Watched the 1984 BBC film Threads, a realistic depiction of living through nuclear war

This is far from any of the usual end of the world melodramas. Unknown actors, no heroics. A science based walk through of what you could most likely expect, including the unrelenting Nuclear Winter.

What made it all the more powerful for me is the first half hour is just showing regular everday people going through their mundane lives. Doing the normal things we do every day. It's almost boring at this point. But when the bombs drop and we see what happens to them it drives the horror home even stronger. Because we can identify these people so easily as ourselves.
I think some of the nightmare images here will be etched on my brain forever.

Author and film historian Stephen Thrower:
" What even its critics had to admit was it told the truth in a totally unvarnished way about the actual genuine detail of the aftermath of a nuclear attack."

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Picklebobble2 · 56-60, M

It's an excellent movie.
And it doesn't pull it's punches.

There is a similar movie told from an American perspective.... can't quite recall the title I think it might be something like The day after tomorrow. Or similar.
Give me a minute I'll try and track it down.
Jason Robards stars and it's very good.

Oh there you go !
It's called The day after and it's from 1983.

Saw both these movies a year or so ago.
Available on YouTube

robingoodfellow · M

@Picklebobble2 even though both films were made at the same time on the same theme, The Day After comes across as more of a typical Hollywood film. A good film, but the stars and performances always remind you it's just a movie.
Threads on the other hand comes across like a documentary on something that hasn't happened yet. It's showing what's going to happen to you if/when the bombs drop.

Picklebobble2 · 56-60, M

@robingoodfellow Threads is shot more in documentary style that's what makes it feel more visceral

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@Picklebobble2 More credible too, it seems. I have seen neither so can't give a proper critique of either; but MacDowell's assessment of them gives The Day After Tomorrow as stretching credibility too much; hence it gaining few awards.

She does not say so, but I wonder if it was made almost as propaganda, as if to show Americans they'd have nothing much to fear from nuclear weapons exploding above every city because they'd still have lots of gleaming hospitals staffed by gleaming Hollywood stars. Apart of course from being killed outright - though perhaps they'd be the lucky ones.....

Threads on the other hand, suggested terrible direct and longer-term results, so likely that the Government tried to prevent it being broadcast. Presumably it feared the drama might cause widespread panic.

Picklebobble2 · 56-60, M

@ArishMell Well we were deep into cold war politics at the time.
Also worth noting that the UK government hates anything remotely controversial when made or broadcast by the BBC, unless it shows them in a good light.