Captain Phillips Directed by P. Greengrass
Though Captain Phillips brought in nearly 220 million dollars in box office sales, many viewers were not aware that this based on a true story film was far from reality (Freeman, 2013). Since the films release in 2013, crew members have publicly scorned their captain during interviews with numerous sources.
In an interview with the New York Post, chief engineer of the Maersk Alabama Mike Perry claimed Phillips is “arrogant, over praised, and is no hero” (Callahan, 2013). The crew was astonished to hear that Phillips actions on the day of the attack were being called "heroic" as he grew in the eyes of the media. One member of the crew stated that "Phillips wasn't the leader he is depicted to be in the movie" (Gilman, 2013). Phillips was in command of the Maersk Alabama when it was hijacked by Somali Pirates in 2009. Though the media portrays him as a heroine character who gave up his life for the safety of his crew, it seems as though his actions that day were less than heroic. Many speculations of the events on the day of the attack have arose, gaining attention of the media.
Fact vs. Fiction
On screen, Phillips (portrayed by Tom Hanks) innocently navigates his ship into pirate infested waters and is taken hostage by pirates. Once the pirates are on board, Captain Phillips negotiates with the pirates looking out for his crew and the well-being of the ship. In exchange for money, the crew of the M. Alabama are to be left unharmed. During an altercation, Phillips is taken hostage in a lifeboat and remains with the pirates until United States Navy personnel rescue him from the vessel (Greengrass, 2013).
Now of course any film which is based on true events must compress real life events to fit the production, but this film does not do an adequate job at relying the factual information about the protagonist to the audience. Overall, the film shows that the actions of the captain were admirable for the crews safety.
In reality, Captain Richard Phillips intentionally navigated his ship into waters he was warned to stay clear of through several emails sent to him before the ship set sail. In a CNN interview, Phillips stated he is unaware of the validity of the precautionary information which was sent to him (Griffin, 2013).
In an interview with the New York Post, chief engineer of the Maersk Alabama Mike Perry claimed Phillips is “arrogant, over praised, and is no hero” (Callahan, 2013). The crew was astonished to hear that Phillips actions on the day of the attack were being called "heroic" as he grew in the eyes of the media. One member of the crew stated that "Phillips wasn't the leader he is depicted to be in the movie" (Gilman, 2013). Phillips was in command of the Maersk Alabama when it was hijacked by Somali Pirates in 2009. Though the media portrays him as a heroine character who gave up his life for the safety of his crew, it seems as though his actions that day were less than heroic. Many speculations of the events on the day of the attack have arose, gaining attention of the media.
Fact vs. Fiction
On screen, Phillips (portrayed by Tom Hanks) innocently navigates his ship into pirate infested waters and is taken hostage by pirates. Once the pirates are on board, Captain Phillips negotiates with the pirates looking out for his crew and the well-being of the ship. In exchange for money, the crew of the M. Alabama are to be left unharmed. During an altercation, Phillips is taken hostage in a lifeboat and remains with the pirates until United States Navy personnel rescue him from the vessel (Greengrass, 2013).
Now of course any film which is based on true events must compress real life events to fit the production, but this film does not do an adequate job at relying the factual information about the protagonist to the audience. Overall, the film shows that the actions of the captain were admirable for the crews safety.
In reality, Captain Richard Phillips intentionally navigated his ship into waters he was warned to stay clear of through several emails sent to him before the ship set sail. In a CNN interview, Phillips stated he is unaware of the validity of the precautionary information which was sent to him (Griffin, 2013).
When asked about the historical controversy of the film, director Paul Greengrass stated that the movie is "authentic," yet he made no remarks when questioned on why Richard Phillips is receiving glory for his unworthy actions that day (Gilman, 2013).
Captain Phillips is one of Hollywood's based on a true story films which negatively influences the general public's perception of a heroic on-screen protagonist who lacks real-life credibility. Though this film may be based on a true story, the actions of the protagonist Richard Phillips should not be believed to be honorable nor heroic as the movie suggests.