Threads, Movie Review

Review of "Threads" "1984"

Made during the Height of the Cold war in the 1980s, threads is a Documentary style apocalypse flick  that views in disturbing detail what would have happened to the normal people like us, if it had all gone wrong. Directed by Mick Jackson and Written by  Barry Hines for the BBC.

The VHS cover, stating "the closest to Nuclear war that you will ever get", it wasn't far wrong,
even by modern film standards.

Based around Two families, the Kemps and the Becketts, drawn together through the love between their eldest children, Ruth Breckett ( Karen Meagher ) and Jimmy Kemp (  Reece Dinsdale ). As an international crisis between the United States and the Soviet Union takes place in Iran,  the United Kingdom, which backs the US prepares for war. Meanwhile,  the Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council ( Michael O'Hagan ) prepares the Central government for the worst, illustrating the British governments role in the crisis, and how even the ones at the very top are in no control at all when the worst comes. As nuclear exchanges between NATO and the PACT begin at an unimaginable but equally realistic scale,  the details and horrors of the characters' struggle to survive the aftermath are depicted without holding back on any detail. The balance of the story details the fate of each family as the characters face the medical, economic, social and environmental consequences of nuclear war. The film being commentated on so that the audience can be filled in on the finite detail throughout the film.

The iconic image, shown on the front of the Radio
Times, for the release day of the film. 

When Fist Released in 1984, you would be condemned if you were to watch the film and then sleep comfortably the following evening. the BBC reside letters which stated that the government should give suicide pills for " us old folk ' if the bomb were to drop. People who could not sleep, people who were physically sick, the list goes on. And no wonder, the film did not hold back on any sort of realism for the sake of protecting us from a lack of innocence, and to prevent the idea that it wouldn't be that bad. Details of how hospitals would not be able to cope and having to clean wound with washing machine powder and water, radiation sickness, capitol punishment, starvation, rape, untreatable diseases, survival of the fittest, and a lack of any central government to help anyone. 

A mother Clutching her dead baby, a day after the attack. having suffered burring of the skin
from radiation, the baby would have died instantaneously.

The film deliberately relied on the acting and the cinematography to shod the audience, there was very little FX, and no music. the film was truly a leap forward, the continuities and flaws did not have a great enough shout to over shadow the pure realism. An interesting casting technique was using locals and not professional actors to play the roles. The acting was not far from good, considering that they had no previous acting experience, and considering that they had to pretend to be in a situation of absolute devastation. Well, props and costume helped with that, as there attention to detail was immaculate throughout the film. 

Mrs Kemp, the moment the bomb hit sheffield, relaxing to late
that her son is outside in the bird cage and not safe.

Personally, i think the film was an accurate and shattering representation of the real deal, nobody can say they will enjoy this film, if you do, you have something wrong with you, the film is sickening and disturbing. Not a quite night in.