I Felt the Need. The Need to See Top Gun Again
Top Gun was released to a very different America 40 years ago. The Russians were easily identifiable as the enemies, Tom Cruise’s charms were just beginning to talk hold, movie soundtracks were very serious business, and Val Kilmer was still alive. Subtle American military propaganda was a foundational part of the 80’s Hollywood hype machine. We were starting to emerge from the Cold War (so we thought), and the military offered a backdrop that was presented as “cool.” Fighter jets, submarines, Navy Seals, and cocky, heroic enlisted men or veterans muscled their way onto the big screen.
Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer were just beginning their assault on our senses, paving the way for decades of exhilaration, big explosions, eye-popping visuals, and ear-popping sonics. And 80’s kids growing up in the shadows of Star Wars and the Cold War were primed for this shit.
Tom Cruise was honing his superstar mannerisms and creating memorable memes long before the world knew what the hell a meme was. His stunning good looks, endless charisma, and acting skills were being crafted right before our eyes.
Top Gun is an archetypal 80’s film. It’s equal parts action, romance, and music video. The story follows Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, an extraordinarily talented naval pilot with a mysterious yet distinguished military pedigree. He’s young and cocky. And he knows it. You have to be equal parts talented and confident to fly these sophisticated aircraft. Behind Cruise’s Maverick is Anthony Edwards’ Goose. His best friend, partner in crime, and ultimate backseat driver. After a wild training engagement goes south, Maverick and Goose find themselves off to Top Gun, the premier training school for the best of the best Naval pilots. The elite of the elite come here to fly and train with the best. And the best is…Val Kilmer’s Iceman. An instant foil to Maverick. From the moment the two meet, we’re off to the races, their rivalry a central theme.
We’re tossed a romantic curveball, a storyline literally written around a song with Maverick’s romantic rival, Kelly McGillis’ Charlie, a civilian specialist working at Top Gun while angling for a DC promotion.
Despite its masculine bravado, Top Gun actually does a pretty good job of establishing character, developing relationships, and telling a riveting story. Even if you’re immune to or suspicious of the rah-rah military propaganda on display here, you find yourself invested in these characters and thrilled by the aerial theatrics.
The much-discussed gay subtext is still here and less subtle thanks to some progress we’ve made or had made in this area. The testosterone screams manly masculinity! While the hot bods, spiked hair, and sweaty volleyball sequence scream “oh my.” Who knows what Tony Scott was really trying to say, but I know many men who had a specific awakening during repeated views of this movie in the 80’s.
Top Gun looks and sounds incredible on the big screen. The texture of the film, the color palette, and the realism are incredible. The score and soundtrack are a tiny bit dated 40 years on, but its music GenX knows by heart, and it’s punctuated by the whoosh of jet engines and the big boom of large explosions.
Look, I’m a Tom Cruise apologist. Scientology is gross af, but the on-screen presence is real. Top Gun remains of its time, yet timeless. An adventure from a different time and place. It’s why we built and crowded into movie theaters and why we are again.
