IndieMusicReview.NET

Delta Airlines
Deltalina
reviewed by Gary Levinson

Airline on-board safety films can be interesting! This eye-opening realization came to me after watching Delta Airlines’ in-flight safety film, Deltalina.

Deltalina, eponymously named after its star, was not made only to instruct, but also to please; to give us just that little extra bit-of-enjoyment as we’re waiting for take-off.

The film starts out with the Captain raising his eyebrow: ‘what’s he alluding to?’ we all wonder. Seconds later, we find out: Deltalina, whose civil name is Katherine Lee, starts almost-rapping her way through the safety instructions, with a certain dash of syncopation, accompanied by music on the edge of techno.

The director’s highpoint comes quickly: the couple sitting by the exit synchronously reach for the safety instruction card. This dance-like move looks right out of a music video.

Unfortunately, disappointment comes immediately thereafter: Deltalina asks if they are comfortable with the responsibility that goes along with sitting in the exit row. And here’s the low point: the woman gives a short nod of her head and then looks at the man and waits for his answer! Male Chauvinist Pigism! Disgusting. It really turned me off.

But anyway, after I got over that, the film was already onto seat belts: fastening and releasing. Check out the lighting during this segment.  Kate Auletta in the WSJ Fall 2008 magazine supplement of the Wall Street Journal Europe attributed this lighting effect to the wrapping of the entire fuselage in plastic. The lighting in these scenes is otherworldly and it was certainly worth the trouble (and environmental unfriendliness).

Another eye-dazzler is the Christmas-tree-like light display of the various “lighted-signs throughout the cabin”. After this we come to the absolute apex of the film: Deltalina waves her finger at us (presumably in a matronly manner…) forbidding us to smoke.  May the force be with you! She then seems to be exhorting us as she points out that the all exits are clearly marked. “And remember, they might be behind you!”

The roller coaster ride continues, and here downhill: the moment when the gregarious man, who shows us how to use a life vest, opens his mouth and his tooth scintillates.  This gleam is overdone and simply unnecessary: his manner already shines.

When it’s time to go, Deltalina doesn’t say goodbye; she just fades into another, different, Captain, who - reminding me of Arnie - takes over and thanks us for our attention.   As if that were necessary!

Make no mistake: this is a music video - rap variety - masquerading as an airline safety film.  Let’s call it instructional rap.  Although this has been done before - just think of Sesame Street - Deltalina marks a watershed in the genre, and is surely the first in a new field of instructional rap videos.

I doubt anyone actually chooses an airline because of the in-flight safety film, but Delta’s is surely interesting.

reviewed by Gary Levinson

Deltalina: http://www.youtube.com/watch?hl=en&v=MgpzUo_kbFY&gl=US

This entry was posted on Friday, April 17th, 2009 at 11:02 pm and is filed under Film Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.