This movie did it way before Top Gun. The inspiration that led Martin Scorsese to direct a biographical drama titled The Aviator, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role, and to pay homage to the director, Howard Hughes, and his films was a Hughes movie itself based on WW1 named Hell’s Angels. Although as evident from Scorsese’s film, it was a disaster behind the scenes, it still remains a remarkable spectacle, boasting extraordinary shots that were groundbreaking for the 1930s, even if it faced setbacks.
The process of creating the movie proved to be exhausting. It cost them four lives and a budget of $4 million to finally complete the movie, with both unfortunate outcomes stemming from issues of mismanagement.
Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator Inspiration Was a Disaster Behind the Scenes
While Howard Hughes’ fixation on perfection and substantial resources eventually resulted in the creation of breathtaking aerial sequences, the production came at a grim cost. The set of the iconic movie Hell’s Angels witnessed the tragic loss of three daring stunt pilots and a mechanic in fatal crashes. The talented director and aviation pioneer, Hughes, even placed himself in danger by stepping in for a stunt pilot who could not gather up the courage to do so. Sadly, the stuntman’s apprehensions were validated, leading to Hughes’ own crash and a skull fracture. Even then, the director did not stop.
The movie eventually cost them, four lives and four million dollars over the course of time to finally present it to the audiences. Although deemed one of the greatest exceptional aviation films ever made, the insurmountable level of destruction it entailed remained a defining aspect.
The Oscar-winning Martin Scorsese Film Tested Leonardo DiCaprio’s Limits
Leonardo DiCaprio once candidly confessed that the intricate persona of Howard Hughes took a substantial emotional toll on him. In the year 2004, the actor was enlisted by Martin Scorsese for the film The Aviator. This biographical drama delved into the life of Howard Hughes, a showcased his gradual descent into instability due to severe OCD. The movie garnered multiple Oscars for the incredible work done by the cast and crew.
It was especially challenging to convey Hughes’ internal turmoil. The actor said,
“You get into your own headspace and really don’t want to talk to anyone. I spent a lot of time just sitting around the screening room alone”.
The sole anchor that held him firm on the movie sets was his faith in Scorsese. The actor-director partnership, marked by numerous triumphs, has yielded several commendable collaborations from Gangs of New York, to Shutter Island. Although DiCaprio had to go through a lot of turmoil behind the scenes, all his effort was worth it in the end.
The Aviator is available to stream on Apple TV.
Source: TIME
