Highly anticipated film hails heroic pilot

Cast member Zhang Hanyu


Cast member Du Jiang

Cast member Yuan Quan

Cast member Li Qin

Cast member Ou Hao

Cast member Zhang Tian'ai

(China Daily) One of the year's most anticipated blockbusters – the disaster film The Captain adapted from actual events -- will hit domestic theaters on Sept 30.

Starring actor Zhang Hanyu as the protagonist, the film is based on the heroic Sichuan Airlines pilot Liu Chuanjian, whose emergency landing last year marked one of the biggest miracles in China's civil aviation history.

On May 14, 2018, Liu steered an airliner with 119 passengers heading from Chongqing to Lhasa. After around 40 minutes at a height of nearly 10,000 meters above ground, a piece of the cockpit windshield shattered, sucking out half the body of Liu's copilot. Luckily, the man wore a seatbelt and was clinging tightly against the window.

Without the glass, temperature inside the cockpit abruptly fell to -40 C, and the pilots were just wearing shirts. The plane also lost most of its automatic controls. Liu, a former air force veteran who had flown the same route over 100 times, safely landed at an airport in Chengdu, relying on his experience and courage.

Most of these nerve-wracking moments are re-created in the film, which purchased a life-size replica of the airliner from a production company in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, said Yu Dong, chief producer and president of Bona Film Group.

Actor Zhang says he talked at length with Liu, knowing the pilot could hold his breath for four minutes to avoid sudden incidents that prevented him from immediately putting on an oxygen mask. This detail is also featured in the movie.

In recent years, Zhang has portrayed several heroic protagonists in box office hits, such as special agent Yang Zirong in The Taking of Tiger Mountain and a police officer who hunts drug traffickers in Operation Mekong.

Unlike most of his previous onscreen roles, requiring a great deal of stunt work, the new role required Zhang to convey tense emotions through his eyes and limited movement, as he sits in the pilot's seat through most of the runtime.

Actress Yuan Quan, who plays the chief flight attendant, vividly portrays a heroine who stays professional and brave through the scenes, comforting scared passengers when the incident is occurring.

Despite the escalating tension throughout, the film also has some funny moments. When an inspector played by actor Zhu Yawen walks into the cockpit to check the broken window after landing, he turns to Zhang's pilot and says: "How could you be so amazingly awesome?"

The line sparked laughter from most of the audience at a recent Beijing sneak preview, as if it articulated exactly what they wanted to say to the heroic pilot.

Source: By Xu Fan | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2019-09-27  

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