Tags:
Film: The China Syndrome
Year: 1979
Director: James Bridges
Writer: Mike Gray, T.S. Cook and James Bridges
Starring: Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon and Michael Douglas
Review:
In this film, we follow fluff reporter, played by Jane Fonda. She works for a struggling news station that has recently seen an upswing by her joining them. She is sent to do a report on a nuclear power plant. She brings along with her an outside camera crew, lead by the camera man played by Michael Douglas, who is known for trying to find controversy.
While they are filming, a problem happens at the plant and the core is almost exposed due to human error. Jack Lemmon plays the foreman in charge that not only almost causes it, but also is the one who saves it from happening.
Douglas films the control room illegally as this happens and wants to show the footage. He is silenced, but that doesn’t stop him. Him and along with Fonda are out to find out what they really happened that day at the plant.
This film is great at building suspense. During the problem at the plant, it really captivated me. The tension built from what is happening, Lemmon’s acting as well as Fonda and Douglas are superb to say the least. Seeing the arch of Lemmon’s character is great as he goes from defending his place of employment to whistle blower is not only believable, but he becomes the hero who you are pulling for by the end, which makes him my favorite character from this film.
What we know about Chernobyl and Japan, this film is a must see if you are interested in the subject. If you are against nuclear power, I would recommend this film. If you what to see some acting at its finest, especially from Jack Lemmon, I would say this is a must watch as well. Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas are at some of their finest as well.
Another side note, this film came out 7 years before the accident at Chernobyl and 3 Mile Island Incident took place 12 days after this film’s premiere, so I would give great admiration for the writers of the film for doing the research as to what would happen if the core was exposed like this in a nuclear power plant or what could possible happen.
This one is also being added to the horror film research due to this being a scary thing if it happens. Chernobyl is still uninhabitable after what happened. This is what those that is against nuclear power fear and if something like this happens, it could be devastating. This film is more about a near problem and then making the plants safer, but what we see on the film is scary nonetheless.
My Rating: 8 out 10