Movie Life Lessons: 12 O’Clock High: Leadership

Question: What is the only movie to ever be taught and studied in the Harvard Business School?

Answer: 12 O’Clock High starring Gregory Peck.

The movie was released in 1949 and focuses on an Air Force squadron, the 918th, which is conducting daylight bombing runs during World War 2. The movie is taught at the Harvard Business School as a case study in leadership, and how to effect change in organizations. This film is also studied by the US Navy as an example of leadership styles in its Leadership and Management Training School.

Which is why it is the focus of today’s Movie Life Lessons blog post.

THE 10 MOVIE LIFE LESSONS ON LEADERSHIP FROM 12 O’CLOCK HIGH

1. OFFER SOLUTIONS NOT EXCUSES

“We could have. If it hadn’t been for our stinking luck.”

“We’re talking about luck. I don’t believe in it. I believe a man makes his own luck.”

When the movie begins the current commander of the 918th Squadron is Colonel Keith Davenport. Davenport is beloved by his men and returns the feeling. To the detriment of the whole squadron and the larger mission. Davenport makes excuses for the high number of losses his squadron experiences.

The problem as Frank Savage understands it is Davenport’s loyalty is to his men. He is holding on way too tight. The loss of life on each mission is getting to him.

However, in making excuses for his men, in chalking it up to rotten luck, Davenport fails to require the effort of them as individuals. Instead, he explains to his commanding officers why it wasn’t this airman’s fault for missing the target, or that a pilot’s mistake was because they’re tired or because of where they're from, or whatever the reason.

In the end, they are all excuses Davenport makes for his men. This is his mistake.

And it leads to the next Movie Life Lesson:

2. HAVE HIGH STANDARDS AND MAINTAIN THEM.

“I have to ask you to take nice kids and fly them until they can't take no more. Then put them back in and fly them some more. “We've got to try to find out just what a maximum effort is and how much a man can take and get it all.”

Gregory Peck’s General Frank Savage doesn’t waste time making his new style of leadership felt among the base. When the gate guard doesn’t check his credentials and doesn’t salute him Savage chews the man out. He makes it known from the moment he sets foot on the base that he is in charge, and that he expects the rules to be followed. Something that has been missing for too long. The effects of this change in the style of leadership are immediately felt by the men. Like when he closes the base canteen.

It’s more than just what he says. It’s how he looks. His uniform is crisp. He is buttoned down. He carries himself like a man in charge. Which he is.

3. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR ACTIONS

“You met that responsibility the same way you met his need. You ran out on it.”

Savage, memorably chews out Lieutenant Gately for his failure to support his commanding officer, Colonel Davenport, in achieving the mission and sharing some of his burden. But, even with a soldier like Lieutenant Gatley who he considers to be a coward, Savage doesn’t pass the buck. He doesn’t relieve Gately of command and transfer him to another unit. No. He forces him to take responsibility. He demotes Lt. Gately. He has him change the name of his plane to “The Leper Colony.” He tells him that he is going to get every airmen on base who can’t hit his target, who can’t find the mens room…

Why? What’s the point?

To remind him that no one man is more special than the rest. And that regardless of connections or legacy (Gately’s father and grandfather are both war heroes), each of us is responsible for our actions as individuals no matter what circumstances we might be saddled with or how unfair we think they are. We live in a world that currently thinks that when the standards set become to high for a particular group the answer is to obliterate the standards. Frank Savage proves why that thinking is incorrect. It is the standards we hold ourselves to that make it possible for us each to achieve our missions as individuals.

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How to accomplish that leads to the next Movie Life Lesson:

4. GET BACK TO FUNDAMENTALS (TO OVERCOME FEAR AND DOUBT)

“Tell them to put their requests in through proper channels. Meanwhile, they fly.”

General Savage gets his men back to fundamentals; he gets them flying. No more medical exemptions for his airmen. He keeps sending them up. He reviews the missions even on days when the men aren’t going on a bombing run. When people face failure in life, they find themselves at a fork in the road; they have a choice. They can either choose to persist in the mission. Or they can quit. A smart way to bounce back is to get back to basics.

In Top Gun after Goose’s death when Maverick refuses to engage what does his commanding officer (Tom Skerrit) do? He keeps sending Maverick up. Getting him back in the cockpit.

In Rocky III after Rocky loses to Clubber Lang (because he didn’t train properly) what is Apollo Creed’s solution? He takes Rocky back to the basics. He trains him in the basics. He learns to fight again.

In 12 O’Clock High Frank Savage takes the same tactic. In doing so he stops the men from feeling sorry for themselves (or at the very least he doesn’t give them the time to wallow in their self-pity. He doesn’t let them think they are special. He keeps them busy with the basics. The fundamentals. Then he builds on that. No one person’s hide is worth saving more than another. No one man is more important than the mission.

Which leads to the next Movie Life Lesson.

5. PROMOTE EXCELLENCE

“I better practice saluting you first. It goes with the metal. It was a privilege to add my name to that recommendation.”

Savage’s focus on excellence involves demoting aircrew who make mistakes to The Leper Colony; those who prove themselves get promoted out of it.



5. MAINTAIN YOUR DISTANCE

“You’ve gotta find a way to save yourself a little. You can’t carry all the load. It’s too big.”

“He’s going to bust wide open. And he’s going to do it to himself. Why? Because he is a first-rate guy.”

Over the course of the movie despite his stoicism in dealing with the strain of leading men into combat, General Frank Savage begins to succumb to the same tendencies of his predecessor. Flying with his men he has grown close to them. Too close. He is holding on too tight. When one of the other planes is shot down, Savage calls over the radio for the pilots to bail out. But, it is too late. Afterward, we see he is clearly affected by the loss.

In Saving Private Ryan we see another character who employs this tactic in leadership. Tom Hanks’s Captain serves alongside his men but does not forget that his role as their leader necessitates that he maintain a separation from them. There are certain facts about his life he won’t share. When it comes to complaining as he explains to one of the soldiers under his command, “Gripes go up.”

6. BUILD SUPPORT

Major Stovall: “He'll never feel things about the group the way that made her Davenport dead. And nothing is going to start eating holes through him. He's too tough for it.

Joe:“There’s also such a thing as being human.”

Major Stovall: You know something, Joe, the only difference between Keith Davenport and Frank Savage…is Frank Savage is about that much taller.”

At the start of the film Keith Davenport and Frank Savage seem like entirely different men. Which calls to mind, Lt. Stovall’s remark about Frank Savage and Colonel Davenport.

Major Stovall (Dean Jagger, who won an Oscar for his portrayal) at first does not like Peck’s, General Frank Savage. Initially, Stovall longs for the personal connection of the former commanding officer, Colonel Davenport who has close personal connections with all of his men. By contrast, Stovall views Savage as cold, unsympathetic, and tough.

A hard ass.

Major Stovall comes to understand that Savage and Davenport are both good men who want the same thing: Victory. They both care about their men. That there is no difference between them.

When the pilots threaten to transfer it is Stovall who agrees to stall the pilots’ requests to give the general’s approach time to take effect.

