Fail Safe

Plot synopsis:
The time is the early-to-mid-1960s, the height of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. An unknown aircraft approaches North America from Europe. American bombers of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) are scrambled to their fail safe points near Russia. The bombers have orders not to proceed past their fail safe points without receiving a special attack code. The original "threat" is proven to be innocuous and recall orders are issued. However, due to a technical failure, the attack code is transmitted to Group Six, which consists of six Vindicator supersonic bombers and four escort fighters. Colonel Grady, the commanding pilot of Group Six, tries to contact SAC headquarters in Omaha to verify the fail-safe order (called Positive Check), but due to Soviet radio jamming, Grady cannot hear Omaha. Concluding that the attack order and the radio jamming could only mean nuclear war, Grady commands Group Six towards Moscow, their intended destination.
At meetings in Omaha, the Pentagon, and in the fallout shelter of the White House, American politicians and scholars debate the implications of the attack. Professor Groteschele suggests the United States follow this accidental attack with a full-scale attack to force the Soviets to surrender.
The President orders the Air Force to send the four escort fighters after the bombers to shoot down the Vindicators. The attempt is to show that the Vindicator attack is an accident, not a full-scale nuclear assault. After using their afterburners in an attempt to catch the bombers the fighters run out of fuel and crash, dooming the pilots to die of exposure in the Arctic Sea. The fighters fail to destroy any bombers.
The President of the United States contacts the Soviet Premier and offers assistance in attacking the group. The Soviets decline at first; then they decide to accept help.
Meanwhile, the Soviet PVO Strany air defense corps has managed to shoot down two of the six planes. After accepting American help they shoot down two more planes. Two bombers remain on course to Moscow. One is a decoy and carries no bombs. The other carries two 20 megaton devices. General Bogan tells Marshal Nevsky, the Soviet commander, to ignore the decoy plane because it is harmless. Nevsky, who mistrusts Bogan, instead orders his Soviet aircraft to pursue the decoy aircraft. The Russian fighters are then out of position to intercept the final American bomber. The decoy's feint guarantees that the remaining bomber can successfully attack. Following the failure, Nevsky collapses.
As the bomber approaches Moscow, Colonel Grady opens up the radio to contact SAC to inform them that they are about to make the strike. As a last-minute measure, the Soviets fire a barrage of nuclear-tipped missiles to form a fireball in an attempt to knock the low-flying Vindicator out of the sky. The bomber shoots up two decoy missiles, which successfully leads the Soviet missiles high in the air and Colonel Grady's plane survives.
With the radio open, the President attempts to persuade Grady that there is no war. Grady's son also attempts to convince him. Under standing orders that such a late recall attempt must be a Soviet trick, Grady ignores them. Grady tells his crew that "We're not just walking wounded, we're walking dead men," due to radiation from the Soviet missiles. He intends to fly the aircraft over Moscow and detonate the bombs in the plane. His co-pilot notes, "There's nothing to go home to." Meanwhile, the American president has ordered another American bomber to circle over New York City with 40-megaton payload, which should be dropped in case of the bombing of Moscow. The American ambassador in Moscow reports about the final moments of the Russian capital before being vaporized from the blast.
The American bomber receives an order to drop its bombs over New York City in order for the destruction of Moscow to be reciprocated and a Third World War avoided. It was earlier revealed that the American President's wife was in New York while the events of the film transpired, meaning she would be killed in the blast. The pilot of the American bomber, General Black, commits suicide with a lethal injection just after releasing the bombs.

