Review of Fail Safe (1964) by C.a. N — 02 Oct 2010
Very Intense. A terrific film. Better than the nuclear holacaust movies the came before and after it. Closer to the truth then a lot of people in the upper echoleons of society would admit, and even closer when adding the extra -tension of the cold war breathing down your back im 1968. What disturbs me is that alot of people make the mistake in comparing it to Dr. Strangelove, which I even did when I first saw it on television before realizing it was a different movie. However, seeing this film after seeing Dr. Strangelove, reduces it polish, which I am glad I didn't do becasue the message in this film is too important to miss.
It is easy to compare Fail-Safe with Dr. Strangelove, because both are based off the same book, with the former being in production before the latter, but with Strangelove edging out Fail-SAfe by a few months to the box office. The difference though is that Kubrick's Dr. Stranglove, while critically acclaimed and more widely screened then Fail-Safe, was a comedy while Fail-Safe stayed true to the book's roots and its impact.
In the end, many would say that while Dr. Stranglove is the better directed movie, its impact on moviegovers desensitized them to the severe reality of the nuclear arms race, and thus when audiences saw it for the first time in movie theatres 3 months later in 1964, most of them laughed or though it to be proposterous. Many still do.
Jump more than 40 years later, and its message has more of a meaning then ever before. While the nuclear threat might not be as real as it was in 1964, the message of this movie still rings of a dark future.
Unfortunately, a future where our machines run amuck. Not just our nuclear machines, but the machines known as the industrial-military complex. Our war machines.
Standing here near the edge of 2010, are we that far removed from a dire totality? How would we know when we passed the edge of no-return? Beyond our fail-safe? Can you be sure?
I think this should be required viewing amongst high school students.
This review of Fail Safe (1964) was written by C.a. N on 02 Oct 2010.
Fail Safe has generally received very positive reviews.
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