7. INSPIRE OTHERS IN THE MISSION

“But right now the deal is to hang on….We’re in a shooting war,” -Frank Savage

With his pilots on the verge of transferring, Savage calls a trusted young officer, Bishop, into his office to hear his concerns. Bishop explains that he can’t see the point of their attacks. Savage explains why their missions are so important, convincing Bishop to stay. In turn, Bishop convinces the other pilots to stay as well.

Be clear about your mission goals and why they are important to achieve. Following orders is all well and good, but in a larger sense, the team needs to be inspired to complete their objectives. The way to make this happen is to instill a sense of purpose in your people. To inspire them. Doing so makes the sacrifices that will no doubt be necessary along the way seem worthwhile for everyone involved.

Tony Robbins refers to this as the “must.” The idea is that people are properly motivated by things that are most necessary to them in their lives. Therefore, people will do what they “must do” to maintain, protect, and keep, those things in their lives that are most valuable

8. SACRIFICE

“I guess a man only has so much to give and you’ve given it.”

Anything worth doing requires sacrifice. This is at the heart of what the movie is about. The young airmen who are sent on dangerous bombing runs by their commanding officers, who give their lives for the sake of the greater mission.

Which sounds good but is easier said than done. For example, everyone knows they should eat healthily. However, many of us are not willing to make the necessary sacrifices (giving up sweets, foods we love, and eating certain meals at certain times). The reason being we are often not properly motivated or inspired in our missions. We don’t have the right “must.”

For example, if a person is overweight or out of shape they might know they need to work out and eat healthier. But until a doctor tells that person they’re going to have a heart attack (or serious health problems) if they don’t change their ways, they very often don’t. But once they understand why they must do things for the greater good, they will make the necessary sacrifices.

Of course, that begs the question of what should be sacrificed, and how much to sacrifice.

This leads to the next Movie Life Lesson:

9. BUILD LEADERS

“And while you're at it tell ‘em we're going to work now to try and build some leadership around here. And when it comes to counting on me, tell him you're gonna be the next one. And it better be good. And tell Bishop he's gonna lead one and find out what it feels like to carry the load.”

Savage insists that every man must carry the load. Every man must learn to lead. That way the squadron/team is not reliant on one man. They can each rely on themselves and on the men on their team. The lesson is to organize your squadron/team/company in such a way that every man or woman pulls their weight.

In this way, the mission carries on beyond just one man.

In my experience in Hollywood, there are essentially two ways to run a writer’s room/production. The first is the way Matt Weiner ran Mad Men. Every single decision rested with him. Most of the production was forced to wait for Matt to weigh in on whatever decision was being made. One time filming stopped for hours over a decision about whether a character should wear a hat in a scene until Weiner could be reached and render his decision.

Contrarily, on Breaking Bad, Showrunner Vince Gilligan broke stories in the writers room in such a way that any of the writers in the room could write any episode, not only the one they were assigned. If Vince Gilligan were unavailable to handle one aspect of the writing/production, he knew and the organization (AMC) knew that there were others on the team who could step up and lead.

The History of Hollywood Stunts

Stunts have been an integral part of Hollywood movies since the early days of cinema. In the early days, stunts were performed by the actors themselves, but as movies became more complex and dangerous stunts became more common, the need for professional stunt performers grew.

My new book, The Double coming out next month is about a Hollywood stuntman on the backend of his career who is accused of murder. To clear his name he has to catch the people responsible for them. To do this he will have to make use of all his skills. Skills that allow him to gain access to otherwise inaccessible areas, and to escape from close calls. Not to mention the best stuntman are all trained fighters. I wrote the book in part out of my love for the action movies I watched endlessly growing up and the stuntmen who pulled off the daring feats that made those movies so memorable.

Some of the stunts that I remember watching when I was a kid that had my mouth agape was Sylvester Stallone leaping from the cliff in the first “Rambo: First Blood.” I remember watching him make the jump and then falling through a forest of trees. Later, I found out Stallone really made the jump himself. If you watch the movie you can actually see Stallone hit the branch that broke his rib.

Another big stunt at the time was the opening scene to “Goldeneye” which rebooted the 007 franchise with Pierce Brosnan as the British secret agent. The movie opens with a bungee jump from the top of a dam Bond performs to gain access to the bad guys’ compound. Bungee jumping was all the rage of the time. Having bungee jumped once myself I can tell you it’s pretty insane if not exhilarating. The thing to remember is after you fall, the bungee cord goes taut and then pulls you back up. Which means you fall again. Now, Goldeneye used what’s called a descender. Which is wire where the distance can be set which allows for the wire to slow the fall of the stuntman as they reach the full distance.

Wire work is now a staple of stunt work in Hollywood. Marvel has made great use of wire work to make the superheroes more hero. Or allows martial artists the ability to pull off high flying kicks, flips, and fights. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon being one of the first big movies to make use of this technique.

I still remember watching movies like Point Break and Drop Zone about skydiving adrenaline junkies using their high-flying skills to pull off heists. At the time I couldn’t understand why Point Break looked so much better and chalked it up to the skill of the filmmakers behind each movie (both of which are good but I love Point Break). I later learned that the reason the skydiving scenes in Point Break look so much better is because Patrick Swayze actually did them. That’s him jumping out of places and doing aerial flips.

“Amazing. F’ing amazing!”

The thing about Hollywood stunts is it’s not just about the danger level or how elaborate the stunt is. Sure, that’s part of it. But you can go on YouTube and watch “People Are Amazing” videos to see people doing unbelievable things on camera.

But when yelling a story, action can’t be just for action sake. The best stunts are the ones where the action informs the character. As with Crouching Tiger, or Rambo.

Speaking of Stalone, another big stunt I remember was from the movie Cliffhanger. It didn’t involve Stallone, but one of the bad guys. The stunt was in a scene that sees the bad guy pull off a mid-air heist by zip lining from a crashing cargo plane to a private jet. The stunt was performed by famed Hollywood stuntman, Simon Crane, who was paid a million dollars to pull that off.

One of the earliest and most famous stunts in Hollywood history was performed in the 1923 movie "Safety Last!" starring Harold Lloyd. In the film, Lloyd climbs the side of a building and hangs from the hands of a clock high above the street. The scene has become an iconic image of silent film comedy.

Another famous stunt was performed by Buster Keaton in the 1928 movie "Steamboat Bill, Jr." In the film, Keaton stands in the middle of a street as a building facade falls on him. Keaton was positioned in a specific spot so that the window frame fell perfectly around him, leaving him unharmed.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the popularity of action movies led to more elaborate stunts. One of the most famous stuntmen of this era was Hal Needham, who worked on movies such as "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Hooper." Needham was known for his daring car chases and jumps.

Then, there was another Burt Reynolds classic, “Hooper” which is a movie that pays tribute to Hollywood stuntmen in general, in particular to well-known stuntman Jock Mahoney. Mahoney is the stepfather of co-star Sally Field.

In more recent years, the "Mission: Impossible" series has become famous for its elaborate stunts. In the “Mission: Impossible franchise, Tom Cruise has redefined what it means to be a Hollywood leading man by incorporating incredible stunts into each movie.

In MI:Ghost Protocol, Tom Cruise scales the outside of the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa, ending with an incredible fulcrum swing and jump into an open window.

