Marcu
      I,
      2005
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Directed
      by
      Martin
      Scorsese
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Aviator
      (2004)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Starring
      Leonardo
      DiCaprio,
      Cate
      Blanchett,
      Kate
      Beckinsale
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Morgan
      Hughes-Davies
     
     
      Contributor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Leonardo
      DiCaprio
      has
      crossed
     
     
      the
      class
      divide
      from
      being
      an
     
     
      impoverished
      Irish
      man
      seeking
      revenge
     
     
      in
      Gangs
      of
      New
      York
      to
      assuming
      role
     
     
      of
      the
      O.C.D.
      riddled
      businessman
     
     
      Howard
      Hughes
     
     
      (Leonardo
     
     
      DiCaprio,
     
     
      performing
     
     
      competently
     
     
      enough).
      But
     
     
      perhaps
      the
      word
     
     
      businessman
      does
     
     
      not
      provide
      the
      most
     
     
      apt
      description
      of
     
     
      Hughes,
      as
      he
      treats
     
     
      his
      finances
      with
      the
     
     
      care
      and
      subtlety
      of
     
     
      the
      proverbial
      bull
      in
     
     
      a
      china
      shop.
      This
     
     
      point
      is
      driven
      home
     
     
      by
      Scorsese
      many
     
     
      times
      over
      the
     
     
      course
      of
      the
      film,
      sometimes
      in
      a
     
     
      charming
      light,
      and
      sometimes
      in
      an
     
     
      almost
      painful
      way.
     
    

    
     
      The
      film
      opens
      with
      young
      Howard
     
     
      being
      given
      a
      bath
      by
      his
      mother.
      At
      the
     
     
      same
      time,
      she
      teaches
      her
      son
      a
      new
     
     
      word:
      quarantine.
      Unknown
      to
      both,
      it
     
     
      is
      a
      word
      that
      would
      shape
      many
     
     
      aspects
      of
      his
      life.
      She
      then
      reminds
     
     
      Howard
      of
      how
      “diseased”
      things
      can
     
     
      become:
      “You’re
      not
      safe.”
      Then
     
     
      Scorsese
      makes
      his
      first
      mistake
      by
     
     
      skipping
      ahead
      to
      Howard’s
      early
     
     
      adulthood.
      The
      fact
      that
      the
      director
     
     
      chose
      not
      to
      recount
      the
      most
      formative
     
     
      years
      of
      the
      protagonist’s
      life
      suggests
     
     
      either
      poor
      decision-making
      on
      the
     
     
      director’s
      part
      or
      that
      Scorsese
      never
     
     
      intended
      to
      make
      Howard
      a
     
     
      sympathetic
      character
      in
      the
      first
      place.
     
    

    
     
      Whatever
      the
      case,
      the
      film
      focuses
     
     
      on
      Howard’s
      career
      and
      character
     
     
      during
      his
      “glory”
      days
      before,
      during,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      shortly
      after
      the
      Second
      World
     
     
      War.
      However,
      Howard
      Hughes
      was
     
     
      better
      known
      for
      his
      obsessive
      quest
     
     
      to
      avoid
      infection
      than
      for
      anything
      he
     
     
      and
      his
      company
      achieved,
      and
      plenty
     
     
      of
      screen
      time
      is
     
     
      devoted
      to
      his
     
     
      eccentricities.
     
     
      Scorsese
      treats
      these
     
     
      sequences
      with
     
     
      maturity,
      resisting
      the
     
     
      urge.
      to
      Jet.
      the
     
     
      violence
      and
     
     
      gratuitousness
      direct
     
     
      the
      film
      for
      him,
     
     
      though
      he
      seems
     
     
      uncertain
      as
      to
     
     
      whether
      he
      wants
      to
     
     
      depict
      Hughes
      as
     
     
      struggling
      against
      his
     
     
      disorder
      or
      accepting
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it
      as
      a
      part
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      who
      he
      is.
     
     
      Scorsese
     
     
      seems
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      perceive
     
     
      Hughes
      as
      a
     
     
      microcosm
      of
      |
     
     
      the
      modern
      ©
     
     
      American
      |
     
    

    
     
      businessman.
     
     
      For
      example,
     
     
      Hughes
      is
      |
     
     
      shown
      making
      ©
     
     
      love
      to
     
     
      Katharine
     
     
      Hepburn
      (an
     
     
      above
      average
      Cate
      Blanchett)
      in
      his
     
     
      study,
      and
      then
      immediately
      afterwards
     
     
      Hughes
      is
      shown
      inspecting
      a
      completed
     
     
      plane
      by
      running
      one
      hand
      along
      it’s
     
     
      surface.
      The
      message
      is
      clear:
      Howard’s
     
     
      only
      one
      true
      love
      was
      making
      money,
     
     
      and
      as
      such
      he
      provided
      a
      model
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      today’s
      C.E.O.
      Whereas
      Howard
     
     
      Hughes
      was
      obsessed
      with
      keeping
     
     
      himself
      germ
      free,
      the
      obsession
      of
     
     
      today’s
      businessman
      is
      making
      money.
     
