Fail-Safe (movie review)

Fail-Safe (thriller) (1964) (1 hr 52 mins)

This excellent black and white thriller from director Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Network) is a gripping warning about the dangers of an accident escalating into nuclear war. It is often bracketed with Dr Strangelove, which uses comedy to explore similar terrain. In Fail-Safe the story is told with gravity and mounting tension.

The title ‘Fail-Safe’ is an engineering term for a system designed to counter any technical malfunctions. This is clearly ironic in view of the story that unfolds. A computer error results in American bombers carrying nuclear missiles flying over Russia. Initial attempts to contact the pilots and to intercept and shoot down the planes fail and the Pentagon soon realise that they have a major crisis on their hands. Worst fears are realised when the planes drop nuclear bombs on Moscow, killing millions of people.

Henry Fonda plays the President, with Walter Matthau as a military adviser and Larry Hagman (long before Dallas) as an interpreter with a crucial role once the President enters delicate negotiations with the Russian Premier. The scenes in which the President is locked in a room with his translator, waiting to speak to his Russian counterpart, are superbly done.  When the negotiations start, it becomes clear that Russia is sceptical that this really was an accident.

The special effects are clearly of their time but there are some genuinely chilling moments. A scene in which Matthau slaps the face of a woman who happens to disagree with his point of view is shocking. And the step taken by an increasingly desperate Fonda to avert a nuclear war with Russia is truly jaw-dropping.

The film manages to create a sense of realism. You believe that this really could have happened. The realistic tone is helped by the complete absence of music. Most of the action is confined to the White House underground bunker, the Pentagon war room and the Strategic Air Command war room, giving the scenes a sense of intensity.

The film is based on a best-selling novel of the same name by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. It was remade in 2000 as a live television play starring George Clooney and Richard Dreyfus.

 Rating: 9/10