The Aviator

I know the assignment asked us to focus on a minor character within a Hollywood movie, but I couldn't help but place my attention upon Howard Hughes and Leonardo DiCaprio's interpretation of what may be one of the most fascinating men in history. I found three popular sources on the film, but I believe them to be reliable articles nonetheless. One article was from that of the New York Times, the other from The Washington Post, and the last in WND. The New York Times review of the movie definitely knew what it was talking about and had done much research into Howard Hughes as it equally claimed Scorsese had. It is rather critical of the way in which the movie portrays the feel of Howard Hughes near insanity in a more positive light than it probably should have, but also notes that since the film focuses on his earlier years the interpretation is rather spot on. The author notes that DiCaprio adequately portrays a young Hughes through characterization, but Scorsese is the real mind behind the actual character. He includes a rather hidden look into Hughes OCD at every twist and turn throughout the movie. Whether it is the inclusion of Hughes obsession with bosoms when discussing clouds or creating an entire movie (The Outlaw) that focuses on Jane Russel's breasts. This obsession is plausibly from a hinted sexual harassment Hughes received as a child. The Washington Post article draws more parallels between the star, DiCaprio, and the character he is portraying. Parallels like their wealth, fame, relationships with numerous starlets, and compulsions are focused on in the article and an actual interview with the actor himself. The Washington Post praises the film in a much greater manner than the New York Times does, and especially takes note of how DiCaprio truly understood the character he portrayed and did so marvelously. It becomes clear that before the filming even began DiCaprio was given a years time to do as much reading on Hughes as humanly possible and that is precisely what he did. Lastly, the WND article brings Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz into the discussion. Dr. Schwartz, a UCLA psychiatry professor, acted as a mentor to DiCaprio in developing the way in which Howard Hughes lived with OCD, and more than that how his OCD really denied him the ability to live it all. It became clear to Schwartz after a while that DiCaprio's own minor form of OCD perpetuated into a much more radical and dramatic form of the disorder that began to not only affect the actors performance, but also his life off set. Ultimately, the story line that Scorsese presents is incredibly historically accurate (with some Hollywood altercations of course), and DiCaprio's interpretation/characterization of Hughes is impeccable. The film is a fascinating portrayal, but even more fascinating is that it is portraying real history of the actual life of Howard Hughes.    

http://movies.nytimes.com/2004/12/17/movies/17avia.html?_r=0

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7810-2004Dec17.html

http://www.wnd.com/2005/02/29013/