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That's how supervisor Jack Godell (Jack Lemmon) tries to convince reporter Kimberly Wells (Jane Fonda) that there was no accident at the Ventana Nuclear Power Plant. But is he trying to convince Wells, or is he trying to convince himself? That is what drives the story in this tense thriller.
The China Syndrome follows Wells and his cameraman Richard Adams (Michael Douglas) as they follow up on a potential nuclear emergency. After witnessing and incident that they believe could've led to a meltdown, they start uncovering a series of coverups taken by the administrators to cut corners in the plant maintenance. However, their efforts might put them all in danger.
This is a film I had been meaning to watch for a long time, but for whatever reason I hadn't. So I was glad that this month's challenge gave me the opportunity, and I jumped right at it. The film is definitely my kind of jam. I mean, an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a nuclear cover-up? Sign me up for that!
James Bridges, who wrote and directed, delivers a smart script and taut direction that relies more on slow, tense moments and conversations, rather than big, elaborate setpieces. When I read that he was also the writer of the underseen Colossus: The Forbin Project, it made sense. Here he uses similar "control room" interactions that put in the spotlight human's fallibility and our reliance on "machines" to do the job for us.
In addition to the script and direction, the film is helped by a hell of a cast. Fonda and Lemmon easily steal the spotlight, and their scenes together are among the best from the film. The cast is rounded up by solid supporting performances from Douglas, Wilford Brimley, James Hampton, and James Karen, among others.
My two main gripes happen in the last act. First, they insert an antagonist in one of the plant executives that feels a bit one-dimensional as a representation of the "corporate bad guys", and he does lean a bit into "moustache twirling". The second has to do with the very end, where a certain line of dialogue feels forced to assure the audiences that justice will be served and that these corporate "bad guys" will somehow pay.
But those are really minor gripes. The film does a great job of questioning the risks in the use of nuclear power and the lengths that some will go to keep things the way they are, all while delivering great performances in an all-around well-crafted film. Even with a last minute, one-dimensional antagonist or a forced closing line... it works.
Grade:
THE CHINA SYNDROME
(1979, Bridges)
A film with Jack Lemmon
(1979, Bridges)
A film with Jack Lemmon
"In everything man does, there's an element of risk. So we have 'defense in depth'. That means two back-up systems. You saw it. There was no radiation leakage. The system works. Even with a faulty relay or a stuck valve... that system works. There was no accident."
That's how supervisor Jack Godell (Jack Lemmon) tries to convince reporter Kimberly Wells (Jane Fonda) that there was no accident at the Ventana Nuclear Power Plant. But is he trying to convince Wells, or is he trying to convince himself? That is what drives the story in this tense thriller.
The China Syndrome follows Wells and his cameraman Richard Adams (Michael Douglas) as they follow up on a potential nuclear emergency. After witnessing and incident that they believe could've led to a meltdown, they start uncovering a series of coverups taken by the administrators to cut corners in the plant maintenance. However, their efforts might put them all in danger.
This is a film I had been meaning to watch for a long time, but for whatever reason I hadn't. So I was glad that this month's challenge gave me the opportunity, and I jumped right at it. The film is definitely my kind of jam. I mean, an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a nuclear cover-up? Sign me up for that!
James Bridges, who wrote and directed, delivers a smart script and taut direction that relies more on slow, tense moments and conversations, rather than big, elaborate setpieces. When I read that he was also the writer of the underseen Colossus: The Forbin Project, it made sense. Here he uses similar "control room" interactions that put in the spotlight human's fallibility and our reliance on "machines" to do the job for us.
In addition to the script and direction, the film is helped by a hell of a cast. Fonda and Lemmon easily steal the spotlight, and their scenes together are among the best from the film. The cast is rounded up by solid supporting performances from Douglas, Wilford Brimley, James Hampton, and James Karen, among others.
My two main gripes happen in the last act. First, they insert an antagonist in one of the plant executives that feels a bit one-dimensional as a representation of the "corporate bad guys", and he does lean a bit into "moustache twirling". The second has to do with the very end, where a certain line of dialogue feels forced to assure the audiences that justice will be served and that these corporate "bad guys" will somehow pay.
But those are really minor gripes. The film does a great job of questioning the risks in the use of nuclear power and the lengths that some will go to keep things the way they are, all while delivering great performances in an all-around well-crafted film. Even with a last minute, one-dimensional antagonist or a forced closing line... it works.
Grade: