threadsdvd

Effectively banned by the BBC since the mid-eighties (this is not one you'll see on Christmas afternoon), "Threads" is a truly shocking tale of a nuclear attack on Sheffield. Earlier films of this nature (Dr Strangelove, The Day After) have not really gone into the after effects of a nuclear war - something explored here in graphic detail. How this film got a '15' certificate is beyond me. Filmed in the style of a documentary with , this gripping drama still has the power to shock, frighten and engage the viewer into confronting something that must at some level strike fear into everyone. The story focuses on a young couple, Ruth and Jimmy, who are expecting a baby. The first 40 minutes of the film build up the tension and introduce the characters - the main storyline being conflict between Russia and America over escalating incidents in the Middle East. This is portrayed through television and radio news bulletins, which add to the realism of the film. The narration aspect increases this further, explaining facts about nuclear war and Sheffield as a city. The subsequent 74 minutes makes for grueling viewing, and Threads pulls no punches with its depictions of a nuclear ravaged society. The scenes following the strike move quite fast, and the last 20 minutes do seem a little rushed as they follow Ruth's daughter some 13 years after the devastation. One minor thing I spotted that seemed a little odd was Ruth wandering around the rubble not long after the attack, doubtless a period when radiation would still be high, and yet she manages to survive for some 13 years...amazing staying power. Seriously though, this film is perhaps more relevant than ever today, what with talk of nuclear weaponry in the media. It represents something that can strike fear into anyone watching - that the threat is still very real. A great (if ultimately depressing) film with amazing performances and conducted in an eerily realistic way.

EXTRA FEATURES
Absolutely nothing which is a real shame because with some good extras, this could be a seriously good disc. Especially from looking at the internet, it's apparant that there was a making of programme or interviews conducted with the director, which could have been put on here. Buy this disc for the 114 minutes of entertainment it will bring you though (if your idea of a good time is burning corpses, ravaged images of civilisation and mutated stillborn babies!)