Against the Sun

Against the Sun is a 2014 American survival drama film written, produced, and directed by Brian Falk and starring Garret Dillahunt, Tom Felton, and Jake Abel. The film was released via video on demand on January 23, 2015.

Against the Sun
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBrian Falk
Produced by
  • Brian Falk
  • Kurt Graver
  • Mark Moran
Written by
  • Brian Falk
  • Mark David Keegan
Starring
Music byPaul Mills
CinematographyPetr Cikhart
Edited bySean Albertson
Production
company
Distributed byGoldcrest Films NYC
Release date
  • November 22, 2014 (2014-11-22) (New Orleans premiere)
  • January 23, 2015 (2015-01-23)
Running time
99 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$4,646[2]

Plot

Based on a true story, three US Navy airmen are forced to ditch their torpedo bomber in the South Pacific during World War II. They then find themselves on a tiny life raft, surrounded by open ocean. With no food, water and little hope of rescue they drift across the ocean. Against incredible odds, these three virtual strangers survive dehydration, starvation, sharks, storms, the possibility of being apprehended by the Japanese, the madness of isolation, hopelessness and each other as they try to sail more than a thousand miles to safety.

Cast

Background
Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bomber from VT-6 before the Second World War, similar to the aircraft Dixon flew

On January 16, 1942, Chief Aviation Machinist's Mate and enlisted Naval Aviation Pilot Harold Dixon (aged 41, from La Mesa, California), radioman Gene Aldrich (aged 22 from Sikeston, Missouri) and bombardier Anthony Pastula (aged 24 of Youngstown, Ohio) took off from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in a Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bomber Bureau Number 0335. As part of Torpedo Squadron SIX (VT-6), they were to undertake an anti-submarine sweep over the Pacific Ocean. Once airborne they were to maintain radio silence to safeguard the carrier being detected by the Japanese.

Their aircraft lost position and was unable to return to the carrier. Running low on fuel, Dixon ditched the aircraft in the sea. The aircraft sank quickly taking most of the crew's survival equipment with it. The men inflated the small rubber life raft and climbed inside. Surviving on rainwater and meager rations the men drifted for 34 days and travelled over 1,000 miles, before landing on the Pukapuka atoll, a friendly island. The crew was picked up a week later by a seaplane from the USS Swan.

Medals

For his endeavors to keep his crew alive Dixon was awarded the Navy Cross. The citation read "...for extreme heroism, exceptional determination, resourcefulness, skilled seamanship, excellent judgment and highest quality of leadership". Pastula and Aldrich both received presidential commendations for their "extraordinary courage, fortitude, strength of character and exceptional endurance".

The life raft the men used is on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum.[3]

Memorials

Dixon died on June 26, 1987 and is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. Pastula died on October 19, 1982 and is buried in Ohio. Aldrich died of cancer on March 27, 1973 in San Diego.

Release

The film had a premiere at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana on November 23, 2014.[4] The film was released to video on demand on January 23, 2015. It was also played at the Arena Theater in Los Angeles.

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 67% based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10.[5] On Metacritic, the film had score of 43 out of 100, based on 5 reviews.[6]

The Los Angeles Times said the film was admirable but compared it unfavorably to Angelina Jolie's film Unbroken which had been released a month before.[7]

See also

References
  1. "AGAINST THE SUN (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. February 25, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  2. "Against the Sun". Box Office Mojo. October 10, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  3. "Item - National Naval Aviation Museum". navalaviationmuseum.org. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  4. "Exclusive Advance Screening - "Against the Sun"". The National WWII Museum. November 23, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  5. "Against the Sun (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  6. "Against the Sun (2015) : Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  7. Rechtshaffen, Michael (January 22, 2015). "'Against the Sun' is admirable but destined to be overshadowed". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
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