Some special movies are precursors to what could become reality in our everyday lives. And every so often, these stimulating cinematic triumphs can still prick our well-insulated brains while bringing up a topic most would rather not discuss in the light of day. But thanks to the current situation in our world, nuclear power has wormed its way to the tip of our tongues.
The ability to start a nuclear war is frightening. It is beyond the capabilities of ordinary citizens to fathom. People in power, throwing out strange names and places across continents, does not make it feel any safer or easier. What is the price we will pay for allowing angry, dissatisfied nations to build nuclear facilities? Are they being constructed with total care using every safety measure necessary for the survival of our planet? Are American nuclear plants following guidelines that protect their citizens? Humanity is flawed. Mistakes can occur within any normal operational mode. Then, what happens? Are these errors reported to the correct authorities, or are they covered up so as not to alarm the public? Greed usually follows among the powers that be. How does “Joe America” know they are safe and not living within a danger zone?
Whistleblowers are a rare breed. They must be thick-skinned and extremely courageous to stand up to their peers for what is right. Sadly, it feels like most of our modern whistleblowers are fewer and farther between lately.
I am a news junkie. In my old age, I want to know the truth about what is happening. I read. I research. I listen to what others say and then think about what I just heard. I am more cautious than I was decades ago. I often relate to how I feel after watching films. These last few weeks, THE CHINA SYNDROME has been haunting me. Although it was released in 1979, it made filmgoers think about “choices between “honesty vs. ambition… career vs. conscience… responsibility vs. profit.” I think our current leaders could learn a thing or two from this dramatic thriller that borders on the horror genre and has nothing to do with China.
THE CHINA SYNDROME did not win any Oscars, although it received four nominations, including Best Actor (Jack Lemmon), Best Actress (Jane Fonda), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Art Direction. It did win a BAFTA for Lemon and was nominated for the Palme d’Or, the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival. It cost $6 million to make and grossed over $51 million. This was largely because, within two weeks of its premiere, the catastrophic Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant incident occurred in Pennsylvania. And who says art doesn’t imitate real life or vice versa?
The success of TCS rests on the shoulders of incredible, high-caliber actors, writers, producers, and a strong director. Lemon played the whistleblower, Jack Godell. Lemon wanted this part from the first moment he read the script. He waited a year for it to get all its ducks in a row. He brought this film to life with his stellar acting abilities. Lemon created an honest, simple man who was faced with a difficult decision. His portrayal was subtle, yet simply extraordinary. His fears for what happened at the plant and what could happen again drove him to take courageous chances. His facial expressions, along with the shaking of his body and hands, brought the severity of the situation to life before the viewer’s eyes. He was masterful every moment.
Jane Fonda as Kimberly Wells, the young, naive reporter, matured before the audience in each frame. She delivered a performance filled with pathos and empathy. She asked the necessary questions that today’s reporters sometimes let slide. Her tone was tenacious, unrelenting, and when she shed tears, so did we. As a side note, Fonda broke her ankle towards the end of filming, which stopped her from doing ballet in her private time. She discovered the joy of aerobics, which led her to build her physical fitness dynasty.
Michael Douglas played the sidekick cameraman to Fonda’s character. He was also the producer of TCS. He had wanted to follow up his previous film as producer, (ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO‘S NEST), with an equally powerful, strong themed movie. Douglas liked the idea of pitting man against the government. Dustin Hoffman was supposed to play this role, but in the end, Douglas stepped in at the last minute. He refused to cut his hair and shave his beard, even though the studio sent him a razor and a shaver. He and Fonda researched their characters by shadowing real-life reporters and camera operators (Fonda dyed her hair red in honor of the cartoon character Brenda Starr).
The director and one of the writers was James Bridges (URBAN COWBOY), who got along exceedingly well with Michael Douglas. He was known for capturing suspense from his actors while filming. He was a listener and often would rewrite scenes in the evening after watching the dailies. He instructed his crew to model the control room of the film’s nuclear facility exactly after the nuclear plant located in Oregon. He liked this particular design because it featured a viewing balcony room that was predominantly used in TCS. It felt like Big Brother looking over everyone’s shoulders at all times. Creepy!
THE CHINA SYNDROME is not the perfect film. It could have gone deeper into the story content and the emotional and character arcs. I wanted to know more about the people Lemon, Fonda, and Douglas were portraying. I wanted to understand why Lemon’s character mentally snapped, and his best friend, Ted Spindler, played exquisitely by Wilford Brimley, did not, and chose to look away from the facts that the nuclear facility in question was not built safely. I realize the writers were going for just this one small blip of time within this unique industry.
THE CHINA SYNDROME made its point loud and clear, and in so doing, the film ended in chilling silence. There was no music score playing while the credits rolled. It felt like a snippet of reality that obviously shook Hollywood to its core. For the next decade, studio execs opted to produce dozens of nuclear war and atomic bomb movies that would stretch the audience’s imaginations and perceptions even further (THREADS, WAR GAMES, SILKWOOD). I now wonder how the future cinematic world will portray the events of 2026.
THE CHINA SYNDROME is an intense, horrifying, classic. It demands our attention once again. When will history and the film industry stop repeating these devastating scenarios? How can humanity contain the deadly, massive, irreversible power of the nuclear age before it is too late? Sadly, no one has the answer.
THE CHINA SYNDROME is available on Prime Video.
