With both "War Games" & "Threads", there is Absolutely No Doubt that the Brits are best at producing films of this type. The safest place would probably be Middle Earth aka New Zealand...
My understanding is that this was not broadcast until 1985. Threads was made as an update to this. The War Game was broadcast and then the night after Threads was aired.
Its amazing how when i was a kid, we accepted the possibility of Nuclear War as a normal part of life, I live near an area of chemical and steelworks which was commonly known to be a primary target so I would have been vaporised.
"Are they coloured?" You have to remember that certain parts of Britain were intensely racist at the time. I remember seeing signs saying "No dogs, no unemployed, no Irish, no coloureds" .
Introducting the international nuclear test ban treaty and scaled disarmament, to prevent the inhumane and unspeakable tradgedy/outrage of having a family in New South Wales sharing their box of tea bags with black people.
Notice how things start to really fire up on September 16? That was the day of the attack on the U.S. in "The Day After". I wonder if this was influential in that, or if its sheerly coincidental.
To be honest, I find this oddly reassuring - fireman out tackling the firestorm immediately (why??) policemen with collars and ties keeping order, people in general acting in an orderly fashion even in the face of horror, with law and order only starting to break down weeks later. And what about radiation sickness - hardly anyone seemed to have it. The whole thing just seemed like the Blitz all over again. British people today would simply go insane en masse.
@Londonfogey I put the same sort of comment at the end of the film. This is brilliantly made, but it does make you wonder if the film-makers who would have clear memories of the blitz, (this being made 20 yrs after it) thought it would be the same sort of situation as that. The firemen in this would have been chucking their guts up, not putting out fires unfortunately. Maybe the film was couched in those terms so viewers might have thought, 'We got through the Blitz, we'll get through that'.
@richievegas01 , I suppose we have to remember that the whole film is set in an area of the country that is NOT a direct target, ie, the explosions were 20-40 miles away. The idea was probably to show that there was no 'safe' part of the country or that even a very limited attack could have devastating consequences - that it wouldn't just be a rerun of the firebombing of Coventry, for example.
Evacuate women and children first - yeah, right: Politicians and their rich cronies would be the first out of town and probably the first out of the nation as well.
@littleniyah . . .used to is right. Some still can. Many now, can't even spell words, much less form sentences. It's pathetic, to look stupid, just because you're too lazy, or think that is cool.
I cannot even understand, what they are trying to say. I would guess, few can either. It is so important. Communicating, thoughts, desires, and needs; come on people, TRY. It is not that hard. Are you are so busy to make the effort? What is so damn important? You are not being clever or unique.
@LegionAvalon It's first airing on the Beeb was in 1985, during an evening of programmes called 'After the Bomb', to mark fourty years since Hiroshima. Kenneth Tynan tried in vain to get it shown on the telly, but it was considered way too scary back in the sixties.
@LegionAvalon This was not shown until 1985 on TV. The only place you've seen this was at the cinema in 1965. Either the BBC considered it too disturbing for TV its viewers to see it; alternatively the government put considerable pressure on the corporation itself, not to show it because it undermined their programme of civil defence, which in fact it did do.
@LegionAvalon Officials of the British government waged a particularly vicious campaign against filmmaker Peter Watkins and "The War Game" when he originally made the film for the BBC in 1964. It never aired on the BBC until the mid-80s when it was shown in conjunction with the release of "Threads." Watkins made a couple of extra masters in 1964, and from those masters copies were made and passed around for showing at college campuses, etc.
OK, stupid American getting perspective here: what's the modern equivalent of 9p from 1965? I mean, yeah, the pamphlets should be free (even if they have little use), but is it that expensive?
@eddievhfan1984 I tried looking it up. Boy was that a doozy. I wasn't aware of the whole decimalization business, but it used to be that 240 pence made up a pound back when this film was made. I'm not good with math, but I found a site called Measuring Worth which handles conversion and inflation indexes.
9p from 1965 would be worth 54 new pence from 2009, (according to retail price index), and that's 87 pennies in US Dollars currently.
NSR OFFICIAL: 'In the New Scottish Republic its not a matter of colour, but a matter of being loyal to the cause of defeating the english raiders pouring in from the south who is stealing our irradiated sheep. Here is a plasma pistol for a start.'
