A tiresome "tribute" to the Air/Sea Rescue Service with all the expected platitudes dutifully delivered. The script construction is rather odd. As might be expected, there's a framing story about an Air/Sea rescue. This story runs far too long for the limited amount of interest it generates. One of the problems is that we don't know the people who are being rescued at all. Although the screenplay tries to work up a bit of interest and sympathy per medium of a young Japanese boy, this is so transparent a device (and it is too clumsily handled in dialogue, acting and direction) that it just doesn't work. Within this framing story are set three long flashbacks: Widmark has one about his lost love, and Brynner has one about his lost love. Between these two, there's another which starts off with Widmark, then diverts to Chakiris and his first encounter with Widmark! At least he lovely Daniele Gaubert prevents the film from generating total torpor – despite its moderately sized budget, location lensing and fair special effects. The movie has also two distinct photographic styles which provide some technical interest in deciding whether the atmospheric lighting is the work of Burnett Guffey and the bland material is Joseph MacDonald's contribution – or vice versa!
Review of Flight from Ashiya
