Flammendes Inferno

A paradigmatic representative of the catastrophe genre, still unsurpassed today. A showcase of top actors in a dramatic story that beats all its followers by two heads. (13.04.2003)

The second best film set in a skyscraper. After Die Hard of course. (19.01.2010)

A mainstay of disaster movie cinema, The Towering Inferno stands on all the well-worn clichés as firmly as the genre itself stands on this film. In just under three hours, director John Guillermin ratchets up the pace at the interval of the skyscraper's stairs to finally reach the very top in the form of the final "redemption plan." Even after more than 30 years, the action scenes directed by Irwin Allen have lost none of their impact, realism, and, most importantly, suspense. The work with pyrotechnics is flawless and thanks to the cinematography and editing it is elevated to a delicate affair for connoisseurs. In addition, the story itself, though full of what are nowadays trite lines, the psychological monotony of the characters, and overall dramatic construction full of the most diverse clichés, is absolutely engaging. Thanks to the impeccable performances of the actors, the entire film is elevated to a royal spectacle without a dead spot or any boredom whatsoever. The film is the textbook for the genre! (15.04.2006)

Vor langer Zeit war jeder, der Flammendes Inferno nicht gesehen hatte, völlig meschugge. Meine Mutter erlaubte mir nicht, den Film zu sehen, also musste ich ein paar Jahre warten, aber am Ende mochte ich, nun deutlich älter, diesen erstklassigen Katastrophenfilm sehr. Eine brillant konstruierte Geschichte, die den Regeln der Genres folgt, hervorragende Schauspieler und Spannung bis zur letzten Minute. So macht man eine Katastrophe! Besser als das Buch und alle Katastrophenfilme, die ich kenne. Selbst die Effekte wirken heute nicht lächerlich... (26.01.2004)

A decent classic of the genre with a riveting acting duo that takes the rating up a notch. Steve McQueen in particular is absolutely brilliant, a guy you can't help but root for. Impressive visual effects (the large model of the building was especially well-made), skilled directing, and one suspenseful scene after another – that's how it should always be. However, I wouldn't go overboard with lamenting about its unsurpassed pinnacle in its genre. It is indeed high-quality, but also the first, hence a considerable bonus on top. (03.10.2007)

A classic among classics. A perfect disaster movie in every respect, which despite its length is far from boring and it’s glued together by such a number of quality and thrilling action scenes that perhaps only Bruce Willis and his Die Hard can offer any competition. In addition, the cast of stars of the time are a pleasure to watch, you desperately root for them in their fight against a seemingly invincible enemy, and the more the killing fire builds, the more the intensity of the story escalates and the action scenes become more and more impressive, leading to a great finale that puts the crown on everything. Within the genre, The Towering Inferno will probably never be surpassed. (06.04.2012)