In MI: Rogue Nation he hangs off a plane.

In MI:Fallout," performed a HALO jump, in which he jumped out of a plane at a high altitude and free-fell before opening his parachute.

Other famous stunts include Evel Knievel's motorcycle jumps and Jackie Chan's acrobatic fight scenes. Stunt performers such as Dar Robinson, who performed the record-breaking 220-foot freefall in the 1980 movie "The Cannonball Run," and Yakima Canutt, who invented many of the techniques still used in stunt work today, have also made significant contributions to the history of stunts in Hollywood movies.

For a list of some of the best stunts ever performed in Hollywood movies check out this list from Cinefix

One of the best YouTube channels for checking out the best and worst fo Hollywood stunts is Corridor Crew.

Top Gun training/stunts

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The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray."

The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray."

-proverb

“Der mentsh trakht un got lakht” is an old Yiddish adage that translates to Man plans and God laughs.

I mention these because it’s been a week since I posted.  I want this blog to be a frequent bts look at life as a writer and producer and consistency is a key part of that. Unfortunately, the universe had other ideas.

On Sunday I went down hard with a 24-hour bug. It wasn’t that I felt so terrible (tho I didn’t feel great), but I was very tired.  Ask anyone who knows me and I am rarely tired and don’t need quite as much sleep as most.

But sleep is what I did, most of Sunday and half of Monday, MLK Day.

By the afternoon I started to feel better tho by then my stomach was a little topsy turvy. I did what work I could editing one chapter in “The Double” (Eddie Ankin Book One). Then, editing a couple of videos for YouTube and social media that I had previously shot.  I got those posted and called it a day.

Unfortunately, that night my middle daughter caught what I had and woke up sick on Tuesday. So, what I planned  to be a full day spent working while watching my son, was also spent caring for my under-the-weather little girl.  To paraphrase Maxamillian Schell from The Freshman, “Carmine said one….but there are two.”

At least I avoided the Komodo dragon.

By this morning the middle child was on the road to wellville, but not surprisingly my eldest and my youngest were now sick with the same cold.

So, rather than much writing, editing, or filming, I’ve been hopping to and fro taking care of the whole family today.

Which…while thankless at times…is the greatest job in the world (hard and exhausting…but great)

On the writing front, I am revising a few chapters of “The Double” leading up to the final showdown to be sure the story flows and the tension is ratcheted up before the climax. So I worked on that in fits and starts throughout the day.

Late last night,  I spent a couple of hours revising the outline for a horror film I am writing on spec. Then I watched The Last of Us and went to bed

The Last of Us pilot episode is really really good.

I wrote a script a couple of years ago for a producer at Netflix called HIDE BEHINDS based on a camp ghost story I heard while a camper at Camp Winaukee (yes, Winaukee like the ship gunner who gave Christopher Walken the watch in Pulp Fiction which Walken wore up his ass all those years before giving it to young Butch (Bruce Willis). Or maybe the camp was named after an American Indian tribe. One or the other. But I digress…)

Nothing came of that script but I also never shopped it anywhere else because I was busy at the time with other projects. But, I figure that HIDE BEHINDS, along with this new script, will hopefully be a double barrel blast of terror when sent to Hollywood producers, directors, and actors.

As for today, the only real thing I’ve gotten to is this blog post which I started writing about 28 minutes ago when all three children blessedly fell asleep for much needed naps.

Going forward, I plan to bring a production mindset to all my work and responsibilities. Rather than trying to multitask writing, filming, editing, or marketing, never mind advertising, developing, producing, plus family time, I am going to dedicate each day fully to one thing (okay two things because apparently it is illegal in some states to neglect your children…What’s that? It’s illegal in all states?  Good to know.)

Next week, I am shifting to a full-on batch mentality:

-Writing days.

-Production days (shoot and edit).

-Marketing days

In television production when you shoot more than one episode at a time (to save time, money, or for logistics) it’s called double-boarding episodes. 

The schedule is broken down by scenes that can be shot at the same time, even if they may appear in different episodes. 

Often, a single director will double-board episodes so that there isn’t the same time spent transitioning between episodic directors.

In Game of Thrones for instance a director who shot the big battle sequence that spans two or three episodes may not be the credited director on all three. However, they (along with second-unit directors) did shoot scenes that appeared in other episodes.

Batching is kinda the online video equivalent and has become something of a mentality in the “rise-and-grind” world we all supposedly live in. Personally, the only rising and grinding I do is for coffee.

With that said, I hope all of you are healthy and remain so throughout 2023 (with wealthy and wise soon to follow). More to come this week.

MEDIA MONEY: INFLATION STILL A PROBLEM AS PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE.

CPI Increased .3% again that beat expectations. Almost all the forecast were for either .4 or .5. This is one of the lowest increases in CPI in recent months but obviously still an increase. To get a number like 8.3% only slightly lower than last month’s unbelievably high inflation numbers, is not exactly something to write home about.

Which means settle in for some more 50 BP rate hikes.

Looking a little closer at the numbers the real problem is this slight drop in the number is largely due to the lower gas prices we got last month. To quote a popular movie, “information that would have been useful to me yesterday. That’s because gas prices (as an impact on inflation) is based on where prices were a few weeks ago when gas prices dipped slightly. Since then gas prices have risen again and now sit at their highest price. This means inflation has likely not peaked as some people have been speculating.

Why is this relevant?

Because when everything costs more due to inflation (because the purchasing power of each dollar doesn’t go as far) it means that businesses cannot invest in growth the way they might have otherwise.

This means less hiring. It means less expansion. And from a very Hollywood perspective, it means every film and tv production is now that much more expensive.

To quote the Dude, “that’s a bummer, man.”

For some additional context, along with falling (now rising) gas prices, air travel appears to be the driver of the bad 8.3% inflation number. Last summer was the original Covid peak and then we actually started seeing CPI go down briefly but now when we look at the number as a breakdown we see that are crazy increases in the cost of things.

(All of the numbers are weighted by the Fed according to the impact on the overall CPI.)

Food index increased .9% which is technically outside of core CPI but that’s a significant increase for families. It’s worth reminding everyone reading this that CPI or Core consumer prices, excludes volatile food and energy items. Of course, consumers don't eat or drive based on “core” prices, and food prices are up 9.4% over the last year.

Major grocery store groups increase in to see increase in this increase of the month

The price of eggs up 10.3% month over month. Margarine up 7.1%. Those are some high numbers for goods outside of core CPI.

Men’s and boys apparel down slightly. Women’s apparel down slightly. Toddler apparel down 2.74%. Sewing machines and fabric supplies down 4.6% Guess that’s good for the costume departments. In travel: Hotels are up 3.4%. Car and truck rental 2.4%. Airline fares went up 21.9% in a month! That’s a huge increase! I wonder if that’s due to the riding gas prices? I know airlines tend to lock in future prices on jet fuel futures months out, but I’m guessing that is part of the impact. Along with a return to travel by people around the world, and a desire to get out and go places after two years of lockdowns. The prices of air travel is starting to reflect some of that demand. That’s going to cost each out-of-town production (which most are) a pretty penny to the budget bottom line.

