The War Game

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William L You've seen 'Duck and Cover' in your 1950s homeroom class, now you're old enough to hang with the big boys. Bring on the nuclear fire, and don't forget the teabags! A faux-documentary based on reports from genuine nuclear strikes and firebombing campaigns (not sure why people refer to it as a legitimate documentary, it's a Cold War civil service project steeped in theoretical panic rather than fact), The War Game focuses less on generals arguing in clouds of cigar smoke as it confronts the potential street-level reality of a nuclear engagement that was very possible at the height of the Cold War. Despite the fact that the film was government-funded, it actually goes out of its way to highlight incompetencies in the Crown's efforts to prepare its citizens for a potential strike, often infused with a surprsing amount of dry humor (the nuclear pamphlet that you had to purchase for ninepence, described as a "bad seller"), and further creates a scene of social collapse that is anything but reassuring. Candid, well-acted, and startlingly brutal, the film would certainly have been something of an inspiration to Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Homeowner to read up on the effects of Strontium-90 and begin packing canned goods, but it is in such stark comparison to other newsreel-esque programs of the era in its lack of positivity that it's little wonder that the BBC pulled it, as it could have just been downright demoralizing. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/09/21 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. It might be one of the first propaganda documentaries that want to manipulate you oppose nuclear bombs. It takes cheap shots against religious leaders and others by setting them up to ignorance. It was on internet archives. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Great, genuinely hard to watch, eminently memorable and absolutely no fun at all. But that's really important I think, so much media really tries to sort of paint this candy-coated filter over subjects like war, when in reality, war, especially nuclear war, is pretty fucked. There's nothing wrong with making those other movies, the ones where the heroes win the day and good guys triumph, those will never go away, nor should they, but every now and then, some hard truths need to be confronted too, and The War Game is very confronting. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Peter Watkins is the master of the mock documentary. Filmed for BBC television, the BBC refused to air the film as they thought it was too graphic and horrifying. The 49 minute film was then released in theatres on both sides of the Atlantic and went on to win an Oscar, two BAFTA awards, and a special prize at the Venice film festival. In a handheld documentary fashion, Watkins speculates on the effects that a nuclear war would have on Great Britain. It is not pleasant and Watkins slowly undermines the whole concept of civil defence in an age of thermonuclear missiles. Certainly this still disturbing film was an influence on the later American TVM The Day After (1984) and the later BBC effort Threads (1985). It remained unseen on British television for twenty years. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Pretty tame by our standards today, but I could see how it would be shocking to people watching it in the 60's. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Peter Watkin's "documentary" film is a horrifying look at the effects of what a Soviet nuclear attack would look like in the United Kingdom. It's a wonderful film that shows deep rooted concerns of people during the height of the Cold War. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The War Game

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