Part III: Narrative/Film Language and Representation

Narrative

Because the narrative follows Howard Hughes through a period in his life, the narrative is tied together using coherent events only relevant to the plot. Scenes essentially revolve around Hughes' obsession with aviation in chronological order, with only important events of his life being shown. Events in his life are omitted because they don't add to the story and doesn't propel the narrative forward. Many times however, entire parts of his life are played out like in the scene where he spends months in a screening room. The narrative is based around Howard Hughes' pursuit in aviation and events in his life that revolve around his passion of aviation rather than telling his life story chronologically. The plot not only revolves his pursuit in aviation, but also explores his OCD condition and his various love interests.

Film Language and Representation

The first apparent stylistic use in editing is the use of an effect that recreates the "two strip technicolor"look from films of that era of Hughes' life. This effect is used from the beginning of the film to about halfway when film of that era progressed past technicolor and into more modern uses of color in film. This effect causes the audience to not only view events of that time period, but also in essence view it through the lens of that time period. It creates an enhanced effect on the audience watching the film because it "brings" the audience back to the era of the film through the use of effects of that period before 1935 with editing. Another use of editing to create meaning is a short montage of scenes leading up to the H-1 Racer, showing that making the plane was a result of years of development.

The cinematography is very tight, glorious, and purposeful through the first half of the scene. There are various shots of the Hughes H-1 Racer, the first plane Hughes sets his mind to making, that show the glory and magnificence of the technological breakthrough that the plane represents. Shots reveal various parts of the plane as Hughes is maneuvering the plane into flight and while he is in the air. These are almost anticipating their purpose of the various levers in the plane. There are also various close up shots of the gauges while the plane is in flight to foreshadow the malfunction of the plane later in the same scene. Once the plane begins to falter, shots of the gauges are used to communicate that the plane and Hughes are in danger.

Music and sound is also used extremely well to present the H-1 Racer as a glorious piece of technology, as though it were a leitmotif associated with heroes of epic films. Sound bites are used alongside close-ups of gauges and switches to communicate the complexity of flying a plane that is covering new ground. Parts of the sound during the film present Hughes almost as a western pioneer through a use of hoove-like sound in the track. This shows that Hughes is truly a pioneer in the field of aviation.