Sole Survivor (1970)
In 1960, the ruins of an American bomber were found in the Libyan desert, but the remains of the crew were never located. In Guerdon Trueblood's teleplay, the ghosts of a bomber crew hang around their derelict plane, awaiting the day that their bones will be recovered and given a decent burial. The sole survivor, navigator Russell Hamner, has in the intervening 25 years become a General. He joins an investigation team that has come across the wreckage, while the ghosts, headed by Major Devlin, plot to expose Hamner as a coward who deserted his post and left his crew mates to die.
Watch Trailer
Cast
Similar titles
Reviews
Pretty Good
Best movie ever!
It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Five airmen remain with their bomber plane in the middle of the Libyan desert hoping to be rescued. They have crash-landed but something is odd about this scenario. Any time that they start to trek in a certain direction, they always end up at the crash site. It also seems that they have been at the location for 17 years with nothing else to do but play baseball. The day comes when their plane is spotted and Major Vince Edwards (Devlin) and Colonel William Shatner (Josef) are sent to identify the wreckage and produce a report. They take with them General Richard Basehart (Hamner), who was the sixth crew member who parachuted out and survived 17 years ago. When they arrive, they don't see any of the airmen and they start to put their report together. The airmen are definitely there, though! Edwards persists in unravelling the truth.The inspiration for the setting of the story is the real-life incident involving the bomber plane 'Lady Be Good' which disappeared in 1943 and was spotted in the Libyan desert in 1958. Many details are retained for the film, eg, the intact wreckage and an urn of tea found at the crash site still being drinkable. As for the film, the story is excellently told as we follow two sides – the airmen who seem to be wandering in limbo and the investigators who are trying to piece together what happened. Can the truth be discovered and will the airmen's lives finally be redirected to wherever they need to go? The acting is good – William Shatner has a few Captain Kirk moments but that is what you want to see - and the ending is memorably done. It's a film that stays with you and keeps you watching for the duration. It also gets you thinking as to what might happen after death. And just who is the sole survivor?
A superb film and a pleasant surprise to come across it on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqxZoVLn6Tg.Compelling from start to finish and very original even though based on a true story.The story is well presented and unfolds cleverly keeping you thinking all the time and not quite sure what is going to happen next. Shatner is fine even though he still playing Kirk as in all his films. The performances of the the aviators are great and the casting is spot on. I started watching this film at 1am and only intended to watch the first half hour but couldn't stop watching it until the I reached the satisfying conclusion. Very very good!
I was lucky enough to watch this recently, from a copy someone had on VHS, (which i promptly converted to DVD) what a story, I cant believe you cant buy this. as I would gladly buy it for a better DVD quality copy (Though the VHS rip i have is pretty good)As for the story, I to saw this as a kid back in the early 70s I must of been 8 or 9 yrs old. Even then it haunted me. So glad I could see it again. I must make mention of Mr Glass's haunting music. reminded me of planet of the apes in parts (which is a good thing)I know its based loosely on a true story, which also adds to the it keeping you fixed to the screen watching.
This movie had a profound effect on me as a child. I found it fascinating and haunting in equal measure.I was about 5 at the time and it genuinely scared me, the idea of being trapped in limbo like that, potentially forever was truly horrifying.In fact watching this B-movie first provoked me into thinking seriously about my own mortality.I'm now and archaeologist and can't help thinking this film was one of the influences that steered me in that direction.Ps. Have just seen the Lost series finale, when I saw the first episode of Lost six years ago I immediately thought of Sole Survivor.