History Film / Backdraft

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Stephen is an excellent firefighter, but he has a rather reckless and lax attitude to procedure and the rules. This is deconstructed, in that his reckless attitude rubs off on one of his probationary firefighters with disastrous consequences; the probie is horrifically injured after not checking a door properly, and Atcox and Brian (not unfairly) blame Stephen. [[spoiler: Although in light of Atcox being the one who's actually setting the fires, his condemnation is more than a little hypocritical.]]
* SleazyPolitician: Alderman Swayzak

* TrainingFromHell: Stephen singles Brian out through putting him through one of these, and it's implied that he's trying to force Brian to quit. [[spoiler:He moves to Shadow's investigative office and a desk job, but ultimately [[GrowingTheBeard grows the beard]] and rejoins Engine 17 after his brother's death.]]

* TrainingFromHell: Stephen singles Brian out through putting him through one of these, and it's implied that he's trying to force Brian to quit.

* [[EmpathyDollShot Empathy Helmet Shot]]

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: "Bull", both for his brother and for the Chicago FD.]]

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Averted with the second probie, Krizminski. [[spoiler:He ignores Bull's orders and punches directly into a hot room, triggering another backdraft. He survives, but horribly burned and disfigured.]]

* KnightTemplar: [[spoiler: Adcox. He specifically goes after Swayzak's cronies in the firehouse closing scheme, and sets the fires up so the victims trigger backdrafts; once they explode, they blow themselves out, minimizing risk to firefighters. Unfortunately, in a high rise, there was another set of doors that held the backdraft in, and Bull's probie didn't listen...]]

In TheWindyCity, young Brian [=McCaffery=] (William Baldwin) is a man going from one dead-end job to another, until he gets it in his head to be a firefighter alongside his brother, Stephen "Bull" [=McCaffery=] (Kurt Russell), and the men of the Engine 17 crew. Brian's past precedes him; he was photographed at the scene of his firefighter father's death by arson, as he watched from the ground. Now, in the present day, another arsonist has killed two city officials, and after Brian is transferred to the investigative division of the Fire Department, it is up to him and arson investigator Donald "Shadow" Rimgale (Robert De Niro) to sniff out the arsonist before anyone else is torched.

''Backdraft'' is 1991 American action-drama film directed by RonHoward and written by Gregory Widen. The film stars KurtRussell, William Baldwin, RobertDeNiro and Scott Glenn. Donald Sutherland, JenniferJasonLeigh, Rebecca [=DeMornay=], Jason Gedrick, Hardy Patel Brian Jaramillo and JT Walsh co-star in the film.

''Backdraft'' is 1991 American action-drama film directed by RonHoward and written by Gregory Widen. The film stars KurtRussell, William Baldwin, RobertDeNiro and Scott Glenn. Donald Sutherland, JenniferJasonLeigh, Rebecca [=DeMornay=], Jason Gedrick, Brian Jaramillo and JT Walsh co-star in the film.

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Stephen is an excellent firefighter, but he has a rather reckless and lax attitude to procedure and the rules. This is deconstructed, in that his reckless attitude rubs off on one of his probationary firefighters with disastrous consequences; the probie is horrifically injured after not checking a door properly, and Atcox and Brian (not unfairly) blame Stephen.

''Backdraft'' is 1991 American action-drama film directed by RonHoward and written by Gregory Widen. The film stars KurtRussell, William Baldwin, RobertDeNiro and Scott Glenn. Donald Sutherland, JenniferJasonLeigh, Rebecca DeMornay, Jason Gedrick, Brian Jaramillo and JT Walsh co-star in the film.

* MoodWhiplash: The opening, combined with NightmareFuel; Brian as a child goes along to one of his father's responses, an apartment fire that seems mostly smouldering (all smoke). Everything is all upbeat and routine, until his father realizes there's a [[OhCrap leaking gas line, and Adcox just released it to the fire]]. He throws Adcox out of the room just before the explosion consumes him, with Brian watching it all. The photo of him holding his father's burned helmet, looking up at the inferno, follows him right through adulthood (see OldShame below).

* KnightTemplar: [[spoiler: Adcox. He specifically goes after Swayzak's cronies in the firehouse closing scheme, and sets the fires up so the victims trigger backdrafts, minimizing risk to firefighters. Too bad Bull's probie didn't listen...]]