Perhaps had California’s Governor Gavin Newsom done more to increase the tax credits in his home state of California at the beginning of the pandemic it would have resulted in more shows and movies being filmed here in California. Which, given the recent call by the WGA to not have productions in states that have laws that the unions/guilds apparently disagree with (I must have missed the consensus votes), also create complications, considering over half the states in the union likely have laws that the Hollywood guilds and some of their more vocal members disagree with. But again, this is just one more example of the shortsightedness of the rhetoric that results in so many of these flawed policies which have a direct impact on so many of California’s core industries, and the people who work in them.

Polling data that inflation and rising prices is what people are most concerned with. Not a bad time for some Hollywood escapism. But looking at the Oscars this past year, you have to wonder if Hollywood is still in the escapism business.

Had there been a stronger focus on the fiscal integrity of the state, along with support for one of America’s most important industries based here in Cali from our Governor and elected leaders, then perhaps we’d be better situated than we are now on all fronts. Bringing film and television production closer to home which would’ve maybe made it easier to keep productions going at full steam during the pandemic, instead of having to endure on-and-off shut-downs (one or two at least prompted by mistaken PCR test results, according to one studio head and one producer I spoke with). But I guess all that would be asking too much of Newsom. Instead, all that good gov stimulus cash (which is what largely kept California from defaulting on its liabilities) went to all manner of frivolous expenditures led by Newsom’s wildly progressive policies, leaving one of California’s major homegrown industries out in the cold.

So, now what we’re looking at is yet another year of what amounts to an added “tax” on every single production that the past two years came in the form of the additional Covid safety measure costs, and now in the form of skyrocketing inflation.

Looking at these numbers I wonder about the old adage that show business is recession-proof.

For a while, at the start of the pandemic with the spike in streaming numbers and the increase in our spending on home entertainment, I thought it looked like that might still be the case albeit in a different form. Instead of going to the movies for escapism, people we’re staying home watching Netflix and chilling. However, since the release of Netflix’s 200,000 subscriber loss and the tanking of their share price (their earnings call was yesterday; more to come on that), I’m not so sure that we can still say that Hollywood is recession-proof.

But back to the rising inflation — what will it mean for an industry looking to recover from the past two years of Covid? Well, for one thing, it means that on top of the Covid “tax” on productions last two years in the form of safety measures, amounting to roughly a 20-25% increase in budgets, plus the dollars falling purchasing power due to rising inflation, this poses yet another challenge for Hollywood.

The slap heard round the World

Why the 2022 Oscars is a harbinger for Hollywood

Hollywood used to be America’s greatest cultural export. It was one of the things that made America so well regarded in the world, and such a sought after place to visit, and to make a life. So much so that people would be willing to risk their own just to come here. A large part of that was the image of America projected by Hollywood (a town founded by immigrant Jews by the way. Just in case you get your history from the Academy Museum which all but cut us out of our own story).

So, when during last night’s Academy Awards Will Smith, one of Hollywood‘s leading men, acts out in as immoral and gutless a way as the worst detractors of hollywood accuse movie stars of behaving, it’s a moment to take note of. A seismic shift in an industry already off balance. The Oscars used to mean something. Now they’re a punchline. No pun intended. After last night..fughettaboutit. 

For what used to be one of America’s most important industries on what used to be one of television’s biggest nights (from people whose job it is to literally put on a show), it’s an unbelievable (unforgivable) squandering of potential especially at a time when the premium on live tv events is extraordinarily high. 

It’s time for a return to form. It’s time for those of us who love movies (and tv) to make the best versions. Its time for stars who know what it means to be movie stars to get the leading roles. It’s time for those of us who recognize and respect a movie’s ability to tell a story that entertains, amazes and transports, not just an audience, but an entire world, into a cinematic dream in which we all share, if only for a couple of hours, to take the helm. Whether you’re a movie star, a writer, director, producer, agent, executive — we’re all in the same boat—and last night it sprung another big hole. 

So here’s a little reality check, and some much needed reorientation towards gratitude for our collective good fortunes to work in this business…we are not special. However, we have been given an incredibly special opportunity, a golden one: the chance to make movies. The people who made the movies used to understand that. Sadly, that is no longer the case. The pomp and the circumstance has been replaced with puddle deep virtue, contempt for the audience (aka the customer), and antics you expect to see on a daytime talk show. That’s why movies have become what they are, and hollywood is in the state it is. Those same attitudes contributed to the disgraceful display by Will Smith last night who maddeningly could do what he did, go back to his seat, and then twenty minutes later see a theater full of his co-workers and mine give him an award and a standing ovation. This is how you get Harvey Weinstein. 

This is how you kill an industry.

It’s time to get back to basics. 

How Hard Work and Faith Lead to Success in Life.

Faith movies tend to get a bad rap. True, there have been the occasional big budget blockbuster exceptions such as The Passion of the Christ directed by Mel Gibson or the Noah directed by Darren Aronofsky. Then of course there is Cecil B DeMille’s famous “The Ten Commandments” with Charlton Heston and the less successful “Exodus: Gods and Kings” directed by Ridley Scott. Plus every two decades or so Martin Scorsese takes a shot at a Catholic-themed film like The Last Temptation of Christ or Silence.

However, today I am going to talk to you about the most religious movie you've ever seen — and didn't realize it. Frankly, it’s one of the best movies of all time.

Irwin Allen, a Hollywood Producer and Director, who became known as the “Master of Disaster” because of of two seminal movies he produced: 1972’s “The Poseidon Adventure" and 1974’s “The Towering Inferno.” I love them both.

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Because of the success of these movies, both of which became blockbusters, and because of the focus on the disaster spectacle of them, the true meaning of both are overlooked.

Today, I want to look at The Poseidon Adventure and what it has to say about religion, faith in oneself, and faith in God.

Let’s dive in.

In the beginning of the movie, we are introduced to all of our characters as the ship’s voyage is underway, and preparations are being made for New Year’s Eve, which is being celebrated that night in a gala in the ballroom onboard the ship. The cast contains some of the most familiar faces to audience in the 1970s (and today, among us cinephiles), with most of the cast having at one time or another been the top of his or her game in their respective arts: dance, theater, or movies. However, the main character we meet is clearly “Reverend Scott” played by Gene Hackman.

When people talk about roles that couldn't be played by anybody else, for me this is one that always comes to mind. In his first scene, Hackman’s “Reverend Scott” is in conversation with a fellow priest, the boat’s chaplain, played by Arthur O’Connell. Here we learn a little bit about Reverend Scott. We discover that he is being transferred to a parish deep in Africa. He actually says he had to look it up on a map. He is being sent to this parish because of his radical ideas about God, faith, and presumably the Catholic Church.

What's important is not the particular religion or the denomination, but rather that Reverend Scott is a character archetype: He is “A Religious Man.” “A Man of Faith.” More specifically, he is at the moment we meet him, a shepherd without a flock. We find Reverend Scott and Father John discussing God and faith in light of life-threatening circumstances. (A healthy bit of foreshadowing here). Reverend Scott is saying that if you're freezing to death you don't fall to your knees and pray to God. You get off your knees and you burn the furniture. You set fire to the building. Father John responds that those are pretty radical ideas. Scott’s reply is that they are radical, but “realistic.”

