Gânduri Eclectice – Eclectic Thoughts

Those of you lucky enough to currently be younger than mid-30s may have missed out on some fairly scary times in the 1960s/1970s/1980s. It might be a good time for the younger amongst us to get at least a glimpse into what those times were like. And also a good time for those of us who should remember it to review and make sure that we really do. Why? Because

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

— George Santayana, The Life of Reason: The Phases of Human Progress (1905)

In October, the BBC will be reshowing (on BBC Four) what is probably the most chilling thing ever shown on British TV (or maybe any TV): Threads. The only thing that even came close to this was When The Wind Blows, but at least that had a cartoon-quality which somehow made it less real – grim and depressing though it was.

Threads was shown in September 1984, again in 1985 (40th anniversary year of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki), and again in 2003. Unfortunately, it feels more relevant rather than less relevant now than it ever has in the intermediate years.

Here I’d like to talk briefly about 4 dramas covering this topic, with varying levels of realism, grittiness, and horror: Threads (UK-AUS, 1984), The Day After (USA 1983), The War Game (UK, 1966), and When The Wind Blows (UK, 1986).

Threads

Presents a people-centric dramatisation in the UK City of Sheffield of the weeks leading up to a nuclear exchange, the exchange itself, and the aftermath.

Highly recommended viewing, but it’s not a whole bundle of laughs. Don’t watch it on your own, especially the end part set a few years after; you kind of need human company to even begin to process what you see.

A realistic, gritty, and horrific presentation yet without unnecessary gore. A salutory reminder of the grim realities of nuclear confrontation.

Threads provides, in my opinion, the best balance between horror and accuracy that you’re likely to come across in this subject area.

The Day After

Having been told that this was the US equivalent of Threads, I was amazed at how muted and unrealistic this was. It’s interesting reading what Americans say after having seen this in 1983 and then much later having seen Threads: they remember The Day After as having been impactful at the time, but are completely shocked by Threads.

Slow moving, takes about 50 minutes of the 2 hour duration before missiles fly. The scenes of destruction are frankly tame.

Worth viewing, if only to see the difference in how this material was presented to a US audience.

The War Game

Although it was made in 1966 (in glorious techni-monochrome), the BBC decided that:

“the effect of the film has been judged by the BBC to be too horrifying for the medium of broadcasting.”

And it didn’t get broadcast until 1986, twenty years after it was made. I was “lucky” enough (if that’s the word) to see it in around 1976/7, at which time it made quite an impression but also left me much better educated than my peers on the matter.

Worth a viewing, but if you’re not truly shocked by parts of it then there might just be something wrong with you. Not for the faint of heart, nor for anyone who struggles to watch Threads.

It provides the most realistic overview, but that does involve some fairly grim presentation.

When The Wind Blows

An animated version of the Raymond Briggs’ book of the same name. The horror is mainly implied rather than presented, and the only major characters are an elderly couple in a remote cottage. They lived through WW2 and maintain an insanely positive outlook throughout most of the production. There are darkly humourous parts where the husband attempts to follow the advice in the “Protect And Survive” booklet from the Government. An excellent production, but not one to watch when you’re feeling depressed. Highly recommended.