Films that capture the tension and absurdity of the Cold War.
May 21 '01
The Bottom Line In some ways the Cold War was more horrifying and bizarre than any hot war. These films capture both the horror and absurdity.
The Cold War, especially in its first two decades, was a frightening time for Americans and people throughout the world. Everyone was terrified by "the bomb," and fallout shelters, civil defense exercises, and America's strategic superiority did little to quell their fears. Add to that the absurdity of the deterrent strategy, MAD, which held that nuclear weapons would never be used because any use guaranteed the annihilation of both sides, and you can see why Hollywood's treatment of the Cold War included both dramas and black comedies.
Here are some of the really good Cold War films, listed by release date:
On the Beach (1959). The US and Soviet Union have launched all their missiles, and while a shroud of fallout is rapidly enveloping the world, destroying all human life, an American sub commander goes in search of survivors. Because of its isolation in the southern hemisphere, Australia will be the last populated area to receive the radioactive cloud, and the film somberly chronicles the final pursuits of people who slowly but surely become unhinged as they face certain death. A long sequence in which Peck's sub is drawn to San Francisco by unusual Morse code messages is chilling. Director Stanley Kramer's moralizing is heavy handed, and the romance between submarine commander Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner is just a distraction, but the powerful antiwar message of this film still comes through loud and clear.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962). This is a film that almost defies categorization. I'd have to call it a psychological drama/thriller/comedy (at least I thought that male high communist party officials in drag was pretty funny). Frank Sinatra gives an outstanding performance (maybe his best) as a Korean War veteran who, driven to the edge of sanity by recurring nightmares, begins to suspect that the Medal of Honor winning heroics of a former member of his squad may have never happened. He painstakingly uncovers the sinister aims of a Communist Chinese plot involving brainwashing and treason. Laurence Harvey, not a particularly good actor, is perfect as the hypnotically scripted tool of the Communists, but acting honors go to Angela Lansbury, who plays Harvey's mother and one of the most chilling characters in cinema. It's not clear if a subplot involving a love affair between Sinatra and Janet Leigh was meant for comic relief or was simply a plot decision gone terribly wrong. I believe the former, but you may disagree. This film was suppressed after the Kennedy assassination.
Doctor Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). A deranged American Air Force General launches his H-bomb equipped B-52s against the Soviet Union, and not even the President can recall them. In an attempt to cooperate with the US to avert disaster, the Soviets are forced to reveal their "doomsday machine," a device that cannot be stopped and will automatically launch their whole ICBM arsenal if even one US bomb explodes over Soviet soil. Peter Sellers is hilarious in a triple role as Colonel Mandrake, the hapless British liaison to the deranged general, as the President of the United States, and as Presidential advisor, Dr. Strangelove, the wheelchair bound ex-NAZI who has become "one of our German scientists." Stanley Kubrick's black comedy masterpiece is brilliant and absurd in much the same way as the real cold war deterrence policy of mutual assured destruction (MAD). The final shot of bomber pilot Slim Pickens is a cinematic icon. Other cast highlights include Sterling Hayden, George C. Scott, Keenan Wynn and James Earl Jones (wow!).
Fail-Safe (1964) is an utterly gripping and serious treatment of a similar premise: a US bomber is mistakenly assigned to drop nuclear weapons on the Soviet Union. As it slowly lumbers toward its target, the leaders of the two countries, connected only by the "hot line" and talking through translators, grapple for a solution. What they come up with is shocking in its horrifying plausibility. Henry Fonda gives an excellent performance as the President. Other cast members include Walter Matthau, Larry Hagman, and Dom DeLuise.
The Hunt for Red October (1990). Adapted from Tom Clancy's best-selling novel, nuclear submarine commander Sean Connery decides to defect to the West and take the Soviet Union's latest submarine--Red October--with him. The Soviets are forced to dispatch their own hunter-killer subs to keep the Red October out of US hands, and a harrowing underwater cat and mouse game ensues somewhere in the North Atlantic. Connery turns in a highly "watchable" performance and gets able support from Alec Baldwin, James Earl Jones, Sam Neill, et al. The submarine interiors and underwater special effects are great.
Crimson Tide (1995), is actually a post Cold War submarine adventure. Russian rebels gain control of Soviet era ICBMs, and the US sends a nuclear submarine into position to launch a preemptive strike if it appears the rebels will launch their missiles. A communication failure breaks the chain of command forcing a fierce struggle between by-the-book captain Gene Hackman and new, independent-minded executive officer Denzel Washington over whether or not to launch missiles against the rebel base. Hackman and Washington give excellent high energy performances. The film pays careful attention to nuclear weapons command protocols. Like The Hunt for Red October, the submarine interiors and underwater special effects are excellent.
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