Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 21-September-03
Spoiler Rating: Medium

The China Syndrome (1979)

If I were going to write a screenplay, I would want it to be like "The China Syndrome." This movie contains no fluff or filler at all, no contrived romances or gratuitous violence, no grandstanding plot twists or distracting sidebars. Instead, it lays out one expertly plotted scene after another, building a narrative of increasing intensity whose climax is at once personal and public, shocking and satisfying, nightmarish and horribly real. A first-class thriller, "The China Syndrome" succeeds through clarity, directness, and purpose; the events at its core may be heavy and dramatic, but their exposition is not.

Jane Fonda stars as Kimberly Wells, a TV reporter in southern California who has made a name for herself with inconsequential puff pieces but dreams of one day breaking into serious journalism. Her opportunity arrives when she unexpectedly witnesses what looks like a major accident at a nuclear power plant, during which her cameraman Richard (Michael Douglas) secretly films the activity in the control room. Although convinced they have stumbled upon a story of enormous importance, Kimberly and Richard are forced to take the matter into their own hands when their boss, the station executive, goes along with the power company in downplaying the seriousness of the incident. Their personal investigation into what really happened, and why, eventually leads to the shift supervisor at the plant, Jack Godell (Jack Lemmon), who has studied the accident for his own reasons and uncovered a potentially fatal flaw in the plant's construction. Faced with almost overwhelming opposition from the powers that be, these three unlikely heroes come together in a final, desperate attempt to expose the deceit of the power company and the inconceivable peril into which it has placed millions of unsuspecting people.

Like most thrillers, "The China Syndrome" subjects its characters to grave dangers and piles up many moments of dread on the way to an electrifying finale. But the story also addresses the quieter struggles of its leads, all of whom are adeptly fleshed out by the cast. Although Richard never doubts his obligation to serve the People as opposed to the Man, both Kimberly and Jack are torn between conflicting loyalties that heighten the effect of what they gain or lose at the end. Kimberly wants to follow both the big story and the dictates of her conscience, but she worries that this might jeopardize her career. While her dilemma is clear-cut, Jack's is downright heart-rending; we see just enough of his personal life to know that the power plant is the measure and focus of his entire existence, so that the realization of its failure comes as a crushing blow.

Although plainly anti-nuke, the filmmakers acknowledge the need for power and even suggest that nuclear energy might successfully be harnessed using established safety precautions. The problem is, however, that these precautions are only as good as the people who institute them. As Jack discovers, the fearful force of the atom, properly managed, doesn't pose as much of a threat as the selfishness, greed, and obedient complacency of the power company contractors and employees upon whose vigilance the entire system relies. As Kimberly discovers, members of the press and public have a responsibility to ask questions and use the answers to protect themselves and others in situations of such dire import. The message of "The China Syndrome" thus brings to mind both the rationale and the ultimate absurdity of the saying, "Guns don't kill people; people kill people." Even when instruments of irreparable destruction are involved, human beings simply aren't self-controlled, compassionate, or responsible enough to do the right thing with any consistency; therefore, what wisdom we can hope for lies in recognizing this fact and acting on it before the damage is done.

In an amazing bit of coincidence, "The China Syndrome" debuted only a few days before the near-meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, which no doubt helped both its box office and its impact. But despite the film's apparent topicality, almost a quarter of a century has not dampened its power to distress, enlighten, and entertain. Thanks to a pure, uncluttered script, as well as the acting talent to bring it to life, the movie still packs a mighty big wallop.

Copyright © 2003 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.