The two main countries facing off against one another in a
potential nuclear war began with Russia and the United States. Since the Cold
War began at the end of WWII, both had increased their nuclear capabilities to
the consternation of everyone around the world. They never let loose their
weapons, the concept of mutually assured destruction preventing them from doing
so. But that didn’t prevent people from worrying about it happening.
Those who protested in the 60s came of age and moved into TV
and film production. With the election of Ronald Reagan the days of backing
down to the Russians ended. His Presidency resulted in the end of the cold war
and also in a series of movies using the threat of nuclear annihilation as a
theme. Movies like THE DAY AFTER, TESTAMENT and SPECIAL BULLETIN all focused on
the use of nuclear weapons. The movies all pack a powerful punch, even in
today’s world. And another film among these that did just that at the time it aired
is THREADS.
Airing on BBC in 1984 the show received the highest ratings
of viewership that week. It aired in the US on TBS in 1985. It followed by
airing on stations around the world after. It is a film that has left its mark.
The movie unfolds in a combination of storytelling and
documentary styled filmmaking. It follows two families in Sheffield in Northern
England whose lives have come together with the upcoming birth of a child and
wedding of their children. We see how their lives are prior to anything
happening, everything from meeting the parents to finding an apartment to
redoing the apartment before moving in. One is more upper class and the other
working class.
As we learn about the young couple we also get glimpses of
news stories on TV that seem to be on no matter where they are. The news is
constantly focused on escalating tensions between Russia and the US over both
country’s involvement in Iran. The US has helped with a coupe hoping to
reinstate the Shah and the Russians have invaded the northern part of the
country hoping to prevent this from happening.
The film gets more grisly as we approach the 50 minute mark.
The confrontation between the two super powers reaches fever pitch and nuclear
was is launched, one of the bombs landing in Sheffield because of the military
airfield and manufacturing plants there. It isn’t long before the effects begin
starting with the shockwave that runs over everything, blowing out windows and
decimating anyone still on the streets.
Those that sought shelter, including a storyline involving
local wardens who were put in place to help once the war was over, survive the
initial blast. But then the reality of what would happen kicks in. Shortages of
food with no means to distribute it to survivors has people scrambling for
things to eat. With hospitals gone the odds of medical help for the wounded are
nearly depleted in minutes. As looting begins among the survivors some sense of
order is attempted by what military remains.
The end result is a bleak world where little survives and
those that do are subjected to everything one could imagine after such a war.
Those things range from radiation poisoning to darkened skies in a cloud of
radioactive dust. The sun blocked skies prevent food from growing to replace
what was destroyed. And people finally band together in an attempt at
rebuilding civilization.
The movie deals with the prospect of nuclear war in the most
straightforward manner possible. There are no heroes waltzing in at the last
moment to save the day. There are no top secret government bases that hold a
select group of survivors intent on repopulating the world living in an
environment meant to protect them. This is real. This is the cold hard facts.
Ducking and covering will not protect nor save you.
As seen through the eyes of the two families we get a
glimpse of what would happen. Those that die immediately are the fortunate
ones. The survivors are relegated to a hell on earth that would make most wish
they had been taken out in that initial blast. Most movies never consider the
small things that we take for granted and even back in 1984 there were items we
have now that weren’t even around then.
Consider a world with no phones of any kind. No television
or radio to listen to hear what happened. No running water to drink or to use
to do something as simple as flush a toilet. No government run agency to see to
it that dead bodies were collected and even if there were there would be no way
to move them. Roads would be covered in demolished buildings or torn up
altogether. No electricity means no lights and no refrigeration. All of these
are touched on in this film.
While a part of me fears that watching this film will do
little more than create another wave of socially conscious protesters with no clue
on how the world works or offering suggestions as to a solution, another part
of me hopes that some will watch this and consider the threat and possibly find
solutions that will prevent this from happening. The bombs will never been
completely gone and thinking that the other side will eliminate them all is
naïve at best and stupid at worst. The concept of mutually assured destruction
remains the best deterrent to nuclear war there is.
But we live in a world of madman now. A world where a
terrorist isn’t concerned about his own safety and looks forward to being the
one to hold the button down on the bomb as it explodes. A world where some
despots think that no matter how infinitesimal they and their armies are they
can threaten and use these kind of weapons without fear of retribution. With
those people in mind movies like this should be considered.
Severin has done a solid job in presenting this movie. Not
only are you given the chance to see it in its entirety the release has several
extras as well. Those include an audio commentary track with director Mick
Jackson moderated by film writer Kier-La Janisse and Severin Film’s David
Gregory, AUDITION FOR THE APOCALYPSE an interview with actress Karen Meagher,
SHOOTING THE ANNIHILATION an interview with director of photography Andrew
Dunn, DESTRUCTION DESIGNER an interview with production designer Christopher
Robilliard, and interview with film writer Stephen Thrower and the US trailer.
Not only is this a film that tells a cautionary tale it is
one that should be seen by everyone.
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