Realistic: Having or showing a sensible or practical idea about what can be achieved or expected.

Father John jokingly questions whether Scott is still a reverend. Reverend Scott has been stripped of most of his clerical powers (we realize he’s not wearing a frock and collar). However, he doesn’t view this as punishment but rather as “freedom…elbow room…freedom to find God in my own way.”

He’s mercurial. But what we do know so far is that his belief is that God wants you to take responsibility for your own life. He wants you to take action. Later, during his sermon, Reverend Scott tells the people, “Don’t pray to God to save you. Pray to that part of God within you. Have the guts to fight for yourself.” He then suggests that the New Years resolution they should all make is “to let God know they have the guts and the will to do it alone. To fight for those you love…Resolve to save your own life.” He tells them that if they do that, the part of God within them will be fighting with them all the way.

The movie is an exploration of this idea.

The movie continues, introducing us to the other characters. We are introduced to Ernest Borgnoine who plays “Mike Rogo,” a New York City cop with a backlog of dirtbags he’s still trying to put behind bars. Wait, no. That’s John McClane. We’ll get to him and Die Hard in other posts. The Poseidon Adventure’s “Mike Rogo,” is a veteran New York City Detective, who we get the sense is on his first vacation ever. He seems out of place—a literal fish out of water if you will. He is traveling with his wife “Linda,” who is sea sick. The ship, Poseidon, has been sailing through a storm and rough seas (a harbinger of things to come). Rogo seems a bit self-conscious about his wife, at the same time as he seems very protective of her. We come to find out this is because Linda, played by Stella Stevens, was a former hooker, and that she and Rogo met when he arrested her. Now, she’s his brassy, tough, take-no-guff wife, despite their shared self-conciosuness about her past. Even laid low by nauseau she’s the one person who can properly put Mike Rogo in his place. The reason is, these two are very much in love.

We also meet a young boy, “Robin” his sister, “Susan” as well as a quirky bachelor, “Mr. Martin,” played by Red Buttons who we first meet doing the funniest walk on film until Billy Crystal and Bruno Kirby went exercising in Central Park in “When Harry Met Sally.” We’ll come back to these characters later — when the world gets turned upside down.

The other characters we meet or an older couple named “Manny” and “Belle Rosen” played by Jack Albertson and the incomprable Shelly Winters. They are an older Jewish couple who are on their way to Israel to see their two-year old grandson who they've never met before.

We are also introduced to the Captain played by the great Leslie Nielsen. A actor who reinvented himself and had three successful careers in Hollywood, which is three more than most. As the Captain of Poseidon we get the sense that he is a man who loves the ocean, but has been out to sea for too long, has grown old at the helm, and that this islikely his last cruise before he gets dry docked. Which might explain why he is running three days behind schedule, (perhaps an attempt to prolong his final voyage?) Whatever the reason, there is pressure on him to go faster.

Eighteen minutes in, and the New Year's Eve party begins in the ballroom. We catch some snippets of conversation at the different tables. This gives us a chance to meet some of the ships’ officers among them the “Purser,” who says only half-kidding that he is the real head of the ship, referring to himself as the Manager of a hotel that floats. He is another figure of authority. We again meet the boy, “Robin’s” (Eric Shea) as well as his older sister, “Susan” (Pamela Sue Martin), and Roddy McDowell’s kind-hearted, Irish bartender, “Acres.”

It's worth noting here that it's no accident that the movie is set on New Year's Eve. Of all the holidays that could be celebrated in this movie, one which marks a time of year when things are coming to an end and people are hoping for fresh starts and new beginnings. It serves as a perfect metaphorical holiday for the movies larger story. And all our secular celebrations, New Year's Eve is often tied in peoples minds to Christmas, which is of course a very holy day. In fact, there is a giant Christmas tree in the ballroom, which is going to be very crucial in a few moments.

Meanwhile, at the Captain’s table, Leslie Neilsen is speaking to his guests about Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, from whom the ship gets its name. The Captain makes an ominously prescient remark about Poseidon’s “ill-temper.” It is worth noting that Reverend Scott is at the table. So we have this Man of God sitting across from the Captain of a ship, who is worshipful of a different god. The Captain meanwhile gets a call that he is needed on the bridge and excuses himself.

The conversation and celebration continues with characters taking to the dance floor for a scene culminating countdown to the new year. (Which serves as a countdown to the disaster that is about to befall them all).

Meanwhile, we cut back to the Captain on the bridge, where he is given a report of an undersea earthquake which is triggered a tsunami. This is important. Because what is an earthquake, but an act of God. As is the wave that strikes them. It is described by the Lookout as bigger than anything he’s ever seen — in other words, it defies any expectation.

In a great cinematic moment, the celebratory cheers of the characters in the ballroom are drowned out by the sound out the ship’s clakhorn signalling the “mayday” the captain has just ordered. They are moments away from an unexpected tidal wave that is about to turn their world literally upside down.

The Ballroom Floods

This is usually how Acts of God tend to go.

In one of the classic scenes that made Irwin Allen the “Master of Disaster” the ship is struck by the wave, and capsizes—

The characters in the ballroom go flying every which way. So does everything else. Furniture, plates, glasses, even the grand piano, all of it tossed and tumbled, with the final shot of a man who falls from a table on what is now the ceiling, plummeting and landing (somewhat Christ-like) on to the glass skylight which shatters. Another explosion rocks the ship, and the lights go out.

Blackness.

When we fade back up, our characters find themselves in a new world. Upside down. In darkness. Underwater. It is a world of chaos.

Linda’s first words are “Jesus Christ” and when we see Shelly Winters she is silently whispering, The Shema prayer, which is if not the holiest, then the most well known of the Jewish prayers, written in the Torah.

In other words, characters are in their own, acknowledging God. Not little “g” god, Poseidon, but the One God, in all his names. And they don’t say it lightly either. These are people who now understand what it means to fear God (fear as in awe, not terror. They’re too shocked to be terrified, but they are most certainly awed).

Reverend Scott meanwhile goes to help a dying man crushed under the debris. He watches helplessly as the man dies in his arms.

It’s a leap of faith.

Next, we hear the voice of the ship’s Purser — an authority figure — as he tries to get control of the situation. He tells people to stay calm, that help is on the way (he actually says it twice, the second time sounding more desperate than the first.)

Reverend Scott sees the boy “Robin” wandering around looking for his sister. He goes to help the boy, at which point we hear his sister’s voice from above. They look up and there is “Susan” crouched under a table which is bolted to the floor which is now the ceiling. She needs help getting down.

There’s only one way. She has to jump.

Reverend Scott gathers some of the survivors and a tablecloth and tells Susan to jump. Scared, Susan can’t bring herself to do it. Reverend Scott tells her to trust him, that they will catch her, and to jump!

It’s a leap of faith.

The faith is not in God (at this point) but in her fellow passengers. The moment of relief is cut short as the giant Christmas tree in the ballroom topples over almost killing some more passengers.