@punipunipunisher They aren't dressd like Nazis, the Nazis were dressed like german officers of that time. The uniform of the german army of 1915 became trend-setting for the next 30 years. The NVA uniform design should be as simillar as possible to the soviet style (no wonder) but also contain a specific german touch.
Thanks for re-posting this. It vanished from YouTube for awhile. I remember this being banned from the BBC when it was made. I got a VHS tape of it in the 90´s. Great and scary stuff.
@USAsoldier1955 , well, if unfortunately there would be a nuclear aggression towards US (extremely unprobable, but not impossible) the President has to react in the adequate way. But the more potentially devastating is a nclear arsenal, the less probable is an aggression. Russia and before USSR do exist, haven't been attacked by anyone because they have been holding a great number of ICBMs
@anisocoro True, MAD was an undeniable factor in bringing about detente. But one of the reasons for the fall of the USSR, was the inability of the USSR to keep-up with the USA in the increasingly high technology aspect of the arms race.
@MsGirlghost Watched "Threads" 3 times, and stopped after the attack scene on the 3rd time. They're right, "Threads" makes "The Day After" look like a high-school drama play. Poor old Ruth...
Nice to see someone other than me (17) who is interested in the Cold War.
@fardaypu Yea the movie the beach is a fiction movie. Not a documentry. There might be a nuclear winter but no radiation will come down south from the northern hemisphere. Its BS. Australia will be fine.
At 2:40 ; did no one think back then right up the Outer Hebrides in Scotland wouldn't be safe for people? Then again, it would be a long journey to plan for the majority of the population which lives in the South East of England... just a thought though! :D
@SuperVolvoLover Because the Hebrides are so remote, they've always had a substantial military presence, as at RAF Stornoway. They've also been associated with Britain's WMD programs. Gruinard Island, for example, was uninhabitable for decades due to anthrax testing. I am not surprised that the British authorities would consider the Hebrides a possible target. Additionally, there is the issue of infrastructure. The islands just couldn't cope with all those people.
OFFICIAL: 'Does it really make any difference, ma'am? All human beings are equally suceptible to the radiation sickness that you'll almost certainly be catching.'
Two and a half to three minutes warning. And no timeouts.
SCE2AUX 2 weeks ago
The full length, uninterrupted version of 'The War Game' is available on googlevideodotcom. 'Threads' is also available on there.
geoffck6969 1 month ago
With both "War Games" & "Threads", there is Absolutely No Doubt that the Brits are best at producing films of this type. The safest place would probably be Middle Earth aka New Zealand...
RedPYEBluePYE1964 1 month ago 3
threads brought me here , when the BBC controllers saw this they must of shit their pants - still hard hitting after all these years
MrLee2e 2 months ago
"It wasn't-- it wasn't free?"
"Oh no, it cost 9 pence."
haha!
sakka0 2 months ago
Kind of innaccurate. If this was made in '65 it would be after the sino soviet split and the USSR wouldnt back up china
Guynumber7 2 months ago
The stuff that nightmares are made of
GayGeisha 3 months ago
It would actually make more sense to evacuate young men and women, as they would re populate the country.
123WhiteHawk123 3 months ago
Is the first narrator Michael Aspel? And is John Humphrys the radio announcer?
pommieknight 4 months ago
wow...first time to actually see this thing, after reading about it...over the decades!
must have meant a lot back in 60s, but hasn't aged well....though still has a nice documentary touch.
thanks for showing, though; at least i finally saw it.
monk22yrs 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
This film has a personal resonance for me, as my gran lived in Margate until this year (which is close to RAF Manston).
ChrisHenniker 5 months ago
This film has a personal resonance for me, as my gran lived in Margate (which is close to RAF Manston).
ChrisHenniker 5 months ago
My understanding is that this was not broadcast until 1985. Threads was made as an update to this. The War Game was broadcast and then the night after Threads was aired.
WilliamHook9 6 months ago
Its amazing how when i was a kid, we accepted the possibility of Nuclear War as a normal part of life, I live near an area of chemical and steelworks which was commonly known to be a primary target so I would have been vaporised.
skaven2100 6 months ago
good movie
raccon1000 6 months ago
Way ahead of its time. Shocking!
kellystone84 7 months ago
"Are they coloured?" You have to remember that certain parts of Britain were intensely racist at the time. I remember seeing signs saying "No dogs, no unemployed, no Irish, no coloureds" .
intercomsec 7 months ago
@intercomsec
lol
Britan is still racist today
Skinnyoompalumpa 5 months ago
Watched this a day ago. Amazing.
