disaster lurks J·ust around the cor-
2
~
ner. More recently, a whole series
<:-
of crises have weighed heavily on
~
our minds-freakish weather, en–
~
ergy shortages, pollution , inter-
national conflicts, shaky econ–
omies-crises which seemingly have
no easy solutions.
Especially in the Western world, it
seems ·we live not in the great so–
ciety, but in the impotent society.
Beset by gargantuan global crises
totally out of our personal control,
perhaps it is not surprising that
people have welcomed the amuse–
ment-park mentality of the disaster
movie. The President can't save us,
but Steve McOueen can!
The ancient Romans found diver–
sion and entertainment in life-and–
death confrontations of man
against beast, or man against man.
Hundreds of thousands flocked to
the Circus Maximus in Rome,
where they vicariously experienced
the ultimate in gripping human
trauma and disaster.
Of course, the peoples of the
Western world are not Romans, and
the mechanically contrived horrors
of modern disaster movies are not
reflecting
real
human suffering. But
the similarities are striking. Are we
like the ancient Romans just before
their fall?
Disaster-movie manía. Perhaps
it's just a fad. But it just might be a
sobering symptom of a civilization
whose ship has turned upside
down, whose captain is no longer
at the controls, and whose whole
fabric, if not about to be consumad
in sorne kind of final holocaust, is at
least in serious need of repair.
o
RECOMMENDED READING
Many of the same basic mistakes that
weakened the mighty Reman Empire
befare its fall are now being repeated in
America, Britain and the rest of the
Western world. These majar mistakes
are cataloged in our full-color booklet
entitled
The Modern Romans.
Write for
your free copy today.
The
PLAIN TRUTH May 1977