The China Syndrome (DVD)

...electricity generating plant opened in the USA on the 12th March 1979. Only 12 days later, on the 28th March 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania came close to total meltdown in an accident that closely (and somewhat eerily) mirrored the scenario portrayed in the movie. Seven years later, on April 25th 1986, the unthinkable actually happened, when the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the Ukraine, again closely following the plot of ...
...thousands of people and leaving the area surrounding the plant a nuclear wasteland for generations to come.

~ ~ I had been active in the anti-nuclear movement throughout the 1970’s in Scotland, and so naturally when this movie was released it was a “must see” for me. I wasn’t disappointed, and felt that the hypothetical disaster that it postulated was very lifelike and realistic. So it really came as no great surprise when it later ... more

~ ~ This movie, “The China Syndrome” (1979), about a potential ecological and human disaster at a nuclear powered electricity generating plant opened in the USA on the 12th March 1979. Only 12 days later, on the 28th March 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania came close to total meltdown in an accident that closely (and somewhat eerily) mirrored the scenario portrayed in the movie. Seven years later, on April 25th 1986, the unthinkable actually happened, when the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the Ukraine, again closely following the plot of this movie, spewed its radioactive poison across much of Europe, killing countless thousands of people and leaving the area surrounding the plant a nuclear wasteland for generations to come.

~ ~ I had been active in the anti-nuclear movement throughout the 1970’s in Scotland, and so naturally when this movie was released it was a “must see” for me. I wasn’t disappointed, and felt that the hypothetical disaster that it postulated was very lifelike and realistic. So it really came as no great surprise when it later took on real life significance both in the USA and in the Ukraine.
Naturally, the disaster at the Three Mile Island plant didn’t harm the film at the box office, coming so soon after its cinema release!

~ ~ The film has three co-stars, Michael Douglas, (who also produced) Jane Fonda, and the brilliant Jack Lemmon. Fonda plays TV reporter Kimberly Wells, who along with her hippie, left wing cameraman Richard Adams (Douglas) is sent to shoot a TV feature on the power plant. Kimberley, while ambitious, is no Pulitzer Prize winner, and is used by the TV station to cover only “soft” stories with no real hard news potential.
But while being shown around the plant by the senior shift supervisor Jack Godell (Jack Lemmon) an emergency takes place in the control room, which Adams secretly captures on video despite being ordered to shut down his camera. As the ground trembles and shakes, and technicians run around like headless chickens trying desperately to remedy the problem, it becomes patently obvious that all is not well with the safety of the plant. On this occasion the potential accident is brought back under control, but not before Kimberley and Adams realise they have inadvertently stumbled on what could be a major scoop.
But when they excitedly hand in their report and footage to their TV station bosses, they are both amazed and disgusted when the decision is taken to suppress the story for fear of litigation from the powerful corporate forces that own the power plant.

~ ~ Kimberley and Adams decide to pursue the story in spite of their boss’s objections, and relentlessly harass the hapless supervisor Jack Godell, who is only too well aware that all is not well with his beloved facility. He’s on a hiding to nothing, with unbelievable pressure being brought to bear not only from the intrepid reporters but from his own bosses, who want the plant brought back up to full operating capacity ASAP. Eventually Godell’s social conscience gets the better of him, and despite dire threats to both his livelihood and his life, he decides to spill the beans about the problems at the plant to the reporters, before an uncontrollable accident envelops California in a lethal cloud of radioactive dust.
But when the plant is brought back to full power despite Godell’s protestations and reservations the inevitable happens, and a catastrophic loss of coolant water occurs with the resultant deadly consequences!

~ ~ I enjoyed this movie just as much 26 years after its original release as I did the first time around. Granted, the fashions and hairstyles of the actors are just a tad dated in 2005, but the underlying anti-nuclear message is just as powerful and relevant today as it was in the late 70’s and early 80’s.
Jane Fonda is excellent as the crusading, ambitious reporter, and Michael Douglas convincing as her bolshie, anti-establishment cameraman. But, for me, the actor who claims the lion’s share of the plaudits is the late, great Jack Lemmon. His portrayal of angst ridden, overworked, plant supervisor Jack Godell struggling with his conscience is truly inspired, and rightly won Lemmon an Oscar nomination for best actor. Unfortunately, he came up against another “great” that particular year, when Dustin Hoffman lifted the award for his portrayal of the father in “Kramer v Kramer”. Lemmon did manage to win a BAFTA gong for best actor though, along with the same award at the Cannes Film Festival. His co-star Fonda lifted the BAFTA award for Best Actress.

~ ~ I came across this movie again just recently when it was shown for a period on Sky Movies, and then again when I happened across the DVD on the bargain shelf of my local video store. (Xtravision) The DVD was on offer for only €7.50, in a “buy two for €15” offer, so naturally it now has a place in my own (rapidly growing) DVD library. The DVD that I have was released back in October 2003, and has been re-mastered to improve the colour definition, and been given a new Dolby 5.1 soundtrack. It’s sadly lacking in any extras, but there is now a Region 1 (USA) “Special Edition” that was released by Sony in October of last year (2004) that seemingly is better endowed with extra features. The newer Special Edition DVD contains some deleted scenes, interviews with all the surviving cast, and a couple of half hour length documentary features.

~ ~ The original 2003 DVD is on offer at Amazon UK for only £5.79, and the newer Special Edition for £7.99. As always when buying DVD’s (or anything else for that matter!) it pays to shop around. I’m sure I spotted the original DVD on offer in the HMV sale just after Christmas at only €4.99!

~ ~ This movie comes with the mad cabbies highest possible recommendation. If you’re an advocate of the use of nuclear power to generate electricity, I defy you to feel the same way after watching this movie!

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Directed by James Bridges (Also "Urban Cowboy" 1980)
Rated: PG
Running Time: 122 minutes

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© KenJ March 2005

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