«Sully», by the great Clint Eastwood

Cinema Wednesdays - Jonas Follonier

Sully recounts the true story of American pilot Chesley Sullenberger, who, on January 15, 2009, in New York, faced a situation unprecedented in the history of aviation: a bird strike had caused both of the plane’s engines to fail just moments after takeoff. Drawing on both instinct and experience, Sullenberger opted for an emergency landing on the Hudson River. It was a daring decision that defied standard protocol. All the passengers survived.

That event alone could have inspired Clint Eastwood to create the masterpiece currently in theaters. Yet it is the aftermath of January 15, 2009, that remains the most interesting and lies at the heart of the plot of Sully : While both the press and the general public praised Captain Sullenberger’s feat from the outset, the National Transportation Safety Board believes the pilot could have chosen a less dangerous option than landing on the river, and has launched an investigation.

This inquisitive attitude on the part of the judicial and government authorities toward the hero forms the core of the plot of the biographical drama we are dealing with. A drama built on several dualities: the contrast between the roles of savior and criminal, the complementary nature of the pilot and co-pilot—magnificently portrayed by Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart —but also the back-and-forth between sequences that take us from the story unfolding after that fateful day to the gradual reconstruction of US Airways Flight 1549. Through this cinematic choice, Clint Eastwood—more of a playwright than ever—delivers an excellent film.

Even though the film has a slow start, it manages to show its power to anyone willing to recognize it, without falling into the trap of an American movie with all its clichés (a trap Eastwood could easily have fallen into—just think of’American Sniper). It’s all about balance, subtlety, and implication. And that’s where the emotions come from. «This is the captain speaking. Brace for impact.» That line—and the ensuing anxiety on the plane—really hits you in the gut.

The commander’s talent for piloting his plane and saving lives can ultimately be applied to Clint Eastwood, who, in turn, pilots his film. Although absent from the screen, the octogenarian filmmaker is ever-present in the feature film. It’s no surprise that it’s a success, when you realize that the film portrays an individual standing up to the state, a hero standing up to the elite, and expertise standing up to the law. Contrary to what most critics say, Clint Eastwood’s films are entirely consistent with his political creed: liberal anarchism.

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Image: Tom Hanks (© Europe 1)