The intro of Top Gun, filled with jet planes zooming around, revving engines as the sun is setting or the “Danger Zone” theme is a classic and screams ‘Hollywood in the 80s’. It is a flashback to the earlier times when Tom Cruise was working his way to superstardom and a movie with only a 15 million dollar budget would make more than 350 million at the box office. Sadly, if you are among the few who have not seen this beloved movie, now is the best time because it will be taken down from Amazon Prime Video on the fifteenth of March.
How has Tom Cruises career evolved?
If you are looking at the movies of Tom Cruise and his impressive body of work, two films can be credited for the turning point of his career; these include Tropic Thunder and more notably, Top Gun. Other film titles may come to mind first but these two represent the crux of his career journey, Tropic Thunder depicting him as a man who can poke fun at his self after years of being in tabloids, Top Gun made him into an action hero and established him on the Hollywood map.
Being one of the most celebrated films in the history of cinema and American popular culture, I, however, believe that in this modern era with a progressive array of films being released, the impact of Top Gun for instance, has substantially reduced overtime. There are a number of issues with such film such as its sketchy exterior character development, propaganda messages, and its core essence revolving around two actors, Cruise and Val Kilmer, along with iconic moments. Nonetheless, there is, as such a history to consider, which helps one think through how Cruise’s career has been progressing in the last four decades.
The Birth of an Icon
When it was 1986, Tom Cruise was watching his charm and diva career at a focal point. The young actor exploded with success as the leading star of Risky Business in 1983, yes, but then – who does he want to be? What many roles the industry continued throwing at him were the handsome boy, the stupid boy. Nonetheless, he did not want to remain just a pretty face for movie posters. His efforts were therefore deemed unsuccessful as his first attempts at breaking bad with renditions such as The Key to Success, or Legend, failed at the box offices making him want to work with big names but within the context of mainstream cinema.
Finally, his dreams came true as during a single year, Tony Scott’s Top Gun and Martin Scorsese’s The Color of Money were shot defining the actors future development.
The Cultural Significance of Top Gun
In the formative years of his career, Cruise carefully built his image by appearing in films that family audiences adored, a trend that he kickstarted with Top Gun, a melodramatic venture from Gy Bruckheimer. Pitching the United States against a foreign enemy, the film makes sure to include themes of nationalism and the defense of American freedom and lifestyle.
One can only wonder what the influence of this movie would be as they ask the following questions: Is Top Gun a fascist manifesto? Is the backlash against it based on falsehoods? Is this perfect movie an example of pure propaganda? Or is it just a good time? With the box office success of Top Gun: Maverick however, one could argue that even non-flag waving audiences find aerial combat interesting enough to sell.
With handsome pilots breaking into biceps carrying volleyball on the beach, laughter and tears of motorcycle chasing the sun accompanied by heart grenades in the back warm as the cut of it as well as the overwhelming score of “Danger Zone”, the film may seem stuffed. These phrase book pieces generally make it possible to accentuate any narrative flaws and immerse the audience in the warm haze of mystery, which is always preferred even after everything is highlighted in such a sarcastic manner.
Final Notice
For those who have not seen Top Gun yet, do not forget to set a date: it has an exit date on March 15 from Amazon Prime Video. This is the right time to watch the movie so that you do not miss it ever again. Just don’t blame us when, after watching it, you suddenly have the desire to enlist in the Navy!