Psychowilly 7 months ago
Hmmmm why did we have such retarded war plans I wonder...
Hauntedman1 8 months ago
...east sussex, and kent. IF YOU WATCH THE NEXT PARTS, KENT GETS FUCKED!
thejuggernaut546 8 months ago
Introducting the international nuclear test ban treaty and scaled disarmament, to prevent the inhumane and unspeakable tradgedy/outrage of having a family in New South Wales sharing their box of tea bags with black people.
woofer0doofer 8 months ago
Notice how things start to really fire up on September 16? That was the day of the attack on the U.S. in "The Day After". I wonder if this was influential in that, or if its sheerly coincidental.
professor501 9 months ago
@professor501 Sep. 16th, must be some sort of satanic illuminati feast day
ITILII 9 months ago
07:41 Okay, THAT uniform. Please discuss.
Noodles37UK 9 months ago
"Are they colored?" I see her priorities are in order.About to be vaporized and that's her only question.
exeuroweenie 9 months ago
To be honest, I find this oddly reassuring - fireman out tackling the firestorm immediately (why??) policemen with collars and ties keeping order, people in general acting in an orderly fashion even in the face of horror, with law and order only starting to break down weeks later. And what about radiation sickness - hardly anyone seemed to have it. The whole thing just seemed like the Blitz all over again. British people today would simply go insane en masse.
Londonfogey 9 months ago
@Londonfogey I put the same sort of comment at the end of the film. This is brilliantly made, but it does make you wonder if the film-makers who would have clear memories of the blitz, (this being made 20 yrs after it) thought it would be the same sort of situation as that. The firemen in this would have been chucking their guts up, not putting out fires unfortunately. Maybe the film was couched in those terms so viewers might have thought, 'We got through the Blitz, we'll get through that'.
richievegas01 9 months ago
@richievegas01 , I suppose we have to remember that the whole film is set in an area of the country that is NOT a direct target, ie, the explosions were 20-40 miles away. The idea was probably to show that there was no 'safe' part of the country or that even a very limited attack could have devastating consequences - that it wouldn't just be a rerun of the firebombing of Coventry, for example.
Londonfogey 9 months ago
Are they coloured? haaaa
Starturtle311090 10 months ago
Evacuate women and children first - yeah, right: Politicians and their rich cronies would be the first out of town and probably the first out of the nation as well.
UTubeIsTrackingYou 10 months ago
Freaky movie. More disturbing then the 80s movies made in the US about nuclear war.
coptersoisoi 11 months ago
People used to speak so beautifully
littleniyah 11 months ago
@littleniyah
Perhaps it merely seems so, and in the future people will say the same of us :)
Thedreamshaperabc 11 months ago
@littleniyah . . .used to is right. Some still can. Many now, can't even spell words, much less form sentences. It's pathetic, to look stupid, just because you're too lazy, or think that is cool.
I cannot even understand, what they are trying to say. I would guess, few can either. It is so important. Communicating, thoughts, desires, and needs; come on people, TRY. It is not that hard. Are you are so busy to make the effort? What is so damn important? You are not being clever or unique.
lingcodnine 10 months ago
@Nevermore1000 Ah! Thank you for that. I'm obviously one of the few. It scared the willies out of me at the time. :)
LegionAvalon 11 months ago
I'm not sure about suppression until 1985 - I saw this film at school around 1977-78 when I was 15-16.
LegionAvalon 1 year ago
@LegionAvalon It was distributed via homemade VHS tapes (or whatever people used in the late 70's), but never aired on the BBC itself.
nevermore1000 11 months ago 3
@nevermore1000 betamax :P
orlandothx 7 months ago
@LegionAvalon It's first airing on the Beeb was in 1985, during an evening of programmes called 'After the Bomb', to mark fourty years since Hiroshima. Kenneth Tynan tried in vain to get it shown on the telly, but it was considered way too scary back in the sixties.
richievegas01 11 months ago
@LegionAvalon This was not shown until 1985 on TV. The only place you've seen this was at the cinema in 1965. Either the BBC considered it too disturbing for TV its viewers to see it; alternatively the government put considerable pressure on the corporation itself, not to show it because it undermined their programme of civil defence, which in fact it did do.
