Review of Fail Safe (1964) by Kai82 — 28 Jan 2020
A cold war movie about losing control of your own defence mechanisms and the dangers of nuclear war. The Cuban missile crisis was solved just 2 years earlier. If you don't know it was the closest thing to the end of humanity that ever happened.
A nuclear war was almost started. The movie is about a small computer error that triggers the alarms of the US military. Bombers armed with nuclear weapons are send automatically to “Fail Safe” positions for a worst case scenario.
Because of a chain of unlucky events a squadron of bombers start their attack procedure with Moscow as main target. The rest of the movie is about stopping their own bombers and avoiding the resulting nuclear holocaust.
This is the strength of the movie. It is a so realistic and dreadful scenario. They created a monster that they cant stop. The movie is carried by a cast of truly remarkable actors. You have Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, Larry Hagman, Dab O’Herlihy and many more.
Each actor nails their role in this dreadful situation. They also filmed the movie in black and white. It gave an even better impression. Lastly there is the ending I wont spoil but will say that is one of the most impressing endings in movie history.
They absolutely know what they were doing. Overall it should be a well recognized classic but it is nearly forgotten. This is a shame. It is one of the most emotional and alarming movies I have seen. Bonus knowledge: A similar thing happened in real life.
Everyone who reads this let me introduce to the man that saved all our life's: Stanislav Jewgrafowitsch Petrow. On 26 September 1983 he was the commanding officer at an early warning center. When the computers recognized nuclear missiles were started by the USA, he calmly deduced that this was a false alarm and prevented a retaliation.
He is a hero that would not be praised enough during lifetimes (and don't wanted to be praised as hero because he did his duty / the things everyone had done). Like I said a true modest hero.
This review of Fail Safe (1964) was written by Kai82 on 28 Jan 2020.
Fail Safe has generally received very positive reviews.
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