7500: Review
- Chloe
- Jun 22, 2020
- 3 min read
Action thrillers or disaster movies have never been my go to. With few exceptions they seem very predictable and sometimes even boring. If you've got man vs hurricane you kind of know there's only one way this can end. More recently these films have been changing, from natural disasters to man-made ones.
In our post 9/11 world the terrorism film has become a hot ticket. These films play into our darkest fears. Something random, uncontrollable and devastating. What would we do if we were in that situation? It's a macrab fascination with terror that draws in audiences and creates a unifying villain for writers. Unfortunately the lack of positive representation of Muslims in the media does skewer these kind of films for me. We know Islamic terrorists exist but it saddens me to think that a terrorist is all some of these talented actors might get to play. We very rarely see a South Asian protagonist in these films, an element that could be very interesting to explore, and I think it does lead to prejudice if an extremist narrative about Muslims is told repetitively above all others.
However, I'm not going to judge 7500 on what it's not. What it is, is actually a good action thriller with some interesting ideas at play.
7500 is set in the cockpit of a commercial airplane going from Berlin to Paris. Not long after take off the plane is hijacked by a group of Islamic terrorists. Tobias, the pilot is injured but must find a way to land the plane. His only indication as to what is happening is the screen he has in the back, the carriage obscured by a curtain.
What the film does really well is that slow build up of tension. We get to know the pilot and co-pilot through mundane dialogue, almost as if we are a fly on the wall. As things start to get more tense the camera work brings us closer to the action, making everything more claustrophobic.
What I really liked was how Tobias wasn't a heroic character. It felt more real how terrified he was and how he knew he couldn't give in to the terrorists demands. Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers a brilliant performance. He's quite soft spoken, not the cocky American hero that would usually be in this sort of role.
What I also thought was done well was the character of Vedat, played by Omid Memar. This film doesn't treat all the terrorist characters the same. Vedat is only 18, a boy drawn into this plot with no real desire to die. He's conflicted, terrified and in a strange way the true protagonist. It's his actions and his choice that ultimately drive the films conclusion, not the pilot. I really enjoyed this change of perspective. Memar shows incredible range in the part that was both terrifying and vulnerable.
What's really impressive is the confined nature of the film. Apparently there was no blocking or rehearsals for the actors. Instead the film was shot in 15 minute long takes that encouraged the actors to improvise, adding to the scenes spontaneity. These were then mixed and edited to create tension. The set was built on a suspended rig that could be moved to simulate the vibrations and movement of the plane.
The camera was an Arri Alexa mini and mostly prime lenses were used to take up as little room in the cockpit as possible. Everything outside the windows and the rest of the plane was achieved using CGI.
All these elements are incredibly effective. I would never have guessed what parts were CGI or not! On a technical level this is a brilliant calling card film for director Patrick Vollrath.
I completely understand that a lot of people don't like these kind of films. I usually don't but I appreciate how 7500 tried to do something different with its characters. Visually it's very intense and had me hooked from beginning to end. It's a literal plane crash you can't look away from.
7/10
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