Kathryn Bigalow’s nuclear war thriller is a clever piece of filmmaking
Seen in six or so 18 minute set pieces each portraying the same time line from different perspectives . We watch the US response to the arrival of a single nuclear missile heading towards Chicago from an unknown source.
Each official response and episode is muddled and unsure. Military Chief (Tracy Letts ) is gung ho and war proactive whilst young Defence advisor Jake ( Gabriel Brasso) is cautious and hopeful. Analyst Olivia ( Rebecca Ferguson) rings her husband in order to save him and their baby and Chief of Defence Baker (Jared Harris) whose daughter is in Chicago, rings her for one last contact before horrifyingly killing himself ( the most shocking scene in the movie)
Finally we follow the enigmatic President ( Idris Elber) who is away from the drama in an Airforce one helicopter , it is his final scenes of indecision and horror which are the most sobering , as he has the final say on the military response with what it would seem the least preparation and objectiveness of anyone.
It’s a cracking film with all the tension of new bra strap but I must also add a mention to Bigalow’s clever use of recorded sound here. Not until the last reel do we actually see Elber as the President , we only hear him indistinctly through the failing PA system, and I must admit his way of speaking reminded me directly of Trump and his directness. Bigalow subtly reminds the audience that Elber could indeed in reality be Trump with that last desperate decision , his alone to take.
Like the lessons we learned from 9/11, the thrust of the drama is whose do you want to talk to or be with in those final moments. The mobile phone is centre stage here. Little nuggets of gold that are able to link loved ones in such terrible times.
We all have the urge to say
I love you
When faced with disaster..those last few minutes?
I wonder who I would contact? To reach out to ?
If I was honest?
I think I would ring my sisters and Nu of course
And I’d text a few close friends
Hey ho
Who would you ring/ message in those last 18 minutes?
I’d message 2 ex partners and you squire , and you !
ReplyDeleteLee
And I’d reply
DeleteOh I love that you would xx🩷
Delete🩷🩷🩷🩷🙏
DeleteI’d message my niece in California , but I’d ring my best friend David
ReplyDeleteAnd I’d go to my neighbour’s house and hug them all before the missile hit
Keith
Xx
Sweet x
DeleteBlimey. I really don't know 😳
ReplyDeleteWe’ll have a think
DeleteMy children. I'm assuming I'll already be hugging my husband. xx
ReplyDeleteI hope so too
DeleteMy wife and her daughter, obviously.
ReplyDeleteNever obviously , but nice
DeleteI’m with u
ReplyDeleteMy ex husband and my two daughters
Mira
🩷🩷🩷🩷
DeleteHope DH and I would be together as usual, and we'd call our two sons, and DIL if she wasn't with DS1.
ReplyDeleteMay that never happen.
Hugs!
🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🙏
DeleteJust my spouse. Assuming everyone else already knows what's coming, I'd leave them be...they all have lots of others to call. Assuming they don't know what's coming, I'd still let them be. Wouldn't want to have them feel fear.
ReplyDeleteJackie M
Xx
DeleteI'm with Anonymous above. Too many loved ones, too little time. And for those you love most, but could not be with in those few precious moments, have you not said it all anyway? And they know? So would compose myself and hug the dog, my favourite music playing.....
ReplyDeleteBut we ort to try
ReplyDeleteI'd call or text my daughter, SIL & grandson. I suspect cell phone systems would be overloaded and thus not working, so perhaps it would be better to cuddle with my cats, have a stiff drink, and wait.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and our son
ReplyDeleteWow. What a chilling question. 18 minutes. My children. I would call my children. I would hold my husband's hand.
ReplyDeleteI'd hug my dog but wouldn't contact anyone.
ReplyDeleteYikes! Assuming I am home with the hubs, call my three kids and ask many of my 11 sibs as are available! Kathy
ReplyDeleteIt's just me. I think I'd open up a gin bottle and look at my fave photos. And play some tunes.
ReplyDeleteI’d hope I wouldn’t know it was coming, but…. My loved ones know I love them through and through. I may take the dogs out for a last sniff fest, come home and climb in bed with them.
ReplyDeleteweavinfool
I’d hope I’d be with my dear husband, and the family too - son, wonderful DIL, and two grandchildren (10 and 7). I hope we could speak of love and life, and keep their fear at bay.
ReplyDeleteI would like to be at home with my husband if it happened, but he's often not here, so I'd phone him, my sister and my brother, but what if their phones were engaged. Too late to tell them I love them, although they do know that.
ReplyDeleteI’m going to contact my loved ones now and tell them in such a scenario my love will always be with them. At the time they will be focused on their spouses and children. I’ll do as weavinfool. Susan in Canada.
ReplyDeleteJ, my sister, and get up a blog post.
ReplyDeleteThere is a movie from 1959, "On the Beach" that tells that story from the point of view of Australians who are aware that a nuclear bomb has gone off but will take several months for the effects to reach them. Ava Gardner and Gregory Peck. How is it that we still haven't learned our lesson?!?!
ReplyDeleteNina
I would be disbelieving until the last moment, and then it would be too late.
ReplyDelete