MovieChat Forums > The High and the Mighty (1954) Discussion > Plane flys from right to left on the scr...

Plane flys from right to left on the screen

posted 16 years ago by jimadam
16 replies | jump to latest

In every scene we see the airplane moving from right to left on the screen. Yet, when I look at a map and see the trip from west (Hawaii) to east (San Francisco), shouldn't the plane be flying from left to to right? It bothered me.

Another thing I probably need to re-watch is the engine problem occuring just after the gun was fired, yet nothing seemed to be fully explained.

What I did like, is that fuel was the problem. Today, Hollywood would louse things up by throwing in a bunch of problems.

[–] simonhowson 16 years ago

It doesn't matter, just as long as it is consistent. If the plane was shown right to left, and then later left to right then that would be completely confusing, unless we had been told that the plane was returning to Hawaii.

You are simply associating screen direction with actual movement. Any movement can be apparently reversed by putting the camera on the other side of the action.

I watched this film again recently, and still have no idea why it has such a strong reputation. My guess is people remember it as being better than it really is, and the fact it was unavailable on home video for so long made it's reputation grow. Personally I think it would've been much better if it was 100 minutes long, and if Wayne had more to do. His production company funded a far better film in 1954 - Track of the Cat - which Wayne funded for the same director William Wellman because of the financial success of The High and the Mighty. Track of the Cat is a far superior film.

[–] Homer900 16 years ago

TH&TM is a very good, not great, but very good film. Of course there are problems with it, any movie can be nitpicked. This is the film on which every other air disaster flick has as a benchmark and few come close. As far as showing the plane from right to left, well, the camera orientation was to the north of the aircraft then shooting south. ;-)

[–] matjusm 16 years ago

No offense but this is the stupidest complaint (if it is not a complaint and simply an observation then I withdraw my words) that I have heard.

What connection is there between the aircraft's route and how it looks like on screen? Why "should" the airplane be flying from left to right instead of vice versa? It is all a matter of perception- if you are looking from north to south, the airplane flies from right to left. If however you're looking from south to north, the airplane is flying left to right. I really don't get the big deal.

mmm, doughnut...
-Homer J. Simpson

[–] scottcom36 14 years ago

It only looks "normal" if you normally stand on your head when looking at a map or globe. From the normal perspective, Hawaii is to the left of San Francisco. I did notice the right to left movement and it did strike me as a bit odd, but it didn't take away from the movie.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rwsmith29456 16 years ago

It wouldn't have mattered even if they HAD shown different views. We all knew it was the only plane of importance in the movie.

[–] aldiboronti 14 years ago

Sheesh! You don't have to be "standing on your head" you just have to be viewing the aircraft from the north rather than the south. What's so hard to understand about that?

[–] scottcom36 13 years ago

I am well aware that when facing south, east is to the left and west is to the right. But that doesn't change the fact that we are accustomed to seeing Hawaii to the left of San Francisco on globes and maps. What's so hard to understand about that?

[–] K-r-i-z-a 12 years ago

In every scene we see the airplane moving from right to left on the screen. Yet, when I look at a map and see the trip from west (Hawaii) to east (San Francisco), shouldn't the plane be flying from left to to right? It bothered me.

You canNOT be serious ! !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNcdLrPblvg

[–] Homer900 12 years ago

Kriza wrote: "In every scene we see the airplane moving from right to left on the screen. Yet, when I look at a map and see the trip from west (Hawaii) to east (San Francisco), shouldn't the plane be flying from left to to right? It bothered me."

The camera crew was filming from Alaska. Therefore with that perspective, the plane would of course fly from right to left to go west to east. Simple.

[–] K-r-i-z-a 12 years ago

Kriza wrote: "In every scene we see the airplane moving from right to left on the screen. Yet, when I look at a map and see the trip from west (Hawaii) to east (San Francisco), shouldn't the plane be flying from left to to right? It bothered me."

WTF?? Please look carefully before you incorrectly reply to the 'wrong' person. I'm not being funny but it really bothers me when someone attributes a comment to me that ''obviously'' wasn't even made by me !

The camera crew was filming from Alaska. Therefore with that perspective, the plane would of course fly from right to left to go west to east. Simple.

LOL, and you're telling 'ME' because??

And God said "LET THERE BE LIGHT" - sponsored by Powergen

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ae36 9 years ago

LOL>

I recently watched "Ice Station Zebra" which was a submarine movie.

I noticed that the camera orientation and view of the interior of the sub was a little odd-- then it hit me.

The interior of the sub on the bridge is in profile-- meaning the actors are facing front to back and you as the viewer have a view from 90 degrees off to the side.

In every other sub movie I've ever seen, the view is dead on-- meaning the viewer is either looking fore or aft in the sub.

AE36

[–] AngryStarlessRedneck 9 years ago

What should be the screen direction be if a plane is going north/south? Hmm, I guess if it flies north, we just see its rear end.

Seems natural to me that planes are most frequently filmed from the pilot or boarding side.

What bothers me is that they don't fly overhead. What the heck am I floating around up there outside the plane anyway?

¿Dónde están los kits de molde?

[–] gsfsu 9 years ago

The aircraft shown flying from right to left is the damaged commercial aircraft. The one flying the opposite direction is the Coast Guard aircraft (which was flying westward to meet the commercial plane).