basics...
A True Stories documentary about nuclear weapons and the frightening truth behind how close the world has been and is potentially to nuclear destruction.
brilliant...
This film is very powerfully made, full of talking heads with real gravitas - Tony Blair, Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Valerie Plame Wilson and lots of other statespeople, scientists and historians - and images of mushroom clouds, possible fallout zones and historical footage. Director Lucy Walker keeps the visuals interesting and uses narration and pundits to explain how mistakes in the past had the world on the brink of launching nukes; how easy it would be for terrorists to get their hands on nuclear material to construct a dirty bomb; how the launch codes for America's nukes used to just be 000000; and how many countries today have the bomb and why they came to have it. It's scary to think that flocks of migrating birds have caused scares within the military and put them at high alert, and that the USA and USSR had too many close calls for comfort. It's a convincing documentary with a real message that is explained through clear examples as well as dire prediction.
A fascinating insight into Cold War practices that haven't completely thawed, Countdown to Zero makes its points with visual flair and convincing pronouncements without seeming preachy or manipulative.
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