The ship’s Purser once again yells out for everyone to stay still and wait where they are. Hackman’s Reverend Scott on the other hand, is taking action, helping people. Which is why Roddy McDowall’s “Acres”the bartender, who it turns out is also trapped on the ceiling calls out to Reverend Scott and not the ship’s Purser. (Fittingly, like any good movie bartender, even during disaster, Acres remains behind the bar).

However, rather than get Acres down, Reverend Scott has a different idea. They're going to go up. Actually, it’s Red Bottom’s “Mr. Martin” who suggests going up, and the boy Robin who knows that the thinnest part of the hull where they are most likely to be rescued. Reverend Scott realizes they’re right and they need to go up.

Up.

Get it?

They’re going to go higher.

Why?

Well, ostensibly because they need to get to the bottom of the ship’s hull to get rescued, but also because they need to outrun the water that is shortly going to burst into the ballroom and drown everyone.

Does that sound like anything familiar? Biblical?

It’s the Flood.

Many cultures have a flood story from the Old Testament Bible story of Noah, or the Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh. Fittingly, so does The Poseidon Adventure, a movie about faith and God.

The Sea pours in. The Flood.

So, a small group (a flock) of passengers are joining Reverend Scott in attempting to go up through the ship to reach the bottom. Kind of like the metaphor of having to go through hell to get to heaven. The passengers have to go to the bottom — through hell, as we will see — in order to be saved.

The question becomes how to reach Acres. How to get up to where he is, tohigher ground? They need a ladder of some kind. They find it in the toppled over Christmas tree. And who does Reverend Scott choose to be the first one up the ladder? The boy Robyn. And a small child shall lead them (Isiah 11:18)

At this point the ships Purser (authority figure) speaks up and tells everyone on the ship not to listen to the Reverend. His choice of words is interesting here. The Purser says, "for God’s sake, what you're doing is suicide." It’s almost a religious invocation to get them to stop. But it lacks the conviction of faith and instead sounds desperate. The two men, the two authority figures in this case, The Reverend and The Purser (religious and societal, you might say) square off.

Do the passengers listen to the Purser and stay where they are and wait to be rescued? “Pray” as he suggests to the Reverend. Or do they join Hackman’s Reverend, who believes that “maybe by climbing out [of the pit] they’re in” can save them. The Reverend’s choice of words is as revealing as the Pursers. He says, "if you have any sense you'll come with us." In other words, the purser makes a religious appeal and the Reverend makes a common sense appeal. There's probably more to this, something like the idea that the way we know the right(eous) path is initially through our human intuition (common sense) and not merely by declaring we should all believe in God, or pray to God for help and expect to be saved. God wants us to get up and go.

The first chapter of the Abrahamic stories in the Torah (the Old Testament) is God telling Abraham to leave his father’s house, to get up and go. (Hebrew: Lech lacha).

Each of our characters makes their choice considers their choice. Mike Rogo and Linda are the polemics of that choice. Rogo, the cop wants to follow the rules, (Although we do know that if the reason is a good enough one he'll break the rules; after all he used his powers as a cop to arrest a woman who was a prostitute because he wanted to marry her and he needed to get her off the street). Linda, who has only recently begun to conform to polite society, calls Mike out for being a person who always follows the rules. Not surprisingly, she is the next one up the ladder after Robin, the young boy.

We find Manny and Belle Rosen, the old Jewish couple. Belle is giving Manny her necklace, which is a hai, the Jewish word for life. She tells Manny to take the necklace to their grandson in Israel. She's not going. She's going to stay and wait with the others. Why? Because, she thinks she is too fat to climb. Enter Reverend Scott. He tells Belle that she's coming with them. That she can't stay here.

Why not? she asks. It's a good question too. It’s is a realistic one. She isn’t in good enough shape to climb. Yet, it is Reverend Scott, the proponent of being realistic—but also a believer that every person has to try to fight for their life—who encourages her to climb. Pointing up, he tells her, “that way is life.” It's hard not to think that his invocation of the word “life”—the meaning of the symbol on her necklace that just moments ago she was giving to her husband having resigned herself to die—that gets her join Reverend Scott and the others.

This is a key moment in the movie. We are seeing Reverend Scott's beliefs in action. He is encouraging people to fight to save their lives. There is an element of faith under girding his pleading with people to come with him. Where is that faith found? For the moment, it’s in the fight for life.

So Reverend Scott and his group climb the tree and join Acres up top. Before they leave, Hackman’s Reverend finds his friend, Father John. He asks Father John what he thought of his sermon earlier. Father John tells Reverend Scott that he spoke only for the strong. Reverend Scott asks Father John to be strong and come with them. Father John says he can't. He has to stay with the people staying behind. Hackman doesn't understand. He asks Father John what his life will be for, if he stays? Father John, after looking over the desperate faces of the surviving passengers, tells Reverend Scott that he doesn't have any other choice. Father John knows that, as a man of God, he is meant to stay to bring comfort to the people who are about to meet their maker. This sacrifice is in an anathema to Reverend Scott.

Before he departs, Reverend Scott pleads with the survivors one last time to reconsider and come with him. He's answered by the Purser who shouts back they're staying and waiting to be rescued. For the first time Reverend Scott invokes God and begs the people to come with him. “For God’s sake.”

No one comes.

Reverend Scott ascends the Christmas tree (of life) alone. He makes one final appeal from up top (almost like a pulpit). Just before he leaves there's an explosion. The water floods the ballroom drowning everybody who decided to stay and wait for a rescue…that will never come. Terrified passengers attempt to climb the tree-ladder, but in their panic they end up toppling the Christmas tree and falling backward into the water to their death (Reverend Scott is almost pulled off from his perch by the frantic passengers). There's an incredible music cue at this moment as Hackman offers a final remorseful look at the drowning passengers. He leaves them to return his flock. He tells them the terrible news. Terrible news that at the same time signifies they made the right choice.

The rest of the movie will be a race against the rising waters of the sinking ship. In other words, they are literally trying to outrun the flood. Paradoxically, in this flood story, if the people want to live, they need to get off of a boat, instead of on one.

The group arrive at a burning hot door behind which is a raging fire. They are literally opening the doors to hell.

Reverend Scott leads the way, going first in order to find the way through. He finds the path and returns for his flock and leads them safely through. As they make their way the passengers are horrified at the sight of the dead bodies and frightened by the fires burning all around them. Ominous signs.

They make it through, but just barely. The waters burst in and threaten to drown them yet again. They escape. Barely. But to get to the next level they have to climb through an air duct. Once again, Shelly Winters is concerned she won’t fit. The group is having to face their fears in order to keep moving forward.

Nadia, the lounge singer, is claustrophobic and doesn’t want to go into the shaft. Mr Martin (Red Bottoms) has taken a protective shine to her, and is able to reassure her. Linda, decides she’s done being polite and won’t be going after Belle Rosen because she doesn’t want to get stuck behind “old fat ass” as she calls Shelley Winters.

This is good advice in a crisis. You focus on the small steps. You take it one rung at a time.

The flock reaches another shaft where there is yet another ladder to climb. The climb is slowed down by Nadia’s claustrophobia. The waters, ever rising, stay close on their heels. Everyone climbs up the shaft.