Professor6871 11 months ago
@LegionAvalon Officials of the British government waged a particularly vicious campaign against filmmaker Peter Watkins and "The War Game" when he originally made the film for the BBC in 1964. It never aired on the BBC until the mid-80s when it was shown in conjunction with the release of "Threads." Watkins made a couple of extra masters in 1964, and from those masters copies were made and passed around for showing at college campuses, etc.
brucearmstrong1 9 months ago in playlist The War Game (BBC - 1965)
OK, stupid American getting perspective here: what's the modern equivalent of 9p from 1965? I mean, yeah, the pamphlets should be free (even if they have little use), but is it that expensive?
eddievhfan1984 1 year ago
@eddievhfan1984 I tried looking it up. Boy was that a doozy. I wasn't aware of the whole decimalization business, but it used to be that 240 pence made up a pound back when this film was made. I'm not good with math, but I found a site called Measuring Worth which handles conversion and inflation indexes.
9p from 1965 would be worth 54 new pence from 2009, (according to retail price index), and that's 87 pennies in US Dollars currently.
HooshIsASoup 1 year ago
WOMAN: 'Are they coloured?'
NSR OFFICIAL: 'In the New Scottish Republic its not a matter of colour, but a matter of being loyal to the cause of defeating the english raiders pouring in from the south who is stealing our irradiated sheep. Here is a plasma pistol for a start.'
- Quest accepted: FREEDOM!
pipenissen 1 year ago
This freaks you out? See also Watkins' "Punishment Park"! also "Privilege"
WimGrundy 1 year ago
Were East German officers really dressed like Nazis?
punipunipunisher 1 year ago
@punipunipunisher They aren't dressd like Nazis, the Nazis were dressed like german officers of that time. The uniform of the german army of 1915 became trend-setting for the next 30 years. The NVA uniform design should be as simillar as possible to the soviet style (no wonder) but also contain a specific german touch.
Kildarby 1 year ago
4:45: Ah'm not 'avin any grubby, long-'aired rock-and-roll types stayin' in me 'owse! Especially 'IM. [points to Mick Jagger]
El135o 1 year ago
@El135o Oh Hell No. Them birds that's with 'im can come on in, though.
UTubeIsTrackingYou 10 months ago
Comment removed
El135o 1 year ago
Who read that intro? Peter Ustinov? Euuuhhhhmmm ...
El135o 1 year ago
Thanks for re-posting this. It vanished from YouTube for awhile. I remember this being banned from the BBC when it was made. I got a VHS tape of it in the 90´s. Great and scary stuff.
ddd1953 1 year ago
Obama wants to make this a reality.
USAsoldier1955 1 year ago
@USAsoldier1955
Oh, baloney. No US president has ever tried to start a nuclear war.
El135o 1 year ago
@El135o Obama said, in Chicago in 2008, that he would use the nuclear option -- "if circumstances warranted".
USAsoldier1955 1 year ago
@USAsoldier1955
Show me the clip and the transcript (and the context) and I might buy it. Anyway, Nixon said the same thing. So what?
El135o 1 year ago
@El135o Thanks for your Parthian shot in agreement! ;)
USAsoldier1955 1 year ago
@USAsoldier1955 , well, if unfortunately there would be a nuclear aggression towards US (extremely unprobable, but not impossible) the President has to react in the adequate way. But the more potentially devastating is a nclear arsenal, the less probable is an aggression. Russia and before USSR do exist, haven't been attacked by anyone because they have been holding a great number of ICBMs
anisocoro 1 year ago
@anisocoro True, MAD was an undeniable factor in bringing about detente. But one of the reasons for the fall of the USSR, was the inability of the USSR to keep-up with the USA in the increasingly high technology aspect of the arms race.
USAsoldier1955 1 year ago
@USAsoldier1955 He wants to start a limited nuclear war that involve the UK being attacked?
Clintville 1 year ago
@Clintville PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH! :)
USAsoldier1955 1 year ago
@USAsoldier1955 Whatever that means.
Clintville 1 year ago
@USAsoldier1955 Is this before or after he buiolds a unicorn farm?
MattRooney06 1 year ago
@MattRooney06 Yes ;)
USAsoldier1955 1 year ago
4:17 hahaha 10 years in jail for you missy thats racial hatred you nazi!
MrOregona230 1 year ago
8:33 I don't know why everyone's worrying about nuclear war. We'll be fine in the UK, we have a booklet!
Jerraph 1 year ago
@Jerraph and some sandbags to :D
MattRooney06 1 year ago
watch this along with Threads= very little sleep.
