Saturday, 18 September 2021 18:58

Disaster at Silo 7






DISASTER AT SILO 7

US, 1988, 92 minutes, Colour.
Michael O' Keefe, Patrice Charboneau, Perry King, Denis Weaver, Joe Spano, Peter Boyle.
Directed by Larry Eilikan.

Disaster at Silo 7 was made in 1987-88. This was the period at the end of the Soviet empire and the coming down of the Berlin Wall a year later. The film reflects dissatisfaction with nuclear war, fears of the ordinary American about the silos spread around the United States countryside.

The film shows with date and times, an accident in an East Texas silo - some leakage, dangerous fumes, inadequate passing on of orders, an explosion inside the silo, the warhead not exploding. However, it highlights the potential dangers for ordinary citizens around such air force sites.

The film is done in a matter-of-fact style, shows the Strategic Air Commanders, the local authorities, personal clashes as well as giving the human touch with the family of the central character and an earnest and sincere local sheriff. Michael O' Keefe is the hero, Perry King is a major, Peter Boyle a general and Dennis Weaver has a guest role as the local sheriff. The film comes in the aftermath of the anti-nuclear films like The Day After, Testament.

1. An interesting film from the 1980s, from the end of the cold war, for the Titan missiles, their being disarmed?

2. The Texas locations, the silo, the technology, the picture of the missiles, the management of the missiles, deactivating them?

3. The significance of the title, accidents? The design of the bombs? The neglect and maintenance of the bombs? Human error? The consequences?

4. The background of Strategic Air Command, the generals, the majors, their facing the situation, their decisions? Criteria? Wisdom? The personalities of the various personnel?

5. The local sheriff, his handling of the situation, relationship with the people, the disaster itself?

6. The presentation of ordinary people, typified by Sergeant Mike Fitzgerald? His background, his home life, Kathy, his daughter Jennifer? An ordinary American hero? The situation, his handling of it, quick-wittedness, heroism?

7. The background of ordinary people, the Fitzgerald family, home life?

8. The people in the town, their various occupations, ordinary way of life? Connection with the silos? The repercussions of an accident?

9. The handling of the accident, at local level, at Strategic Air Command? The possibility of this kind of thing happening?

10. The changes at the end of the 1980s, the fall of the Soviet empire, the different perspective on Russia – and the role of nuclear missiles?

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