Meltdown memories

>> Thirteen Days recalls the potentially apocalyptic Cuban Missile Crisis

by MATTHEW HAYS

Given that the end of the Cold War hasn't actually made the planet that much more secure from nuclear conflict, it's sort of surprising that the nuclear-threat movie has gone so far out of vogue.

It used to be that apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic films were all the rage. The former realistic takes on nuclear conflict like The Day After, Testament or Threads, commanded record TV ratings. For the latter, simply take the planet, post-bombing, add a few decades or even centuries, and you had yourself a Planet of the Apes or Mad Max. Think of the sequel potential!

But the collapse of the Soviet Union has meant that nuclear angst seems to have faded (this despite the very real threat of impoverished Russians hocking all that nuclear technology to crackpot dictators, wholesale). So Thirteen Days, the by-the-books straight-up retelling of the Cuban Missile Crisis, might seem to be a bit of a risk. Especially when one considers that star Kevin Costner's last post-apocalyptic film, The Postman, performed its own special meltdown at the box office.

But Thirteen Days fares well. Very well, even. The pains the filmmakers went to recreate various historic details are clear, from the meticulously reproduced Oval Office to the dialogue (lifted directly from White House tapes). As with Oliver Stone's Nixon, the film's cast members don't necessarily look much like the historical figures they're playing (with the exception of Steven Culp as RFK); not making looks a criteria was a good move. Director Roger Donaldson has brought together a fine ensemble and their talents are evenly displayed here.

The film is also a tricky prospect in that, of course, we all know how the thing ends. What is harrowing to behold are the bickerings between the various advisors assembled in the West Wing. Horrifying, but true: most of JFK's military advisors, considered experts in their field, favoured not only a bombing of Cuba, but a full-scale nuclear assault on the Soviet bloc, something which undoubtedly would have escalated to an exchange which would have seen tens of millions of fatalities, at the very least. These bickerings aren't mere speculation, they're part of carefully documented records.

Despite its retro setting, Thirteen Days does give us plenty of reason to be anxious today. Even if the Cold War is over, many experts don't rule out some kind of potential showdown between the West and Russia or China, not to mention the threat of nuclear terrorism. In '63, there was a man in the White House who could thoughtfully balance his advisors' messages and carefully weigh his options. Lord knows, we can't be secure in that knowledge for the next four years.

Thirteen Days opens Friday, Jan. 12