[Review] Sully: A True Hero in the Real World
What makes a hero? In recent years, we've seen four to five superhero movies in cinemas annually, watching these superheroes use various abilities to fight villains. Even if we haven't become completely numb, we rarely stop to ponder this question: What exactly is a hero? Is a hero an identity or an action? Who can judge whether a person is a hero? After the box office and critically acclaimed American Sniper, Clint Eastwood directed Sully: Miracle on the Hudson, telling a heroic story through film.
Audiences familiar with the true event and who have seen the trailer will surely know that the "Miracle on the Hudson" emergency landing process lasted only 208 seconds. How did the director manage to turn these short 208 seconds into a 95-minute film? Within the first minute of the opening, we realize that the film's focus is on the aftermath of the emergency landing.
In less than four minutes after both engines failed, every second, every decision was crucial and life-threatening. The film begins with us seeing Sully's recurring visions of the plane crashing. After this incident, under the guidance of bureaucracy, Sully, hailed as a hero by the media and public, couldn't help but wonder: did he make the wrong decision, putting the 155 lives on board in a more dangerous situation? At the same time, a major question runs through the entire film: Is Sully a true hero, or did he commit a serious error but fortunately avoided casualties, making him a false hero?
But before answering this question, a line from Sully in the film left a deep impression on me and deepened the scope of this reflection: his entire life's accomplishments and whether he was a hero would be judged by those 208 seconds. As a captain, Sully had performed countless safe takeoffs and landings in his life. But before this incident, he had never received such attention, nor such praise or gratitude. His life's worth, it seemed, would only be judged and recorded based on this single event; other major or minor achievements seemed utterly insignificant. Who, besides God, can truly objectively judge a person's entire life?
Moreover, this also raises another question: even if Sully saved 155 lives, if he had truly made a mistake along the way, would he still be a hero? Do we judge whether a person is a hero based on the process of the event or its outcome? Was Sully able to save 155 lives and become a hero merely by luck? In the film, even though Sully becomes a hero in the public eye, government bureaucrats relentlessly pursue him, using every method to prove that it was Sully's mistake and that he should bear responsibility. In narrating this aspect of the plot, the director also seems to portray the bureaucracy in a rather negative light, seemingly critiquing it.
Between several meetings and hearings, the director intercuts several flashbacks to Sully's younger days, primarily to highlight his flying experience. At the same time, we finally see the complete sequence of the emergency landing in the middle of the film. However, after repeated questioning from the bureaucracy, we still aren't clear who is right or wrong. Later, Sully stakes everything, deciding to request a live simulated emergency landing during the hearing. The first round's result is still successful, making the audience wonder: did Sully really commit a human error? Then, Sully's monologue and the second round of simulation finally prove Sully's innocence and confirm that he is a true hero. These segments are split and played at different times in the film, sometimes even repeating. While they do serve a narrative purpose, they might make the film seem a bit disjointed and cause the audience to feel bored.
Basically, this film is Tom Hanks's individual performance; "Two-Face" Aaron Eckhart is just a major supporting actor. Tom Hanks playing a real-life figure is, by now, second nature to him. This time, his portrayal of Sully is more inwardly emotional, without much crying or breakdown. Nevertheless, Tom Hanks perfectly embodies every small detail, such as his nervousness and unease during interviews, and his concern for the passengers' condition after the landing... Although his appearance still differs noticeably from the real-world Sully after makeup and hair styling, his excellent acting allows the audience to truly feel his demeanor as a captain, never feeling like they are watching Tom Hanks acting.
The film's greatest achievement, I believe, is its use of IMAX cameras to shoot almost the entire movie, surpassing the record of previous films. Among the many IMAX segments, the plane's emergency landing sequence is, of course, the absolute essence. The IMAX lenses make the entire screen appear grander and more impactful, fully immersing the audience in the situation.
In the latter part of the film, the director brings in the real-life Sully, flight crew, and passengers to film their reunion. After the 9/11 attacks, many New Yorkers lived under a shadow. I believe that when they saw this emergency landing, they would have remembered the tragedy of 2001. And the 155 people on board the plane at the time surely felt a sense of surviving a catastrophe. Therefore, this "Miracle on the Hudson" was truly a very encouraging miracle for them. Captain Sully valued life, utilized his experience, and responded decisively, ultimately saving 155 lives. Our world desperately needs such heroes.