Film ReVision #6 - Testament

Myriad Arts' video blog that, over the course, of 2008 will discuss 25 films from 25 years ago. This edition discusses the nuclear holocaust film "Testament" with host Jonathan Betzler and guests Brette Goldstein and Sony Sarker.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• film
• interview
• discussion
• Testament
• politics
• nuclear
• holocaust
• fallout
• drama
• Jane
• Alexander
• Haas
• PBS
• 1983
• eighties

[sclerismockrey]

NONE of these people were around, or old enough to 'get it' if they were around, at the time this film was made. They can't honestly have ANY context within which to come to any valid opinion about the real value of this film. I can appreciate their emotional response, because the scenes that affected them have to do with timeless issues of familial love and the fear of death (especially meaningless death).

[myriadarts]

@sclerismockrey - For what it's worth, I think we do acknowledge our respective ages and emotional distance from the material and part of the point of the show in general is to re-examine these older films from a different viewpoint. But suffice it to say, we do suggest that our lack of experience with the issue may have dulled the impact of the film, but I don't think that makes our opinions less valid. One does not need to have lived through the Roman empire to have an opinion of Ben-Hur.

[myriadarts]

@sclerismockrey - Additionally, are socially relevant films like Syriana and Jarhead, et al going to feel as impactful in twenty years? On the flip side, I didn't live through Watergate either, but I still feel All the President's Men is a great film. The difference I think is not about context, but is in the quailty of the filmmaking/storytelling.

[kiddy2686]

Is the red-head a sex addict or a nympho?... LOL Just kidding.

[kiddy2686]

The scene where the youngest boy is getting bathed in the sink by his mom and he poops in the bowl of water and then slowly dies of radiation poisoning. That was a very sad scene. Not trying to be rude to the red headed lady, but these movies are supposed to be sad and depressing.

[billy5853]

when testament was a movie did it actually happen in suburb in san francisco because there some kind of radiaction in japan I wouldn't go there wright because of the earthquake tsaunani

[McLarenMercedes]

@gravelandgrain100

Most unhappy ending ever?

Again watch "Threads". Shot like a documentary and free from all Hollywood cliches.

Who cares about the "nuke effects"? The long term effects on society is a lot more important.

In Testament the nuclear attack might as well have been on Mars. Are they trying to tell me everything would still function somewhat after an attack? People being calm and composed? Still driving their cars and the army not confiscating all the little fuel that is left?

[McLarenMercedes]

@gravelandgrain100

You want frightening? Watch "Threads", the 1984 BBC drama shot like a documentary. Makes The Day After and Testament look like fairytales for kids, and very optimistic in comparison.

And don't expect Hollywood effects. More about the realistic catastrophic socioeconomic consequences and the long term effects, even resulting in the destruction of language.

Neither The Day After nor Testament deals with the nasty nuclear winter and widespread famine.

[sclerismockrey]

Furthermore, Ben Hur was made in the 20th Century long after the era it was portraying. Context in that regard IS meaningless. But Testament, even as fiction, was made during the era of the issues it addresses and context is therefore has meaning to an informed opinion of the value of the film. I have no issue with a person's own tastes; what I dislike is the conceit that the admittedly less informed opinions here have any bearing on the VALUE of the film (the crux of my original reply).