The Cuban Missle Crisis--- or how we avoided WWIII

Rating: Null/10 (15 January 2001)

As a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst I have been interested in how this group of national security people actually negotiated with the Soviets in such a way that a nuclear holocaust was prevented. I had heard there were cool heads and hot heads, hawks and doves battling for their point of view. Each side thought they were right and had the best interests of the nation at heart. It could be seen as a 13 day marathon (therapy) in which the group leader, John F. Kennedy, found a way to avoid extreme and dangerous differences, especially with the help of his brother, Robert and a close aid and friend, Ken O'Donnell. The latter role was taken by Kevin Kostner, and although the excellent movie critic James Berardinelli thought that was a mistake, (they should have focussed more on JFK and Bobby) I thought it useful to have a person without power, but with perspective, that the audience could identify with. As a result, we had the privilege of being the 'fly-on-the-wall' at secret meetings in which the fate of the world hung in the balance. It didn't bother me that the story was not a documentary--- these exist and can be used for comparison.
13 Days was very well acted, directed, edited and photographed, with ample display of then current military planes, ships and rockets. The Oval Office was reportedly painstakingly reproduced, as well as actual television news accounts at the time. And throughout there was a dramatic sprinkling of shots of nuclear bombs going off, a reminder of what was at stake.
From this perspective, I can see why the world has avoided a nuclear confrontation from the early 60's till now, almost 40 years later. As a result we owe the Kennedy brothers and MacNamara much appreciation for protecting us from nuclear disaster. The film made good use of showing us what was at stake, families and children playing in peace, being prosperous and secure. It was good to see these men of influence having moral values and caring for their families, despite their many reported personal lapses.
You can see why the nation recently gave high approval ratings to Bill Clinton in spite of the Lewinsky scandal. Like Kennedy before him, his personal hero, Clinton was handsome, articulate, intelligent and charismatic, the ultimate politician. One can only wonder how Clinton would have dealt with a nuclear showdown.