Whoa...this was not the sort of film I'd assumed it would be! While I knew that the film would be about skydiving, I didn't think it would have some of the adult content that it did. While seeing Sheree North naked was a bit of a surprise, she was playing a stripper. However, when moments later I saw Deborah Kerr(!!) and Burt Lancaster naked, I knew that this was NOT what I had expected! This was clearly the late 60s when it came to its sensibilities and in a way it was a shame, as I am sure audiences of the time were a bit hesitant to see films like this or send Junior to see it! This was NOT the Deborah Kerr of "Black Narcissus"!! As for Lancaster, with "The Swimmer" and some other adult roles to his credit already, seeing his butt didn't surprise me very much...but Ms. Kerr?! The angelic and sweet Ms. Kerr?!
As for the movie, while it was not a great film or a must-see, there is a lot to admire. Most importantly, the camera work is very, very impressive--particularly for 1969. Having a cameraman following the skydivers as they jumped wasn't easy. Because of this, the 'making of' film "The Sky Divers" is a great addition to the DVD as it talked about and showed the many technical problems posed by such a demanding shoot.
The plot is not particularly action-packed (despite all the skydiving) but is more like a tale of three very tired men...men who go from city to city putting on jumping expositions to make a buck. It's obvious they aren't getting rich this way and perhaps they hate it in a way, but it's their life. This turned out to be an interesting case study--although it was not particularly easy to connect with any of them. And, at times, it was easy to dislike or be confused by the characters. For example, why did Kerr cheat on her husband? And, for that matter, why did the husband (William Wyndom) go through his role like he was a zombie? Overall, an interesting film but one I don't strongly recommend--especially since, although John Frankenheimer loved this film (probably because he was proud of the technical aspects), it's not among his best work.
By the way, near the beginning of the film, you see some folks talking with the three leads about parking for the upcoming parachute jumping exhibition. Oddly, one of the men in the scene is asleep and the magazine he's been reading is blanked out--like they do on MTV when videos show people with pot leaves on their clothes. Why did they do this AND why does this appear on the DVD? Was it this way originally in theatrical release? I was so curious that I tried listening to the commentary track but it said nothing. I assume the magazine was a Playboy or something but I still wonder why the DVD has it blanked out...especially since you DO see a high amount of nudity throughout the film (for the time it was made).