Unfortunately, an explosion rocks the boat and poor Acres (Roddy McDowall) loses his grip and falls. Mike Rogo goes after him, but it’s too late. He’s gone.

The water is getting higher. Rogo climbs up from the depths but gets stuck behind Mr. Martin and Nadia, who’s frozen with fear and won’t climb. Mr. Martin has to help her up…one rung at a time. He tells her not to think of anything but the next rung on the ladder. This is good advice in a crisis. You focus on the small steps. You take it one rung at a time.

“Who do you think you are? God himself? There was an explosion, and he fell, and that’s it!”

The rest of the group meanwhile has reached the next level, and are astonished to see another group of survivors marching down a corridor going the opposite direction. Reverend Scott asks one of them where they're going and is told that they are following the doctor, (yet another authority figure). Reverend Scott finds the doctor at the head of the pack and tells them they’re going the wrong way. The doctor insists the only way out is forward, and tells Reverend Scott the way he wants to go—through the engine room—is flooded. However, he hasn’t seen it for himself. A woman begs the Reverend to come with them. Instead, he again shouts at the group that they are going the wrong way!

Reverend Scott returns to his flock, only now, minus Acres. He asks Mike Rogo what happened? Rogo tells him. He yells accusingly at Rogo saying he told him to keep everyone together. That Acres was hurt, that he needed help. He said he would get everyone out alive and he intends to do it dammit!

Rogo shouts back at Reverend Scott, “Who do you think you are? God himself? There was an explosion, and he fell, and that’s it!” But for Reverend Scott that's not it. What we're seeing here is Reverend Scott's dogmatic beliefs bumping up against the harsh realities of life, especially given the groups’ circumstances. He may not want to acknowledge it, but Hackman’s Preacher is starting to see that even people who fight for their life, sometimes still die. For them to live is going to require something more than just effort.

Mr. Martin, sensing the despair in the group, asks Reverend Scott where the other group of survivors were headed. Scott answers him that they are headed to the bow of the ship, then angrily shouts after them that, "but they're going the wrong way!” At this, Mike Rogo wheels on Reverend Scott and ask him how he knows? How is he so sure that he's right and they're wrong?

Reverend Scott tells him that just because 20 people decide to drown themselves by going the wrong way isn't a good reason to follow them. This is one of the great maxims of life. Just because everyone is doing something doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. Furthermore, if you follow others blindly you may find yourself in a world of hurt. The idea is to think for yourself.

After some shouting, Reverend Scott makes a deal with Rogo. He tells Rogo that he will find the way through to prove its passable. Rogo gives him fifteen minutes. “Or we’re going the other way.”

Reverend Scott finds himself traveling down another mangled corridor in darkness, which is an appropriate metaphor for this part of the journey they are on. Let's face it, very often in life we all feel like we're in the dark. Like we're not sure if we're going the right way. That maybe it's better to turn back. That maybe it's better to follow the herd. However, if we are confident of our knowledge, and have done the work to be ready, then we should trust ourselves to move forward on the path that looks like the right one to us. Even if others doubt, or don’t see the way forward you do.

Which is exactly what Reverend Scott succeeds at doing.

But before he does he spots more dead bodies. So many that he has to sit down. There is a brief moment of self-contemplation here. We wonder, is he having doubts? He must be considering the direness of his cicumstances. As we all must whenever we attempt something extremely difficult in life.

The moment is fleeting however, as Nadia shows up. She says she was scared and wanted to be with him. Sensing her worry, he reassures her that they’ll find another way out (this way is blocked).

The moment Nadia shows up we see a change in Reverend Scott's attitude and disposition. His worry and self-doubt is gone. Not entirely. Definitely not. But it is gone from the face he shows the world. Replaced instead with a confidence that he shares with Nadia, and which seems to reinvigorate him.

There are psychological studies that show that in a disaster people who survive are those who help others, and not themselves. The reason seems to be that, by doing so, they don't despair dwelling on their own predicament. Instead, they maintain a positive attitude for the sake of the people they're trying to help. The end result is that very often these people help themselves (to survive).

Meanwhile, back with the survivors they're beginning to have their doubts. It's been 15 minutes and Reverend scott still isn't back yet. Rogo wants to move on. Manny argues that they should give him more time given all he's done for them. Then, Reverend Scott returns. He says he’s seen the engine room. He’s seen the way out.

As they make their way however the water portion. Reverend scott and Robin are almost drowned. They make it through. But when they do they realize they now have a new problem. The level is flooded. The way through that Reverend Scott found is now underwater. He says that he will swim through and tie a rope that they can all use to follow. This sets up one of the greatest sequences in any movie, and one of the great onscreen heroic deaths of all time.

As Reverend Scott prepares to make the swim, Shelly Winters’s “Belle Rosen” speaks up. She tells him to let her make the swim. That she was a high school swimming champion. That though she is a big fat lady on land, in the water she is light and fast. She wants to do this for the group. All along they’ve been pulling for her, and now she has a chance to be the difference-maker, to help those who’ve been helping her. It’s her chance to get in the fight (for their lives).

Scott Reverend Scott however, refuses. He can’t let her do that. Besides, he is certain he can make the swim in one breath. He dives in and begins the underwater swim. The others time him.

In a great underwater sequence, reverend Scott swims through the flooded compartment. As with all the other levels of hell they’ve had to travel this one is filled with just as much death. Dead bodies float listlessly past him as he swims by. Until he is startled by one, causing him to jostle a piece of debris which falls on top of him pinning him down. He can't move. He can’t lift the debris. He's going to drown.

Back with the other passengers, worry is starting to set in. They all have a bad feeling. He’s been gone too long. As the others fret about what to do, looking to Mike Rogo for answers, Belle Rosen dives into the water.

“What the hell is she doing?!” Mike Rogo shouts. Her husband Manny responds, “She knows what she’s doing.”

He has faith in her because he saw the faith she had in herself, and in her God-given ability.

Belle swims through the flooded corridors, evenually finding him. She manages to free him, and rescue-swims him to safety, saving his life. She has a great line. “See, Mr. Scott, in the water, I’m a very skinny lady.”

In an absolutely heartbreaking moment, her victory is cut short, as she suffers a heart attack and falls back into the water.

Reverend Scott pulls her out of the water. He tells her to hold on, but she knows she’s done. Before she dies, she hands Reverend Scott her hai necklace and tells him to give it to Manny to give to their grandson. This is significant in that she is doing is an act of ensuring the connection between the generations, even beyond the time when she is still alive. This is actually one of the central tenets of the Covenant between God and the Jews (he will make our generations as plentiful as the stars). He act is not a sad goodbye, (though of course it is), but rather a final responsible action that will have repercussion for years, decades, generation of her family to come. In the final moments of the scene, Belle Rosen tells Reverend Scott the meaning of the symbol on her necklace. “This is the sign for life,” she tells him. “Life always matters very much.” With her final line — one of the greats in movie history — she confirms for him the correctness of his belief: life is indeed worth fighting for. It’s even worth dying for.

I literally cannot watch this scene without crying. I’ve seen this movie nine thousand times, and every single time the tears come, and I get choked up. I’m just a big softie. Or perhaps, it’s that I am affected by the sacrifice Belle Rosen makes. I’m not the only one.

