From the 1940s through the 1980s, no threat caused more despair and terror in the world than the possibility of nuclear war. Nowhere was this more evident than in the multitude of nuclear war films that emerged during the last half of the Cold War. Filled with terrifying scenes and images of terror, these films were so effective in conveying the terrors of nuclear war that one of them – The Day After – was instrumental in helping to bring about the end of the armed nation. out of power in the 1980s.
Today, thankfully, we no longer live in an age where full-scale nuclear war is imminent. However, because nukes still exist, it is important that we not fall into the illusion that nuclear war films from the Cold War are no longer relevant. Otherwise, the world will see another new generation of arms race, blissfully oblivious to destruction than nuclear holocaust. can cause
To spread knowledge about these films, we have reviewed what I consider to be the 15 best nuclear war films from the past 40 years. See them, share them, talk about them, and discuss them. But whatever you do, don’t leave the past alone. The Cold/a> war may be over, but some dangers still exist.
15. When the wind
Based on the book of the same name by Raymond Briggs, When the Wind Blows is a 1986 animated film about a dopey, middle-aged English couple who naively prepare for nuclear war by following Britain’s so-called “civil defense”. nuclear war book I personally have a few issues with this movie (it’s just a tad abusive). However, for all my doubts, his authority is not a powerful message: surviving a nuclear war is neither possible nor desirable.
14. This is not a test
What would you do if you learned that the second world would end? How do you want to act? Do you want to deal with fatalism? Terror? Hope for salvation? Bitterness? Or death? This is a chilling and terrifying mission that many hundreds of people, if not thousands, have done in their minds during the Cold. War. This Is Not a Test was one of the first to explore that in a character study of a group of motorists who are told that a roadside bomb has been dropped by a patrolman. Young viewers most likely will not be able to get psychological attention in this film; older viewers will enjoy it too.
13. Terminator 2
Many people consider Terminator 2 just a flick of sci-fi action, but I heart this movie and one before it expressed the deep anguish of many of those who grew up with it. He felt a cold war about the future. In the 1980s, the threat of nuclear war became such a heavy cloud hanging over everyone, it seemed inevitable. James Cameron was the first filmmaker to challenge the fatalism of the times by suggesting that nuclear war was not the fate of mankind. He was also the first to show in graphic detail what it would be like to be caught in a nuclear blast, in a famous scene (the destruction of LA) that still scares us to this day.
12. Gen
As with Blow fan Badpes Gen is an animated film from the book. In this case, it is based on the real-life personal story of manga artist Keiji Nakazawa, who survived the bombing of Hiroshima as a child and witnessed the horrific aftermath it had on his family and village. Don’t let this cartoon fool you; although it is a bit like Disney-sensualism, it has one of the most convincing and horrifying scenes of nuclear destruction ever presented on film. Only the infamous “exit from Los Angeles” series peaks in Term 2.
11. The Atomic Cafe
With nothing but news broadcasts, government footage, and installation footage from the Cold War era, this 1982 film presents the history of the development of the atomic bomb, as well as calls into question the absurdity of the term “civilian.” defense”, those policies that were intended to help citizens survive a nuclear war. In particular, the joke was the infamous “Duck and Cover” short, a school film from the 1950s, which showed children how to protect themselves from an atomic blast.
10. Safe fall
Often touted as “heavy” Dr. Strangelove is a 1964 Cold War drama about a mechanical malfunction that causes a group of bombers to believe they are about to launch a nuclear attack on Moscow. The duration of the film is in the desperate attempts of the President and the military to try to recall them. With an absurd third act (I won’t spoil it for you), this movie will chill you to the bone, especially if you’re old enough to remember the Cuban Missile Crisis and how close the world was to destruction.
9. Testament
Testimony is one of those movies that seems to create a lot of tension among people for many reasons, one of them being that it doesn’t follow the typical formula that most other nuclear war movies did at the time. Rather than go the horror route of showing the physical effects of nuclear war in a major city blasted inside a nuclear weapon, it aims to be in a quiet, idyllic suburban town so far removed from the next nuk detonation that it survives WW3 physically untouched as if nothing had happened.
