The Hindenburg (1975)
The 1937 Hindenburg disaster has remained an enduring mystery over the years. The physical mechanics of how this airship filled with 7,000,000 cubic feet of hydrogen gas caught fire has been fully explored over the decades and there are now several extremely plausible theories as to how it may have happened. However, there remains the possibility of sabotage. As such an idea has more dramatic potential than mechanical failure, it was used as the central theme of the 1975 disaster movie The Hindenburg. Directed by Robert Wise, the screenplay by Nelson Gidding explores a German resistance against the Nazi regime. The airship is targeted as it is a powerful propaganda symbol for Hitler’s Germany. Sadly despite some interesting ideas, a strong cast and solid, old school optical effects, The Hindenburg is a slow and somewhat ponderous production. Although the final 20 minutes of the film recreate the infamous explosion meticulously, it doesn’t quite compensate for the uneventful, dialogue driven investigation of the previous 100 minutes.
The main problem that hampers The Hindenburg is its setting. The majority of the film takes place on board the Hindenburg. The interior of this giant airship is intricately reconstructed and initially this vast aluminium skeleton is visually quite striking. However, after a while the various shots of crew men climbing along these narrow walkways becomes quite dull. Similarly, the deliberately spartan nature of the passenger cabins, dining areas and cocktail lounge (everything had to be static free and unable to generate a spark) are somewhat confining. There are scenes set in the US where the FBI investigate threats made against the Hindenburg. We are also shown the Gestapo rounding up potentially suspects in Germany. There is also an interesting recreation of the Naval Air Station at Lakehurst but the overall the films focus is onboard the Hindenburg. Hence the plot becomes a police procedural investigations set within a somewhat stark environment.
Robert Wise brings a near documentary quality to the plot. George C. Scott is watchable as Luftwaffe Colonel Franz Ritter, assigned by Joseph Goebbels to investigate a potential bomb threat. Ritter a veteran of the Spanish Civil War is far from happy with the Nazi politicisation of the German military. Being a seventies disaster movie the cast features various notable characters actors from the era, such as Charles Durning, Anne Bancroft and Richard A. Dysart. All acquit themselves well but the script is dry. Roy Thinnes has a potentially interesting role as Gestapo Officer sent to assist Ritter. He favours a far more hands on approach, seeing potential traitors everywhere. Sadly the story doesn’t give him enough to do and it all seems somewhat perfunctory. Another disappointment is the film’s score by David Shire. Usually a far more dynamic composer, his soundtrack is unremarkable. The film certainly needed something more grandiose.
The most notable aspect of the production are the visual effects. Predating modern computer generate imagery and even motion control, the practical effects are predominantly matte paintings by the legendary Albert Whitlock and model work by Glen Robinson. These hold up remarkably well even in a modern Blu-ray transfer. Furthermore, it is clear that Robert Wise spent a great deal of time researching technical aspects of the Hindenburg such as its flight controls, use of water for ballast, as well as its docking procedures. The scenes of the airship exploding are seamlessly integrated into newsreel footage from the time and Wise faithfully recreates broadcaster Herbert Morrison’s famous radio commentary, along with his cries of “oh, the humanity”. The black and white sequence also mitigates some of the horror arising from the burns sustained by the victims of the crash. According to Hollywood custom, numerous people die but a dog shown previously survives.
The Hindenburg features numerous plot elements that could have been crafted into a far more enthralling film. After several viewings I am still surprised just how dull the final edit is. Robert Wise clearly took a serious, cerebral and respectful approach to the subject matter but the film may well have benefitted from another director with an eye for spectacle and a flair for action. As it stands The Hindenburg is a curious example of the seventies disaster movie genre, rather than one of its most noteworthy. It provides a chronological summary of events and ponders seriously the issue of sabotage. Unfortunately it does so in plodding fashion hence the drama and the visual effects are somewhat lost among lengthy exposition. The cast try there best to make things interesting, especially in light of the fact that they are playing real people but it lacks an emotional focus. Overall, if you watch The Hindenburg you will be informed but not necessarily especially entertained.