In the most profound moment in the movie, Reverend Scott speaks to God for the first time.

In terms of screenplay structure, this is the part of third act sometimes referred to as “the long dark night of the soul.” Because this is when victory is very much in doubt, and the characters believe themselves to be furthest from their destination. In truth, they are closer then they’ve ever been.

This is how life works. Often, when things are darkest, you are close to success. Darkest before the dawn is the cliché — but it’s true.

First though, Reverend Scott, a Man of God who all along has been questioning his faith in his God, needs to have a revelation.

He speaks to God. He begs Him. “Not this woman.” The Preacher’s revelation is that faith, like life, requires sacrifice. And Belle Rosen has just given the ultimate sacrifice for all of them.

What does this mean for Reverend Scott’s beliefs? Might he perhaps be thinking of Father John’s final words to him? That Reverend Scott spoke only for the strong. Belle Rosen’s death calls to mind the questions that we all should be mindful of in our own lives: What about those who can’t make the swim, or the climb? What about those of us who falter along the journey? What does it take to ensure survival, not just of ourselves, but more importantly of our children, our families, and through them, our ideals and beliefs.

Which is of course what religion and faith is all about. Which is what “The Poseidon Adventure” is really about.

Mike Rogo makes the swim and appears next to Reverend Scott. At first, he doesn’t realize she’s dead. When he realizes she is, Rogo’s words are “Oh Jesus.” Which could simply be a lament, with nothing particularly religious attached to it. But given the movie’s story thus far, with all of these embedded ideas, intrinsically we understand that Mike Rogo is also speaking to his God. Reality and The Rules are out the window by this point. All that’s left is the fight for survival, and the dawning realization that to make it they are also going to need God’s providence.

In the run up to the final act of the movie, we see Reverend Scott’s dwindling flock make their way through more levels on fire. They travel up ladders, and over uneven ground. Sometimes heading to go up. This final “ascension” up the catwalk is a visual metaphor for the path these characters have had to travel. It’s basically the movie we’ve been watching for 101 minutes and 12 seconds.

If there is any doubt about the meaning of their journey, this short sequence — filmed almost entirely in a wide shot — makes it clear. This level of the ship, all iron, pipes and valves, which is ablaze with columns of fire everywhere, is an underwater hell. Their final passage before they reach their destination. The last door lies just ahead of them.

“There’s just one more door and we’re home!” Preacher shouts.

Even Mike Rogo begins to believe. “The bastard was right,” he says as he gets to his feet. Then, an explosion rocks the ship, and Rogo loses his grip on his wife, Linda, who loses her footing, and falls to her death.

Rogo wheels on Reverend Scott, eyes raging, pointing an accusing finger, and screaming at him, “Preacher! You lying, murdering, son of a bitch! You almost suckered me in! I started to believe in your promises! I started to believe we had a chance! What chance!”

He is a broken man…

“You took from me the only thing I ever loved,” Rogo weeps. “My Linda. You killed her!”

He has lost all faith, all hope, his reason to live. He crumbles to the catwalk. As if that’s not despairing enough, another explosion rocks the ship, and a jet of scalding hot steam erupts from a valve, blocking the door that is their way out. The wheel to turn off the steam valve is on the far wall…but the catwalk has fallen away in the explosion and no longer reaches it. Separating them from it is a chasm, beneath which are the churning, burning, rising flood waters.

For only the second time Reverend Scott speaks to God. “What more do you want from us?” he shouts. “We’ve come all this way! We did it on our own, no help from you! We didn’t ask you to fight for us, but dammit, don’t fight against us! Leave us alone!”

Of course, that’s not how life works. It doesn’t leave us alone. We struggle with it. In the process, often our faith, in ourselves, in others, and in God, is shaken.

This is what Reverend Scott is doing in this final monologue. He is wrestling with God. Arguing with him. This is a very Old Testament idea. Jacob wrestles with God on his journey. In Hebrew, “Israel” (the name God gives to Jacob after they wrestle) means “to struggle.”

“How many more sacrifices?” Reverend Scott asks God as he leaps to the red wheel.

The second leap of faith in this movie. He makes it.

His hands grab hold of the scalding hot wheel. Despite the enormous pain, he manages to hang on, and turn the wheel until the burning hot steam shuts off, clearing The Way forward for his flock.

Dangling from the wheel, he turns back to face them. He tells them they can make it. He calls out to Mike Rogo. He tells him to “Get them through!” turning over responsibility for the flock to Rogo. In his sacrifice, Reverend Scott is attempting to give Mike Rogo back his faith.

Borgnoine’s “Mike Rogo” is not ready yet. He sits crumbled on the catwalk, not moving. Now it is calm, even-tempered, Mr. Martin who shouts at Rogo. Filled with the faith Reverend Scott imparted to them along with the burning desire to live, Mr. Martin screams at Rogo. He asks him, “what kind of a policeman were you?” He accuses him of having done nothing but complain and be negtive. In other words, Mike Rogo has been the character with no faith, no beliefs in anything higher than himself, except perhaps for his wife, Linda.

Now, however, with Mr. Martin calling him out, he stands up.

“Alright, that’s enough,” he proclaims as the music swells.

We’re still not sure Rogo believes, as much as he’s just pissed-off, but he gets up and takes the lead. He leads them…to a dead end.

Until Robin reminds him of the thing he’s told them all along: this is right where they want to be (a child shall lead them, right). This is “shaft alley” the thinnest part of the hull.

Suddenly, they think they hear voices.

They grab wrenches and start banging on the hull. They get no response. But Mr. Martin shouts at the group that Reverend Scott would never quit! They keep banging.

This time, someone bangs back.

They’ve been rescued. Mike Rogo throws down his wrendch and says, his faith fully restored, a smile on his face for the first time the entire movie, as he says, “The Preacher was right. That beautiful, son of a bitch, was right!” He ruffles Robin’s hair. As the rescuers burn through the hull to get the survivors out, we see close-ups of all their faces. They’ve all been changed. Not merely because of the disaster they’ve survived. But because of how the journey restored their faith. To make this point, Ernest Borgnine’s “Rogo” looks back behind him at the way they came. Through a hatch, we can see the orange light of the fires of the hell from which they’ve just emerged, flickering on the wall. Rogo weeps. Then looks up as the rescuers appear in the hull.

In case there is any thought to the idea that perhaps they just got lucky and that’s why they were rescued, the movie spares time for one final dialogue exchange as the rescuers ask the survivors how many of them there are. Mr. Martin tells them six. Then asks the rescuers if they found anyone else? Anyone from the bow? (meaning the other group following the ship’s doctor).

The rescuers shake their head. The only survivors were Reverend Scott’s.

The movie life lesson, (and there are many in this movie to be sure), but the central one seems to be: In life it is important to have faith in yourself, but it is also necessary to have faith in a Power higher than yourself, if you want to reach your destinations in life. However, faith alone is not enough. God can’t do it for you and the prayers that get answered are the ones that are backed up with real effort, courage, and force of will.

That is what makes The Poseidon Adventure one of the great life lesson movies of all time.

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