But it’s important to know about the topic of the topic. Because so many anti-nuke movies focus on the devastating effects of nuclear war on major metropolitan cities, people in so-called small towns ” “ as he began to take pleasure in the Testament, consoling himself with the illusion that they were safe as long as they did not live in or near a military signal. Testament does an effective job of showing that it doesn’t matter where you would be if a nuclear war happened–death would come to you whether there was no reason or not.
8. Miracle Mile
Becoming a cult classic with each passing year, Miracle Mile stars Anthony Edwards, a musician who meets the love of his life one day. He complains, whether he may meet on the eve of destruction. On the surface Miracle Mile plays like a dark and gritty comedy, but like This Is Not a Test, it also plays out the horrific scenario of what’s to come in its final hours. The world would be like this if everyone knew that they had only a few hours to live. Needless to say, it wouldn’t be enough.
7. Special Bulletin
Shot entirely in the style of a fake “special report” newscast on the “RBS Network”, the Special Bulletin is a domestic terror group that holds the city of Charlotte, South Carolina hostage with a homemade nuclear bomb. The irony of this 1983 TV program is that at the time, a terrorist mission could be clever and explode a home-made nuclear device inside United States is almost removed to the point of sci-fi. However, in the wake of 9/11 and the threat of dirty bombs, Special Bulletin has taken the most serious action of any of the films here.
6. Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Worry and Love the Bomb
They have long dealt with the threat of nuclear war by convincing themselves that as long as sane, intelligent people are in charge and proper protocols are in place to prevent accidents, there is nothing to worry about. Dr. Strangelovewas the first film to challenge this idea. Of course there was nothing to worry about nuclear war as long as the military industrial complex was safely run by competent men and women. But who’s to say I can’t hack one of them, slip through the protocols, and start World War 3? Dr. Strangelove may have been a comedy, but the mission it presented and the issues it raised were too terrifying.
5. Countdown mirror
Following in the footsteps of Special Bulletin, this 1984 Canadian-produced drama uses fake news and footage to play out the Often a response to the UK’S’ Days After (see below), the drama is about the brutal physical effects of nuclear war, not just in the weeks immediately after but in the decades that follow. It is considered by many to be the best film of its kind, not only because of its graphic depiction of nuclear war, but because of its many memorable scenes, including a woman terrified by the wet look of a mushroom in a cloudy space. in advance
3. After a day
Probably one of the most controversial TV shows ever in the United States, 1983’s The Day Post left many viewers on both the pro- and anti-disarmament side. Even to this day, critics rage against the threads of it, which they consider better films. Both movies are excellent, but The Latter Day The extreme sequels leave me because that viewer‘s approach to horror may have left viewers more emotionally scarred than contemplative about the weaponry of the genre. A day later, he might have taken a less graphic approach to his depiction of nuclear war, but at least when the film’s viewers ended up not being so traumatized that they couldn’t think about the film’s message, let alone discuss it.
2. Nuclear War: Guide to Armageddon
Produced by the same filmmaker of Seals, this 1982 television program used a very innovative approach in its technique of spreading awareness about nuclear war. Rather than presenting a fictional drama, it shows in a very scientific and objective way exactly what the devastating effect of a nuclear detonation would be on parts of London if a bomb fell on St. Paul’s Cathedral. It also shows the futility of surviving a nuclear war using covert bombs and other civil defense measures. Because these programs were scientific rather than storytelling to convey their message, they were able to release very little disarmament from their opponents as mere persuasion or abusive slogans, and a more effective message than the sister production of Semina.
1. Game of War
If very few people know about this film, it’s for good reason: this 1965 faux British documentary of the effects of a bomb in a major city was considered so disturbing, it was actually banned from British television for 20 years. This is one of those acts of censorship that were wise in retrospect: even by today’s standards, this movie is so incredibly disgusting that I can imagine that if it had been seen in a more innocent and simple time, it would have been thrown out altogether. people in extremes until death or despair. On the downside, it takes some serious delivery and falls under manipulative and propagandistic accusations. On the other hand, this is one of the few anti-nukes films that really informs the viewer about what really happens in an atomic or nuclear explosion.
