"Capricorn One" How to develop an original idea into a movie?

How were some of the most memorable sky chases in film history filmed?

After the car, it's the plane. While Caulfield pursues the conspiracy, three astronauts who escape from a closed air force base in a small plane make an emergency landing in the desert and split up into three groups to search for homes. From this point on, the focus shifts to Brubaker (James Brolin), who is on the run and is pursued by helicopter.

When asked about directors of his generation at the time of the film's release, director Peter Hyams named Steven Spielberg, who was three years younger than him, and said, "I think he's the best director. Jaws (1975) is outstanding as a recent film. It's important that it has both technique and an emotional side." (Kinema Junpo) Considering that both Jaws and its origin, Dash (1971), heightened the fear by not clearly showing the enemy, Capricorn Capricorn One follows that same approach. In fact, although a large-scale conspiracy is in the works, the only person who appears as the mastermind is Dr. James Kellaway, the director of NASA, and the other powerful figures are hidden in the shadows. Moreover, Dr. Kellaway does not make any statements that directly threaten the astronauts. Therefore, you continue to feel the presence of a huge power lurking behind the scenes. Even in the relentless pursuit by helicopter, the pursuers are portrayed as inorganic, which makes it even more eeriness.

"Capricorn One" (C) Capricorn One Associates 1978

Particularly noteworthy is the scene where Brubaker finally feels at ease in an abandoned gas station, sits down by the window, and sees a black dot behind his back, which then grows larger and larger, and a helicopter heading straight for him. The tension is so intense that it makes me want to scream no matter how many times I watch it. The helicopter hovers just above the ground for a while, as if peering into the gas station, and it looks like a living thing, just like the large truck in "Duel."

In a brilliant turn of events, Caulfield and Brubaker are quickly reunited, and a sky chase involving two helicopters and a biplane ensues.Like the car action scenes, this is full of enthusiasm to innovate on techniques that have been used to the fullest in film up to now.

First, director Hyams started by recruiting the best experts to his staff, just as he had done with the car action scenes. The person he chose was Frank Truman, the pilot who was in charge of the flight scenes in " The Great Gatsby " (1975). He had Truman design how the sky action would unfold, and based on that he began considering how to film it. He fixed a camera to the bottom of a helicopter that had been modified for the shoot, and the cameraman controlled it while it was suspended in mid-air, integrating the free-flowing aerial movement with the images.

The effect is obvious when you actually watch the movie. Filmed in the Mojave Desert in California, two helicopters corner an old biplane, trying to crush it from above, and even poking the biplane's upper wing with the helicopter's skids (metal pikes for landing) as if to mock the old man. You'll feel like you're flying with them, so much so that it's no longer a matter of someone else.

As you can see from watching the film, "Capricorn One" does not get lost in sensational ideas such as a futuristic setting of a manned spaceship heading to Mars or fabricated footage of a Mars landing, but instead thoroughly pursues classic car and sky action scenes, creating a masterpiece full of solid suspense and action.

Text: Guinea Pig Yoshida

Born in 1978. Movie critic. Another name is Ichiro Yoshida. He has written for ``Eiga Hiho'', ``Kinema Junpo'', ``Eiga Geijutsu'', ``Scenario'', etc. His books include ``Introduction to film criticism! ” (Yosensha), co-authored with “Film director Takeshi Kitano. ” (Film Art Company) and others

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“Capricorn 1” Blu-ray

Released on July 4th ¥2,500+tax

Publisher/distributor: King Records

(C) Capricorn One Associates 1978