Sgt Watson the coward - The Flight of the Phoenix (1965) Discussion

[–] pcread 19 years ago

His punishment is having to live with himself afterwards. I just watched it on BBC over in the Netherlands, but the microwave link from Belgium went down just before the end. Grrrr.

BTW, why didn't they eat the camel?

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[–] pullgees 19 years ago

Yes he would have to live with that for the rest of his life but the story moved on and never refocussed back on this character and I felt a bit left up in the air over him. Perhaps the book goes into more detail.
I hope you didn't miss the starting up the engine scene with only a few Coffman cartridges.

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[–] pcread 19 years ago

I'm a big fan of Elleston Trevor's books, especially the ones he wrote under his Adam Hall pseudonym (Quiller series).
I saw the starting of the engine, but the screen went black just as they were all clambering aboard on the ridge. Luckily, I have seen the film a couple of times before.

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[–] thomasprescott 19 years ago

I would have expected his character to get killed off as well but it's one of the things that make this a great movie - it's not Hollywoodized. In a typical Hollywood version Frank Towns would have used all of the cartridges to fire up the engine. But instead, the writers leave him with one left. Another little thing - when one of the survivors is painting the words "the Phoenix" on the plane, he begins to explain to another character what the Phoenix is but doesn't finish, as the writers know that the viewing audience knows the answer, so why talk down to them?

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[–] James_Bond_007_218 19 years ago

Yes, I noticed the left over start up booster as well. Most films would have the last one work at the last minute and they would are all saved, this time there's a spare!! A nice touch.

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[–] mike-848 19 years ago

I don't consider him a coward. He would have lost his life in both instances if he had followed the foolish orders of his stiff upper lip officer.

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[–] hatchi 17 years ago

i didnt consider hin a coward neither . he just liked self preservation

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[–] telegonus 19 years ago

I actually like the sergeant. He's a refreshingly real life character, behaving pragmatically, in his own self-interest, as most of us do. He's a survivor, not a hero. The world needs both types or there would be no one left.

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[–] zensixties 17 years ago

Sergeant Watson was the hero because he had the courage to stand up to that bastard Captain Harris. His plans got two other innocent people killed, the Mexical and the doctor.

Play the game existence 'til the end...of the beginning...

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[–] nba-2 17 years ago

He wasn't a hero - he was a worthless coward who spent the entire time dodging any kind of responsibility. His refusal to go with the Captain cost the team a much more valuable man in the Doctor.

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[–] gribfritz2 12 years ago

who spent the entire time dodging any kind of responsibility

Untrue. He helps build the plane every step of the way, unlike the Capt who, while well-intentioned, ran off on several wild goose chases. The only thing the Sgt did is not want to hike 100 miles in the desert to a water hole they had no chance of finding and he did not want to say howdy to a group of unknowns who most likely were criminals and would kill him. At the end of the day, the Capt is dead and the Sgt is alive. And the Capt, as well-intentioned as he was, as far as I can remember, did virtually nothing helpful.

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[–] Erik-Bloodaxe 11 years ago

I guess one point is that Harris was used to giving orders and when it came to being part of the team, and effectively taking orders from Towns, he couldn't do it. It was more important for him to run his own silly mission.

"Knowledge is cheap at any price"

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[–] 11 years ago

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[–] jonpride 18 years ago

Sgt. Watson was the coward, but only until he stands up to his his officer. It is obviously implied that he feels that his position is humiliating, like when Captain Harris tells him to be a good chap and clean his gun. Pretending to sprain his ankle is a cowardly move because he is sidestepping his real problem, which is his obsequious position in relation to Captain Harris. When he tells Captain Harris that he will not join him, he is finally facing his problem, and the line "I am not afraid." is the coup de grace. I almost feel that he earned a spot on the airplane, not just for his work on it, but for his ability to face his fear. The book really elaborates on this complex character, and really gets inside his motives. Read the book if you get the chance; the philosophies are very insightful. Good comment for discussion.

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[–] porfle 17 years ago

I agree completely. Watson is the character that I identify with the most, although we're supposed to be sickened by his "cowardice." I wouldn't want to trail along after Harris on his bonehead suicide missions either.

http://www.bumscorner.com
http://www.myspace.com/porfle

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[–] LionHearted99 17 years ago

Possibly he let his CO down...but not himself. His CO was quite mad to try to traverse the hostile desert under those demanding conditions. And even more insane to ask another man to go to certain death also. This had nothing to do with any war time campaign. Under these conditions the hierarchical rules of the military should be suspended. Anyone who has the capability to think for himself would have had a problem with this, I think.

