MovieChat Forums > Performance (1970) Discussion > Clips of aircraft

Clips of aircraft

posted 16 years ago by mstreet-4
3 replies | jump to latest

Right at the start of the film there's two brief bits of film of aircraft; a Lockheed blackbird then I assume a rear view from an X15. Later on (about the time I think we meet Turner) there is another brief pair of clips, but this time of airlinere (a VC10 and a turboprop of some sort).

Any thoughts on what these signify?

I note that the first two, which lead into the gangster segment, were the two fastest aircraft in the world at the time. Are they hints of the respective pace of the two segments (gangster film and Turner's house); IOW that the first says we're in for a fast-paced section, then the airliners say time to slow down?

[–] ar1kap 15 years ago

I don't know if what you said applies, but I must admit, I like the way it sounds... Maybe it's true, I can't think of anything else

[–] Doctor-of-Nothing 15 years ago

There are a couple of answers:

Warner Bros. hated the first cut of the film, complaining that the opening (gangsters as performers) section was too slow. When Cammell recut the film in response, he opened it with the fastest thing that existed at the time -- a kind of visual 'up yours'.

The other answer is simply an admonition to: Fasten your seat belts. We're about to break the sound and image barrier.

[–] zarch-3 15 years ago

Further into the film one of the gangsters is playing with a model fighter aircraft