Film biographies, or bio-pics as they were called, were a staple of film studios of the ’30s and ’40s, particularly at Warner Brothers which perfected the formula of using A-List stars to flesh out A-List historical figures on screen. The Story of Louis Pasteur, Sergeant York and Yankee Doodle Dandy, all presented their subjects in a pristine light and provided enough heavy moments so that those cast in the title roles, Paul Muni, Gary Cooper and James Cagney respectively, could shine and take the Oscar. These were the best of a long series of films like this and while these and others still hold up dramatically today, there’s a certain naivete about them that simply doesn’t fly in our intrusive age.
Mira Nair’s Amelia is made in a similar vein as its subject, the famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart (Hilary Swank) is put under the microscope but is rarely brought into sharp focus. Covering the years 1928 to 1937, the film shows her at the height of her fame, wowing crowds with her exploits, pushing herself to be taken seriously in a male-dominated profession and romancing publisher George Putnam (Richard Gere) and aeronautics instructor Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor).
All of the highlights of this period of her life are covered here, but Nair fails to concentrate on anything too long and does not uncover what motivates her subject. The result is a bit of a narrative blur in which we find ourselves craving for more introspection and less spectacle. Too be sure, the production values are first-rate as the Depression era is meticulously recreated, while the performances from the three leads are all fine. Still, the reason why Earhart wanted to fly remains elusive. Without any real answers, the film remains grounded.
Contact Chuck Koplinski at ckoplinski@usd116.org.
This article appears in Nov 5-11, 2009.
