Fail Safe

Composite Score: 81.37

Starring: Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, Fritz Weaver, Dan O’Herlihy, Frank Overton, Edward Binns, Larry Hagman, William Hansen, Russell Collins, and Sorrell Booke

Director: Sidney Lumet

Writers: Walter Bernstein, Eugene Burdick, and Harvey Wheeler

Genres: Drama, Thriller, Political, Cold War

MPAA Rating: Approved

Box Office: $3.92 million worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                This is one of the most stressful films about a bunch of guys talking in different rooms that I have ever seen. Fail Safe is a Cold War film about a fictional systems failure in the U.S. nuclear defense system that results in the launching of a nuclear attack on Moscow and the resulting fallout from the launch. Strong performances from the majority of its cast and a story about violence and escalation that continues to remain relevant make this a very important rewatch. It should also be noted that this film is another that maybe should make classroom watchlists for those studying the history of the Cold War, just as Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men often makes its way into Civics and Government classes around the U.S.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                This film takes an incredibly bleak outlook on the prospects of nuclear war and escalation, which does make a lot of sense when you think about it. So, if you are not in a good headspace to contemplate the implications and possibilities of nuclear war, this might be a film to skip for now. Ultimately, the film takes a strongly defeatist approach to nuclear war, basically stating that it is impossible for either side to escape at least a little bit of major destruction once it breaks out. Again, this is the right take, very accurate, but not one that everyone needs to hear at all times. I do think everyone should hear it at least once though.

                Also, there is a character that slaps a woman at the start of the film, which is bad. Later, we do realize that this character is the warmongering, win-at-all-costs guy who wants us to just go ahead and bomb Moscow now that we have started, so his actions are understood to be reprehensible, but the moment is a bit off-putting and feels somewhat unnecessary for establishing that he isn’t a good guy. We hear enough from him to realize this without violence against women.

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                Strong performances from Henry Fonda as the President, Walter Matthau as the warmongering Dr. Groeteschele, Dan O’Herlihy as the peace-loving General Black, and Frank Overton as the loyal and put-together General Bogan help make this film great. Each one represents a different perspective on the situation unfolding and on nuclear war more broadly. Fonda portrays the unnamed President as firm, distressed, and driven keep America and the world away from nuclear catastrophe. Matthau’s aggressive professor views the world in black and white, us vs. them, the U.S. vs. the Soviets, and he consistently delivers his arguments much as one might find them in an academic paper from the time or even from an expert interview on CNN or ABC News; he plays overconfident and overaggressive academic well. O’Herlihy as the reluctant general is the film’s true heart, starting and ending with his actions of waking up and “falling asleep” (dying after dropping a nuclear bomb). His strong convictions on the sanctity of human life seem to contrast with his station as a major American general and do conflict with his counterpart played by Matthau. Despite the seeming contradictions of character, O’Herlihy’s Black is the force for good that also stays true to his duty through the end, delivering a moving argument for nuclear disarmament while also remaining a loyal soldier. As General Bogan, Frank Overton gives the most boots-on-the-ground performance. He plays the general in charge of the nuclear command post in Omaha who must ultimately choose to work with the Soviets to try and prevent disaster. His own qualms and hesitations as well as his loyalty and his care for humanity are portrayed well over the course of the situations by Overton.

                Behind the performances and the story about nuclear disaster lies a deeper argument about military escalation, the dangers of total war, the problems with trusting military technology, and the natural end of the military industrial complex – namely, the total destruction of the world in nuclear warfare. Such a story is still resonant today, more than 30 years removed from the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Violent escalation remains a constant threat, seen in Europe, East Asia, the Middle East, South America, and everywhere else in the world. Behind that threat of escalation lies the even greater threat of renewed use of nuclear weapons. This film shows the true nature of nuclear attacks – that there are no winners once nukes are used, everyone just loses. It explores the psychological toll and ethical implications of killing literal millions with one single strike and shows that even for the survivors, there is no return to a normalcy of before. Such a message is powerful and one that should probably be heard by most major global politicians and those who support them.

                The intense nature of Fail Safe’s stakes makes it a great thriller; the great performances and relevant commentary on warfare make it a Great Movie. While its defeatist messaging might be depressing and disheartening for watchers, its message and truths should be seen. Ultimately, viewers should take hope that we have alternatives to such escalations and seek to keep people in power who will actively avoid and deescalate from the use of total war and nuclear weapons.