In TheWindyCity, young Brian [=McCaffery=] (William Baldwin) is a man going from one dead-end job to another, until he gets it in his head to be a firefighter alongside his brother, Stephen "Bull" [=McCaffery=] (Kurt Russell), and the men of the 17-engine crew. Also, Brian's past follows him, as he was photographed at the scene of his father's death by arson, as he watched from the ground, holding his father's helmet in his hands. Now, a dangerous arsonist has torched two city officials, and after Brian is transferred, it is up to him and arson investigator Donald "Shadow" Rimgale (Robert De Niro) to sniff out the arsonist before anyone else is torched.

* MoodWhiplash: The opening, combined with NightmareFuel; Brian as a child goes along to one of his father's responses, an apartment fire. Everything is all upbeat and routine, until his father realizes there's a [[OhCrap leaking gas line...]]. He throws Adcox out of the room, and Brian watches the resulting explosion consume him. The picture of him holding his father's burned helmet follows him right through adulthood (see OldShame below).

* NaiveNewcomer: Both Brian and the second probie

* BenevolentArchitecture: While chemical factories would have pipes, pretty sure none of them are greased for sliding.

* HannibalLecture: Donald Sutherland's movie-stealing scene.

* [[spoiler: SympatheticMurderer: Adcox murdered Swayzak's cronies out of anger that the alderman was gambling with firefighter's lives for monetary and political gain, and to try and save firefighter lives by stopping the closing of further firehouses.]]

* [[spoiler: SympatheticMurderer: Adcox murdered Swayzak's cronies out of anger that the alderman was gambling with firefighter's lives for monetary and political gain]]

* KnightTemplar: [[spoiler: Adcox]].

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Averted with the second probie, Krizminski
* BigNo: [[spoiler: Brian when he sees Bull and Axe fall to their deaths(Bull, survived the fall until he died later on in an ambulance while Brian is pleading for him not to die.]]

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler: "Bull", both for his brother and for the Chicago FD]]

''Backdraft'' is 1991 American action-drama film directed by RonHoward and written by GregoryWiden. The film stars KurtRussell, WilliamBaldwin, RobertDeNiro and ScottGlenn. DonaldSutherland, JenniferJasonLeigh, RebeccaDeMornay, JasonGedrick, BrianJaramillo and JTWalsh co-star in the film.

In TheWindyCity, young Brian [=McCaffery=] (William Baldwin) is a man going from one dead-end job to another, until he gets it in his head to be a firefighter alongside his brother, Stephen "Bull" [=McCaffery=] (Kurt Russell), and the men of the 17-engine crew. Also, Brian's past follows him, as he was photographed at the scene of his father's death by arson, as he watched from the ground, holding his father's helmet in his hands. Now, a dangerous arsonist has torched two city officials, and after Brian is transfered, it is up to him and arson investigator Donald "Shadow" Rimgale (Robert De Niro) to sniff out the arsonist before anyone else is torched.

* OneSceneWonder: Donald Sutherland is probably in the movie for all of fifteen minutes, but ''man'' does he make it work for him!

In TheWindyCity, young Brian [=McCaffery=] (William Baldwin) is a man going from one dead-end job to another, until he gets it in his head to be a firefighter alongside his brother, Stephen "Bull" [=McCaffery=] (Kurt Russell), and the men of the 17-engine crew. Also, Brian's past follows him, as he was photographed at the scene of his father's death by arson, as he watched from the ground, holding his father's helmet in his hands. Now, a dangerous arsonist has torched two city officials, and after Brian is transfered, it is up to him and arson investigator Donald "Shadow" Rimgale (Robert DeNiro) to sniff out the arsonist before anyone else is torched.

In TheWindyCity, young Brian [=McCaffery=] (William Baldwin) is a man going from one dead-end job to another, until he gets it in his head to be a firefighter alongside his brother, Stephen "Bull" [=McCaffery=] (Kurt Russell), and the men of the 17-engine crew. Also, Brian's past follows him, as he was photographed at the scene of his father's death by arson, as he watched from the ground, holding his father's helmet in his hands. Now, a dangerous arsonist has torched two city officials, and after Brian is transfered, it is up to him and arson investigator Donald "Shadow" Rimgale to sniff out the arsonist before anyone else is torched.

-->'''Shadow:''' What do you want to do to the world, Ronald? '''Ronald:''' Burn it, burn it all.