Leading British atomic scientist Professor John Willoughby post a letter to the Prime Minister, gets on a train to London and then disappears. The alarm is raised when the letter arrives and is a threat to the security of London. Willoughby has tired seeing his work used for destruction and has given the Government 7 days to announce the end of their atomic weapons programme or else he will detonate an atomic device somewhere within London. As the deadline approaches a desperate search goes on for Willoughby.
It is strange to find a film from so long ago that has actually become more relevant as the years have gone on, and this is one of them. As the idea of a terrorist attack by a small nuclear device in the centre of a major city becomes much less of a sci-fi fantasy then this film becomes even more tense. The plot here is more of a comment on the arms race than anything else, but it's central premise is one of tense reality now. In fact the church-based climax will ring a bell as it was photocopied for the climax of `The Peacemaker' with George Clooney only a few years ago.
It could have been a lot tenser by making it more emotionally charged but it still holds it's own. What does take away from it a little bit is an abundance of cockneys adding local colour. They were clearly used to try and make it feel very realistic but sadly they are, to a man, cheeky chappies all cheerfulness and rhyming slang. They aren't characters and it sucks the tension out of the middle section of the film by having them to the extent they are. Another weakness is the film's focus on Willoughby and less on those trying to stop him. The film does this to help make it's point but the fact that the audience know where he is etc takes away from our fear of him. Also less time with the authorities means that the sense of panic and deadline is more vague.
However these are minor complaints because the film does work quite well and delivers a fair amount of tension. People who were wowed by `28 Days Later' use of empty London streets would do well to check out the same here it is eerily effect to see Big Ben and Tower Bridge devoid of any movement. I know that in 28 Days Later they used digital film to set up very quickly to get their shots and then reopen the roads I wonder how they managed to do it so convincingly here?
Overall this is not as tense or exciting as it could have been, mainly because it is also trying to make a bigger point. However it is still pretty tense and very effective. As the threat of terrorist attacks from within cities becomes more possible it is hard to view this film without feeling some apprehension and fear. The thing I kept asking myself was, if we were given the same situation for real in the UK could our Government really deal with it as efficiently as the fictional Government did evacuate the city and keep law and order? Now that's scary.
It is strange to find a film from so long ago that has actually become more relevant as the years have gone on, and this is one of them. As the idea of a terrorist attack by a small nuclear device in the centre of a major city becomes much less of a sci-fi fantasy then this film becomes even more tense. The plot here is more of a comment on the arms race than anything else, but it's central premise is one of tense reality now. In fact the church-based climax will ring a bell as it was photocopied for the climax of `The Peacemaker' with George Clooney only a few years ago.
It could have been a lot tenser by making it more emotionally charged but it still holds it's own. What does take away from it a little bit is an abundance of cockneys adding local colour. They were clearly used to try and make it feel very realistic but sadly they are, to a man, cheeky chappies all cheerfulness and rhyming slang. They aren't characters and it sucks the tension out of the middle section of the film by having them to the extent they are. Another weakness is the film's focus on Willoughby and less on those trying to stop him. The film does this to help make it's point but the fact that the audience know where he is etc takes away from our fear of him. Also less time with the authorities means that the sense of panic and deadline is more vague.
However these are minor complaints because the film does work quite well and delivers a fair amount of tension. People who were wowed by `28 Days Later' use of empty London streets would do well to check out the same here it is eerily effect to see Big Ben and Tower Bridge devoid of any movement. I know that in 28 Days Later they used digital film to set up very quickly to get their shots and then reopen the roads I wonder how they managed to do it so convincingly here?
Overall this is not as tense or exciting as it could have been, mainly because it is also trying to make a bigger point. However it is still pretty tense and very effective. As the threat of terrorist attacks from within cities becomes more possible it is hard to view this film without feeling some apprehension and fear. The thing I kept asking myself was, if we were given the same situation for real in the UK could our Government really deal with it as efficiently as the fictional Government did evacuate the city and keep law and order? Now that's scary.