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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Politics, History, and Tragedy, March 24, 2005
This review is from: Nightbreaker [VHS] (VHS Tape)
It can be argued that "Nightbreaker" is a politicized view of Cold War atomic testing designed to support an anti-nuclear agenda. The reality is, in terms of its history, this film is rather accurate and relatively unbiased. There is no doubt about its conclusion, that nuclear weapons and the testing of such weapons are bad things. But even those who advocate a strong defense have no means of disagreeing with facts. About 90% of the details regarding the military involvement in above-ground nuclear weapons testing in Nevada is shown quite accurately here. The final test in the film, which had soldiers exposed to a blast without benefit of cover, is fictitious, but barely worse that some of the conditions they really did go through. If you grew up during the Cold War, as I did, this is a compelling look at a dark secret that our nation felt forced by the threatening times to explore. Read the book "Under the Cloud" by Richard Miller or visit the online website for the Portland Area Atomic Veterans for first-hand testimony from the men who participated in these tests to get a feel for how accurate this movie really is. The performances by Martin Sheen and Lea Thompson aren't bad, but Emilio Estevez is excellent and Joe Pantaliano is the truly outstanding player in this ensemble. He bears the burden of leadership as his platoon's sergeant with grace and confidence but is very dependent on the trust he places in Estevez, which forms the climactic emotion of the film. This really is well worth seeing and should be released on DVD.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must for atomic age history buffs., March 21, 2004
This review is from: Nightbreaker [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I feel that this movie is one of the most underrated political dramas of all time. This is probably because the subject matter was far too enervating for the average viewer to stomach. The movie comes across as a documentary of the early atomic age acted out by excellent actors. The movie stars Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez and Lea Thompson and a host of great supporting characters who are real fun to look at. But taken as pure entertinment, the subject matter is still ugly. Martin Sheen plays Esteves' character as an older sucessful neurologist who is visiting Las Vegas during a convention. When a former soldier in a wheelchair appears and pleads for his help, Sheen is forced to recall his position as a psychological tester of US army soldiers who were being trained during the 1950's by the US army for combat in a nuclear environment. The movie mostly consists of Sheen's flashbacks to his youth (played by Esteves)where he uncovers that the soldiers and himself are being lied to by the army about radiation. Esteves, after growing attached to the platoon he was supposed to be observing, becomes way to involved in the nuclear experiments. Sheen gives a powerful performance of a man who must tell the truth about the past so that he can face the future with a clear conscience. Nevertheless, the film has no car chases, no hand-to-hand combat, gunfighting, etc, so it's easy to see why it wasn;t a huge hit. However, if you happen to be a history teacher or just a history buff with an interest in the early days of the Cold War, you MUST own a copy of this movie!!!
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Seceret Government Radiation Tests, January 21, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Nightbreaker [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This is a movie about seceret tests done on Military soldiers. Even the soldiers were not told what was really being done to them. Guniea pigs is what they were being used as! This movie shows how the military/government had the soldiers place animals (and later themselves)near ground zero of atomic bombs that were really used in the Nevada desert to see the many results that would occur...
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