The War Game

A BBC-made docu-drama about the aftermath of a nuclear bomb airburst over Kent. Made at about the time the government published 'Protect and Survive', it showed up the patent absurdities of government planning for nuclear conflict.

Very harrowing, it was banned for many years by the BBC and only enjoyed limited theatrical release, although it has since been aired by them.

Dave T

Comments




I saw it when it was first aired on TV back in '84- it's horrendous. Just because it was made in '65 doesn't mean that it's 'tame' by today's standards, far from it, for it's not dated at all, and if anything it's having been shot in black & white adds to it's impact and graphic nature.
It's premise for WW3 begins when the Vietnam War inspires anti-Government demonstrations in the Eastern Bloc, which are fiercly put down the the Communist authorities. The West seeks to intervene, and from there on events spiral rapidly downwards towards Armaggeddon.
Especially harrowing are the images of a father & his tiny son clutched together as they perish in the nuclear firestorm, exhausted and traumatise troops carrying out mass-cremations of the dead, and ad-hoc police executions of looters in the post-Apocalypse wasteland. It ends poignantly with Christmas Day being celebrated by a few remnants of humanity in the ruins of a local church.

Roxxy16-Apr-2011, 04:31:17 PM

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