Earthquake is film about, you guessed it, an earthquake that obliterates Los Angeles. The cast is loaded with Hollywood royalty: Charlton Heston (The Ten Commandments), Ava Gardiner (The Night of the Iguana), and George Kennedy (The Naked Gun), as well as being directed by Mark Robson.
It is easy to observe the gender dynamics that were at play during the 70s. Some people today might be subtly offended by the patriarchal theme that runs throughout the movie. The male characters dominate whilst the female characters are subordinate. But that is how stories were portrayed in that era, that’s just how it went.
Heston plays Stewart Graff – a womanizing architect – whilst Kennedy plays a cop, and together they embark on rescuing as many casualties’ as possible. Ava Gardiner plays the submissive wife of Stewart Graff and her character is of constant need of saving by her husband. The strength of the acting lies in the character development. Blockbusters today, the action just smacks you in the face from the start, so you only get flat characters. But blockbusters of that era always start at a slow pace, allowing a more round and interesting characters.
But the two element that stands out the most are the special and visual effects. The film incorporates miniature models and in-camera tricks and even after almost 50 years, the effects still look great. If only more movies today would go back to this style rather than relying purely on CGI.
Earthquake is a must see for any old-school movie fan. It is pretty much the granddaddy of disaster drama films and one that still looks visually great today.