    

    
     
      This
      could
      have
      been
      a
      great
      film,
     
     
      not
      on
      par
      with
      Raging
      Bull,
      but
      stilla
     
     
      great
      film.
      However,
      Scorsese
      makes
     
     
      a
      few
      mistakes
      that
      are
      big
      enough
      to
     
     
      almost
      force
      The
      Aviator
      to
      make
      a
     
     
      crash
      landing.
      The
      omission
      of
      an
     
     
      account
      of
      Howard’s
      childhood
      made
     
     
      me
      hesitate
      to
      call
      this
      film
      a
      biopic,
      and
     
     
      as
      I
      said
      in
      the
      beginning,
      the
      director
     
     
      makes
      a
      bit
      much
      of
      Howard’s
     
     
      spending
      habits;
      plus
      the
      film
      does
      teeter
     
     
      dangerously
      on
      the
      brink
      of
      becoming
     
     
      dull
      in
      places.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Aviator
      does
      come
      with
      some
     
     
      memorable
      moments,
      though,
     
     
      particularly
      with
      the
      closing
      shot,
      which
     
     
      seems
      to
      be
      Scorsese’s
      specialty.
      I
      also
     
    

    
     
      found
      the
     
     
      scenes
      involving
     
     
      the
      projector
      to
     
     
      be
      particularly
     
     
      resonant
      as
      a
     
     
      reminder
      ofhow
     
     
      Howard
      was
     
     
      never
      voluntarily
     
     
      obsessive
     
     
      compulsive,
      just
     
     
      the
      product
      of
     
     
      his
      upbringing.
     
     
      Overall,
      this
      is
      a
     
     
      valiant
      attempt
     
     
      by
      Scorsese
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bring
      something
     
    
   
   
    
     
      special
      to
      the
     
     
      cinemas,
      but
      itis
     
     
      ultimately
      sabotaged
      by
      Scorsese’s
      own
     
     
      decisions.
     
     
      The
      Bottom
      Line
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Good?
      Yes.
      Memorable?
      No.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      ¢
      10
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘Enter
      Metallica.’
     
     
      DVD
      Review:
      Some
     
     
      Kind
      of
      Monster
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mark
      Cameron
     
     
      Contributor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Metallica
      are
      the
      world’s
      most
     
     
      prominent
      rock/metal
      band.
      They’ve
     
     
      sold
      over
      ninety
      million
      records
      and
     
     
      were
      the
      best
      selling
      touring
      band
      of
     
     
      the
      nineties.
      That’s
      not
      too
      shabby.
      In
     
     
      early
      2001,
      in
      the
      process
      of
     
     
      documenting
      the
      recording
      of
      their
      next
     
     
      album,
      St.
      Anger,
      their
      world
      unraveled
     
     
      when
      long-time
      bassist
      Jason
      Newsted
     
     
      bailed.
      Without
      a
      bass
      player,
      and
     
     
      faced
      with
      the
      prospect
      of
      recording
     
     
      their
      first
      cd
      in
      three
      years,
      the
      band
     
     
      enlisted
      therapist
      Phil
      Towe
      (What,
      Dr.
     
     
      Phil
      wasn’t
      available?)
      to
      help
      them
      sort
     
     
      through
      their
      frustration
      of
      Newsted
     
     
      leaving
      and
      to
      learn
      how
      to
      work
     
     
      together
      as
      a
      collective
      unit.
      Metallica
     
     
      using
      a
      therapist?
      Sounds
      kind
      of
      weird
     
     
      doesn’t
      it?
      I
      thought
      so
      too,
      but
      that’s
     
     
      when
      the
      documentary
      picks
      up
      steam.
     
     
      Weeks
      into
      the
      recording
      of
      the
      album,
     
     
      band
      tensions
      boiled
      over
      and
      years
      of
     
     
      alcohol
      abuse
      catches
      up
      with
      vocalist
     
     
      James
      Hatfield
      who
      unexpectedly
      enters
     
     
      rehab,
      leaving
      guitarist
      Kirk
      Hammet,
     
     
      drummer,
      Lars
      Ulrich,
      and
      producer
     
     
      Bob
      Rock
      in
      limbo.
      No
      bass
      player,
     
     
      no
      lead
      singer
      =
      a
      screwed
      up
      band
     
     
      and
      one
      entertaining
      movie.
     
    

    
     
      The
      conflict
      in
      Some
      Kind
      of
     
     
      Monster
      is
      like
      coming
      on
      the
      scene
      of
     
     
      an
      auto
      accident:
      you
      just
      can’t
      turn
     
    
   
   
    
     
      your
      head
      from
      it.
      Hammet,
      Ulrich
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hatfield
      have
      been
      in
      this
      band
      for
     
     
      twenty
      years,
      yet
      really
      don’t
      know
      how
     
     
      to
      communicate
      with
      one
      another—
     
     
      unless
      they’re
      bitching
      at
      each
      other;
     
     
      and
      for
      guys
      who
      are
      supposed
      to
     
     
      represent
      the
      image
      of
      the
      macho
      metal
     
     
      gods,
      they
      sure
      are
      sensitive!
      Still,
      the
     
     
      tensions
      between
      Hatfield
      and
      Ulrich
     
     
      at
      times
      are
      very
      funny—
      here’s
      some
     
     
      sample
      dialogue
      from
      Lars
      directed
     
     
      towards
      James
      about
      his
      frustration
      of
     
     
      recording
      the
      album:
      “I
      hear
      what
      you
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Continued
      on
      page
      14