MsGirlghost 1 year ago 25
@MsGirlghost I agree! I end up watching both of those even though I know what they do to me. XP
hiddenmistninja3 1 year ago
@MsGirlghost
Watch "When The Wind Blows" , blood chilling !!
turboslag 6 months ago
@MsGirlghost tell me about it.
tunatallica 4 months ago
@MsGirlghost Watched "Threads" 3 times, and stopped after the attack scene on the 3rd time. They're right, "Threads" makes "The Day After" look like a high-school drama play. Poor old Ruth...
Nice to see someone other than me (17) who is interested in the Cold War.
15Multi 3 months ago
@MsGirlghost harden the fuck up and move to australia. no nuclear war here mate!
22hellman22 3 months ago
@22hellman22 fair point mate, but have you seen the film "on the beach"? we are all going together when we go. no worries cobber:)
fardaypu 2 months ago
@fardaypu Yea the movie the beach is a fiction movie. Not a documentry. There might be a nuclear winter but no radiation will come down south from the northern hemisphere. Its BS. Australia will be fine.
22hellman22 2 months ago
Indeed, I hadn't thought of any of that! I appreciate that you were able to answer what was once rather puzzling :D Thanks!
SuperVolvoLover 1 year ago
At 2:40 ; did no one think back then right up the Outer Hebrides in Scotland wouldn't be safe for people? Then again, it would be a long journey to plan for the majority of the population which lives in the South East of England... just a thought though! :D
SuperVolvoLover 1 year ago
@SuperVolvoLover Because the Hebrides are so remote, they've always had a substantial military presence, as at RAF Stornoway. They've also been associated with Britain's WMD programs. Gruinard Island, for example, was uninhabitable for decades due to anthrax testing. I am not surprised that the British authorities would consider the Hebrides a possible target. Additionally, there is the issue of infrastructure. The islands just couldn't cope with all those people.
nevermore1000 1 year ago 3
@nevermore1000 Ah I see! Thank you very much for clearing that up! :)
SuperVolvoLover 1 year ago
WOMAN: 'Are they coloured?'
OFFICIAL: 'Does it really make any difference, ma'am? All human beings are equally suceptible to the radiation sickness that you'll almost certainly be catching.'
plusplusplusplusp 1 year ago 24
Are they coloured? lol
omeagaultimate 2 years ago
Thanks for the upload!
Cheers
IcMKarabiner 2 years ago
Academy Award for Documentary Feature
1966.
Thanks for posting, or re-posting, since it has been on Youtube before. I wonder who took it off? How mighty is the reach of the BBC?
ddd1953 2 years ago
woah im not sleeping tonight very good tho its gives you an idea of wot its like i think this is more reallistic then threads
joerobbo0 2 years ago
Glocks a blazin if they tried to loathe 8 random people on my house in such an event.
mpwelk 2 years ago
One of those great films. A few years ago I spent ages looking for it on DVD and had to get it from France as it was not available in the UK.
A must
planesailing1 2 years ago
Was shown this in school back in the '80s - added to the fear I already had regarding the bomb.
This, the book 'When the wind blows' and Frankie videos take me right back there
cyclothymic 2 years ago
excellent, well posted; (relatively) tough to find but very important. thanks.
dakaranandayo 2 years ago
Thanks for posting this, I've been wanting to see the whole thing for ages!
MrWalker1212 2 years ago
Brilliant. Always wanted to see this, and now I have!
DermotRathbone 2 years ago
Thanks for this
newfagscanttrif0rce 2 years ago
I want to show this to my class and I'd buy it if I knew where I could do so.
TheClioCat 2 years ago
There are a number of copies available on eBay, usually for about $20.
nevermore1000 2 years ago
@TheClioCat When this film was made the BBC banned it and it wasn't shown until about a decade later.
If you want to show it in your class you can download it! :-) Google youtube downloader!
STOPTHEEU 1 year ago
@STOPTHEEU It was made in 1965 and not shown on TV in the UK until 1985, after 'Threads' was broadcast in 1984.
3replybiz 1 year ago
@TheClioCat Just download it using realplayer sp
uchitil 1 year ago
@TheClioCat suck my dick
ThatKittyWhoCamps 7 months ago
Sergei, great video...
I love these old prapaganda videos.
War is a bitch, to bad no one wants to deal with the real causes.
early2it 2 years ago