My wife is a big fan of the History Channel, Military
Channel and all things historical when it comes to dramas. So when this film
showed up I figured we had a decent night of movie watching together, even more
so when I noticed the film's running time at 191 minutes. While she found it
okay I found the movie to be a tad excruciating but tolerable at times.
The movie takes us behind the scenes of the last flight of
the infamous Hindenburg in 1937 that ended in it's explosion when it reached
the U.S. Actually it opens with that explosion before taking us back 4 days to
when it was starting it's last voyage. We meet several characters, most
importantly Merten Kroger, an air enthusiast who accidentally meets Jennifer
Van Zandt. Jennifer is the daughter of Edward Van Zandt (played by Stacy Keach,
perhaps the only recognizable name in this mostly German cast), a wealthy
industrialist who wants trade with Germany to open so he can sell them helium
for their dirigibles.
When Edward falls ill his wife and daughter want to get home
to him as soon as possible. Their best bet is the Hindenburg and they book
their way home. When Edward hears of this he becomes upset and calls to get
them not to get onboard. His assistant tries to get word to them but not before
he confronts Merten in a men's room over information Merten has that there is a
bomb on board. The end result of their fight is his death and Merten being told
to get Jennifer off the Hindenburg. Not an easy task as the Nazis are now trying
to prevent him from doing so.
Of course Merten does get on and in an attempt to find
Jennifer is waylaid by an unseen enemy. When he wakes he frees himself and
finds word has already gotten on the ship that he's a murderer and needs to be
captured. He still finds a way to get to her and tell her what is happening
which of course no one else believes. Not until several things happen in the
course of the film does anyone think that a bomb is possible. From that moment
on the search for the bomber and the bomb take center stage but that isn't
until the last 40 minutes or so.
So what fills the rest of the time? The movie becomes almost
like one of those classic disaster films from the 70s. We're introduced to
numerous characters that have their own quirks and problems. One is a German
family where the father wants to get them safely to Argentina while his family
fights him all the way wanting to stay home in Germany. The obvious fact that
there must be a reason he wants to leave is easily figured out early on, even
more so when a German officer becomes attracted to the wife and attempts to bed
her. There is the charismatic stage performer who does magic, offers speeches
and reveals any and all secrets relayed his way. Then there is Jennifer's
mother (another recognizable name in Greta Scacchi) and her entourage. We're
also given the bickering between the captain of the Hindenburg and the company
representative who go back and forth over who is in charge.
All of this makes for a relatively boring movie. At times it
feels as if you are actually on a transatlantic flight when the pacing moves as
slowly as possible. The action in the film feels forced into the story and the
scenes in the dining room feel incredibly slow. There are moments where true
plot development bursts forth, not only in the bomb story but the personal ones
as well, but these are so spread out as to barely get your notice when they
appear.
On the whole fans of dirigible, the Hindenburg or of
pre-WWII Nazis might enjoy this movie. For the most though it is far too long
and tedious. I don't see this being a movie that will elevate its cast to
bigger and better things. Instead this seems like a movie that will hit bargain
bins sooner rather than later.
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