Reasons to be Impossible

Film reviews :War : Nukes

OK, I should have written this post on Wednesday, but I've been too scared to. Tuesday night I watched the most scary arsed film of all time Threads. Quite how IMDB can classify it as Sci-Fi is beyond me. A nastily realistic depiction of the effects of a nuclear war on the UK (well, on Sheffield, basically). Although some license is used in parts, its portayal of crowds of people running pointlessly to take cover from the nuke was heart rending. Its technique of cutting in with a VOG narrator to explain what was going on and the just relay the orthodox understanding of the course and outcome of nuclear war was powerful.

I remember those days well, when we did, as school kids in a town where we'd be just about outside any likely blast radius, work out how to try and get killed in the initial explosion (drive to Middlesbrough seemed a good plan). I don't remember the film, it was from 1984. Clearly, as a BBC production it was controversial, and its credits are overed with Prof. this and Doctor that to give it scientific cover.

Recent documents released under the 30 year rule do show how clsoe to the official plan this story was - and really, I think it did show the official plan for a government that believed it could laucnh a nuclear war. Watching it, I hoped it was wrong, and that mass revolt wqould lead to governmental collapse before it was too late (possibly what each side hoped owuld happen to the other if a real war came).