"The Pope gave a dispensation to allow the king to marry his brother's widow. Now we must ask the Pope to dispense with his dispensation...again for state reasons"? "I don't like plodding, Thomas. Well?" "Clearly then, all we have to do is to approach His Holiness and ask Him."

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[–] greenleafie 17 years ago

Watson was a victim- sold into military servitude by his parents, when he was only a boy. It took remarkable courage to do what he did, to stand up to an all-powerful, corrupt system and become his own man. Crashing in the desert was probably his best stroke of luck. Harris' death illustrates that when nature, or fate, or God, or whatever you want to call it intervenes, the system we all seem compelled to trust in fails, and cost Harris his life and those of two others as well. Watson, more than anyone, deserved to survive, because life, up until then, had never given him any choices. He was indeed a victim, until he had the courage to break the cycle of servitude. His story, following the end of this show, would be by far the most interesting. Would he, for example, if he chose, be able to escape the military trap his parents had condemned him to, or would he simply be imprisoned in a stockade for failing to be the slave his "superiors" wanted him to be? I like to think he got out of the army and began to experience life as a free man. The contempt the others- like Towns and Moran- showed him for his actions, reveal the narrowness of their thinking, when they themselves were unhappy about their own treatment at the hands of Arabco Oil.

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[–] porfle 17 years ago

Yeah! Well said. Hooray for Sergeant Watson!

http://www.bumscorner.com
http://www.myspace.com/porfle

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[–] LionHearted99 16 years ago

Possibly he left his captain down...but not himself. Sgt. Watson knew his captain was crazy and most certainly would die trying to walk a ridiculous amount of miles to a civilized station in blazing hot desert conditions. As I recall this was explained to him by Capt. Towns, but being British and "good show" and all that...he was determined to do it. Sgt. Watson was the more human if not humane, of the two.

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[–] TorontoJediMaster 16 years ago

I don't think he was a coward.

He might have been in violation of the military order...but not common sense.

Harris was on a fool's errand and Watson knew it. It wasn't like they were in battle, and they had to take an objective. It was Harris embarking on a mission that everyone knew was doomed to fail.

And, Harris seemed to automatically assume that Watson would go. As that was not part of normal duties, and carried an inordinate amount of risk, I would have thought that Harris would have asked Watson if he would volunteer -pointing out that was above the normal call of duty, and thus he couldn't order him to do so.

I don't think Watson was a coward. He had served in the Army for something like thirty years by that time. (The first time, his father volunteered him. However, after that enlistment expired, he was there by his own volition.). But, it's one thing to take a soldier's normal risks in the line of duty. That, I'm certain, he would have been willing to do. It's another to throw your life away on a fool's errand by an officer who simply can't see the fact his plan is suicide. Towns even tried to warn Harris that his plan hadn't a chance of succeeding.

I don't think Watson was a coward. I think he just refused to throw his life away for nothing.

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[–] MrPie7 16 years ago

The very fact that there can be such complete and honest disagreement over this complex character shows just how good the writing, acting, and direction of this remarkable film is.

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[–] b-giftig 16 years ago

I agree to the point that Watson acted the way he di to save his own life, and that he showed common sense in doing so. I found very good postings on this one here, thanks, folks!

But WHY did he try to hide the return of Capt. Harris? He obviously meant to leave him dying in the desert, only few footsteps away from rescue. Was he afraid that Towns would report the fake-accident to his capitain?

And I did not like his obvious joy on finding out that Harris was murdered by the raiders. "Harris is dead, isn't he? *beam*" - He is the most ambivalent character, I would have been interested inhis future life as well.

PS: sorry for mistakes, English is not my native language.

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[–] drystyx 16 years ago

The varying reports in this thread show how good a job the movie did on this character. I think the movie was just good all the way around. It was disappointing to see huge stars like Borgnine, Duryea, and Kennedy doing what amounted to little more than cameos. I know Borgnine got a high billing, but his role was pretty small, though he and the others all did splendidly.

But as for Watson. I agree, he was a coward by definition. Of course a coward may also be considered a survivor. I liked the way the movie let him survive, because in real life a coward will survive more often than the Peter Finch character, bless his foolhardy or brave soul (depending on how you look at it).
Of course, as some people already stated, Finch led men to their deaths.

This brings up another point. Since Finch had two tragic excursions, and seemed to have a degree of destruction as far as his followers were concerned, it seems that Watson observed this in the past. Who knows how many people he saw Finch get killed or maimed before. I'm not sure we're supposed to read this into the story, but I'm not sure we're not supposed to read it ito the story, either.

Watson's character was much more explored than the others, even the leads. He was like a little villain, if the movie had one. Was he a survivor? Or a coward? I would say both.

Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time

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[–] greenleafie 16 years ago

Watson clearly didn't like Harris. But I noticed, when Harris praised him ("Well done!") for work he had done on the plane, Watson seemed very touched by the comment. I expect, having grown up in the Army, Watson had come to look on his Captain as a father-figure. But like many 'sons,' he had a love/hate relationship with his surrogate Dad. While one son might openly challenge his father for supremacy, Watson was presented with the unigue opportunity to simply do nothing and see Harris die from his own suicidal nature. It seems the balance was tipped in favor of his hatred. I can't say I liked Watson, but I can appreciate the predicament he was in. His failure to act to save Harris transcended his duty as a soldier and spoke of a fundamental deficiency in his character as a human being. Harris may have acted out of what he (Harris) viewed as nobility and honor, but the bottom line is, he had not correctly assessed the situation he and those he had assumed responsibility for were in, and so in fact was abusing his authority. I felt sympathy for Watson, but little for Harris. ("Who is more foolish? The fool, or the fool that follows it?" -Ben Kenobi)

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] romarub 15 years ago

I agree. Sgt. Watson's look was one of utter contempt, even disgust, at having received praise from someone he clearly despised (Capt. Harris). Perhaps Watson may have seen Harris's comment as sincere, which would have only further infuriated Watson's hatred towards Harris even more, since, to have accepted and acknowledged Harris's benevolence would have necessitated Watson to back off from his feelings about Harris to some degree, compelling him to modify his already deeply felt hatred that was already so ingrained within him. There was no indication in Watson's expression, that I could read, as appreciativeness or gratefulness for having his efforts recognized by Harris - in fact, quite the opposite.

Watson was aware that Harris had seen him lying at the edge of the camp and had simply left him there to die. That Harris never reported Watson's refusing him assistance (which might even be viewed as attempted murder), would only further have antagonized Watson, Harris showing the kind of strength of character that Watson was incapable of emulating (and, ironically, similar to the kind of strength of purpose Dorfman displayed that Towns had found so exasperating and antagonizing).

This has to be one of my TOP 10 favorite films (just had to get that in!).

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[–] Strunkinator 14 years ago

I just finished watching this film for the first time. Great film. But I thought that Watson's reaction to Harris's death was more of a "I knew that would happen".

I mean, what is he supposed to do? Feel sad when he himself would've had his throat slit as well?

One thing that irritated me about Harris more than anything else was during the very beginning on the plane, when he made Watson stow away his handbag to the cargo area - a handbag that was smaller than most women's purses - yet there was a dude playing a guitar. Shouldn't that, by Harris's standards, have been stowed in cargo as well (even though the guitar guy wasn't a soldier)?

How do you like that piece of satire?

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[–] tohu 16 years ago

[quote] The varying reports in this thread show how good a job the movie did on this character. I think the movie was just good all the way around [i/quote]

Absolutely right. And Ronald Frasr's performance also deserves mention. Must have been a difficult character to play. He manages to convey all the things that have been identified here: the fear, resentment, shame, etc.
_____________

"Maybe I should go alone"
- Quint, Jaws.

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[–] pullgees 15 years ago

Coming back to this thread after four years, (just seen it again). I see yet more aspects to this character, an underdog with a chip on his shoulder, class conscious. His father coerced him into the army and through transference he sees Finch's character as his father. And to cap it all you can see a hurt little boy in this character as well. This is one masterful piece of acting that he should have had more recognition for.

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[–] boll-weavil 11 years ago

The hapless squaddie and the elitist 'death or glory' captain.I'm not sure either of their characters are as well drawn in the film as they are in the book. I would even say the film is slightly two-dimensional in using cliched characterisations - you could say the same about making the designer German.Well I suppose he must be because he's good at mechanical things and all Germans are, right ? It's all a bit lazy. For me, the more interesting characterisations are Towns and Moran. Both of them are at war with their own demons as much as with anything else and the claustrophobic nature of the group of survivors (in contrast with the wide-open spaces of the desert) only serves to exacerbate their problems.Having a leading man who is so flawed is a brave move and much as I like the other characters,Stewart is the one who steals the show.

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[–] JurorNr13 15 years ago

Capt Harris gave his life so that the others may not have ben spotted by the raiders.

Wrong. He was killed by the arab caravan when he approached and asked them for help. If he hadn't gone noone would have been killed because the arabs would never have spotted the wreckage and the survivors. This is what Capt. Towns realized in the scene where he shoots the camel.

I don't think Sgt. Watson is a coward, but I do think that he is a pretty low human being and comrade as seen in his reaction to the news of Capt. Harris' death.

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