The Survivor (1981)

A plane crashes just after takeoff and the only survivor, the pilot walks out of the wreckage. He doesn't remember the explosion or the crash, but 300 passengers & crew are dead. As the investigation goes on people are wanting answers.

Director:

David Hemmings

Writers:

David Ambrose (screenplay), James Herbert (novel)

Stars:

Robert Powell, Jenny Agutter, Joseph Cotten

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Powell	...	Keller
Jenny Agutter	...	Hobbs
Joseph Cotten	...	Priest
Angela Punch McGregor	...	Beth (as Angela Punch-McGregor)
Peter Sumner	...	Tewson
Lorna Lesley	...	Susan
Ralph Cotterill	...	Slater
Adrian Wright	...	Goodwin
Tyler Coppin	...	Boy
Kirk Alexander	...	Dr. Martindale
Jon Nicholls	...	Jackson
Roger Cardwell	...	Flight Engineer
Jenufa Scott-Roberts	...	Stewardess
John Edmund	...	Goswell
Denzil Howson	...	Rogan

Storyline

A plane crashes just after takeoff and the only survivor, the pilot walks out of the wreckage. He doesn't remember the explosion or the crash, but 300 passengers & crew are dead. As the investigation goes on people are wanting answers.

---

Plot Keywords:

ghost | survivor | jumbo jet | airplane crash | sole survivor | 

---

Taglines:

Pilot Error...Or Supernatural Terror? Only One Man Can Tell!

---

Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

---

Details

Official Sites:

Scorpion Releasing [us]

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 July 1981 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Aterrorizante Confronto Final

Filming Locations:

Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

AUD 1,300,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Crystal Films, Pact Productions, Tuesday Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min 99 min (original release)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Brian Trenchard-Smith made an eighteen minute promo reel of this film to show to potential buyers at film markets.

---

Goofs

The pilot is seen switching off the "No Smoking" and "Fasten Seat Belt" signs almost immediately the plane is airborne, yet just a few seconds later it can be seen that the wheels have not been retracted. The signs would have been kept lit until the plane was well into the air, which would be some time after the wheels had been retracted.

---

Connections

Remade as Sole Survivor (1983)

User Reviews

obscure for a reason (not to say there isn't a lot to like)

THE SURVIVOR is one of those cases where the trailer is a lot creepier and more entertaining than the film itself. The setup is quite intriguing: Robert Powell plays the pilot and sole survivor of a 747 crash in Adelaide, Australia. Jenny Agutter is a psychic medium who contacts him to inform him that the victims of the crash are angry lost souls and need him to set everything straight.

This film promises a lot but quickly degenerates into a very slowly paced thriller which gives us neither shocks nor gore in a misguided effort to try to play to both the audiences of high-brow scares and exploitation. It's no wonder it never hit American theaters as the film feels very, very foreign and doesn't have much in the way of action or entertainment value beyond its opening cataclysmic plane crash (which is handled surprisingly well). There's a little bit of creepiness to go around but much, much too little too late. Also the film obviously spent the lion's share of its budget on production design for its wrecked plane in field location, so unfortunately it feels pretty repetitive after the umpteenth time the characters come back to it.

I do have to give a special mention to the film's musical score however. Brian May is almost criminally marginalized as the composer for the Mad Max films as well as all-too-often confused with the guitarist from Queen. In my opinion he provided all of the best film music to come out of Australia during the 70's and 80's and this film has to be near the pinnacle of his work, up there with ROAD GAMES and TURKEY SHOOT.

Oddly for a film set in Australia the film doesn't have much home base representation among the principal cast. American acting legend Joseph Cotten is on-hand as a Catholic priest. This was his last major film role though sadly a waste as his character is completely superfluous.