Review of Top Gun (1955) by Ward P — 01 Jun 2012

Forget Tom Cruise, or Val Kilmer or F-14's. Top Gun is all about Tom Skerritt.

From the early less taxing scenes in Tony Scott's seminal classic, we see a more justaposed Skerritt from early classics such as Savage Harvest, Silence of the North and Fighting Back. Indeed in some of the later exchanges with Michael Ironside (Vector), Skerritt shifts into gear. Note the miraculous kissing of the teeth. Still to this day, many compare it with Brando (and glove) in Streetcar Named Desire for sheer screen opulance. Skerritt then rattles through his repertoire of ticks, sniffs and twitches all of which are combined to great effect in the memorable, "So tell me one thing, if you had to go into battle with him, would you?" Arguably the very epicentre of the film lies in these immortal lines. Not only is he questioning Maverick as a pilot, but more importantly mankind and its reach for the apotheosis of physical and mental perfection.

Skerritt continues on to reveal a much more sensitive side to the boy/man hero of earlier fright flick Alien. In his exchanges with Maverick (a pre teeth veneered Tom Cruise) we see a man yearning to be a father again, but struggling with his own demons of never having brought discipline to his own son's life...The simple fact is you feel responsible for Goose and you have a confidence problem. Now I'm not gonna sit here and blow sunshine up your ass, Lieutenant?".

Ultimately, a great pathos runs through Viper. A pilot of great courage and skill, who having paid the ultimate price, almost, was relegated to the role of training co-ordinator - a bitter pill for any battle hardened veteran to swallow. The parody between courage and cowardice has never been so beautifully interwoven as in Skerritt's portrayal of Viper. It's easy to draw comparison with Shakespeare's King Lear. Ultimately, Lear went insane. This is where Skerritt was keen to take Viper, and the genius behind his technique is all to evident on Maverick's graduation. The pseudo twinkle in the eye revealing the onset of grave madness.