Tags: dramatic, mystery

Review:
Particularly strong were Richard Dreyfuss, Harvey Keitel, and Hank Azaria, but it is difficult to break away any actors from the strong ensemble.The whole effect of the production very well captures the sense of a Cold War drama.
From the set design, costumes, performances, direction, and the choice to air in black and white, the atmosphere is as much a player in "Fail Safe" as the actors.
One really gets the feeling that they are watching a 1950's era live broadcast.I must say, that I knew nothing of the original story or film, and I really feel I benefited from that.
Despite the fact that the material has been filmed before, I felt like I was watching something totally new and original.
This is due in no small part to the fact that director Stephen Frears and crew had the guts to do this as a live production AND film it in black and white.
This was something I was fascinated to see since I had first heard about it: a live broadcast in real time of an already produced story (twice, if you count _Dr. Strangelove..._) in Black & White, on National TV, using old-style equipment & lighting restrictions, with an absolute stellar cast.
The story is paramount, and the only thing that suffers in this adaptation is the lack of tension and complexity of some of the characters' sub-plots -- but I may be remembering the original novel which includes all the back-stories for everyone, and the original movie has more tension because that was done in the time of the Cold War Insanity so it is infused with the immediacy of disaster being constantly present, and that's not something you can put into two hours of TV done in the year 2000.
Even if it hadn't have been done live, it would have been an amazing piece of work, but as it is, it's even more stunning to realize that all of those fine actors were truly 'in the moment' at the same time, and everyone made the same movie for the same two intense hours.
Haunting in stark black-and-white, "Fail Safe" may not match blow-for-blow the devastating impact the 1964 version made on me, but it came very close.My respect for George Clooney continues to grow.
Several seasons back, it was Clooney's lobbying efforts that brought a live performance of "E.R." to the air waves.This production of "Fail-Safe" was truly exquisite.
What a thrill it would be for classic TV/film buffs to have similar live productions air -- scripts used on the 1950s "Playhouse 90" or those penned by Rod Serling, such as "Patterns," would be a good beginning.
And it was all the more effective performed live and in the oft-ignored B/W.The one disappointing flaw was Richard Dreyfuss in the role of the president.
He came across often as annoyed, rather than alarmed.However, the other supporting cast members -- George Clooney, Brian Dennehy, Harvey Keitel, Hank Azaria, Noah Wyle, James Cromwell, and Sam Elliott -- were superb in their roles.
Wyle was astonishingly effective as the youthful translator -- his performance matched in strength that of a youthful Larry Hagman in the original film.If you missed seeing "Fail Safe" (2000), buy or rent a video tape of it -- while it won't hold the same magic as seeing it live, seeing it at all is an imperative for those who savor fine television, or just want good, gripping story-telling..
I was surprised that they were making live episodes of television shows, I didn't think anyone would be able to pull off a live 2-hour movie, but they did, and if it isn't nominated for several emmys, it will be a major crime.Kudos to the whole cast and crew for the most amazing movie in a VERY long time..
I've seen many new films this past year and NONE moved me like this Live -made for TV- program did.
I have not yet had the pleasure of seeing the original "Fail Safe" with Walter Matthau and Henry Fonda, but I was exceptionally pleased with this version.
George Clooney and Harvey Keitel gave one of their best performances since they last worked together on "From Dusk Till Dawn."  I hope this has a repeated viewing so that people can see how great this was.
Staring George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Harvey Keitel, Richard Dreyfuss, Noah Wyle, Sam Elliott, Hank Azaria, Brian Dennehy, James Cromwell and John Diehl, and directed by Stephen Frears..
The Fail Safe 2000 version simply does not match the 1964 film masterpiece's acting or drama.I'm an USAF veteran who worked with the real Fail Safe system (not the correct name by the way) and the 1964 version rang all too true to me.Henry Fonda's acting was right on target, so to speak, and brought back some memories of a very tense time in world history.The 2000 version just seemed like a half-hearted remake without the compelling drama and performances of the 1964 original film.Food for thought: The USAF command and control authority kept the largest arsenal of weapons in the history of mankind under perfect control for decades--without a glitch--until it was no longer needed after the Soviet Union's collapse.
By performing it live, on network television, gave the movie an extra edge; unlike the live ER episode, the actors couldn't bluff their way through their lines.
What I liked best about the live version of Fail Safe was that the restrictions of live TV forced the filmmakers to concentrate on those two old-fashioned values:  acting and writing.
The absence of music, black and white photography, and slow pacing allowed time to steadily absorb what was going on and churn it about in my mind; and I loved every minute of it.Admittedly, the story of Fail Safe seems a bit dated in the post Cold War period, and the originally film itself paled in comparison to the similar Dr. Strangelove.
It makes them more self-consciously aware that the folks at home better be entertained or at least interested in what goes on onscreen.I'm hoping that next CBS or some other network experiments with some original live fare.
This remake was faithful to the original movie, although I think that Henry Fonda did a better job as the President over Richard Dreyfuss.
George Clooney got what he wanted with this production - bringing us back to the gripping days of live TV drama.
Excellent live TV (1st time in 39 years)  re-make of the old 1964 Cold War Era Standard (Walter Matthau).
Gallant attempt, but misses the mark.Compare it to the original where you have Col. Cascio, brilliantly played by Fritz Weaver, on the verge of a nervous breakdown due to his family problems and then being sent over the edge by the main plot.There are some good actors, but terrible performances in this adaptation.
A good screenplay, great acting and a gripping premise!The only reason it doesn't get a higher grade is because it is basically a copy of older films, films which have been done better in the past by both Sidney Lumet (also called 'Fail Safe') and Stanley Kubrick ('Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb')...All in all, this movie was fun to watch and maybe this 'rerun' is a great opportunity for the younger generation that hasn't seen the original movies to become familiar with the subject..
I looked forward to and enjoyed the live remake of "Fail-Safe," IMHO one of the best movies on the subject of a possible military nuclear "accident." However, as good as it was, having seen the original several times, I don't feel this measured up.
Martin Landau as the President and James Earl Jones as a Colin Powell-type were magnificent in a much overlooked movie...it's available on video from Amazon.com and if you liked Fail-Safe, you won't be disappointed!.
I want to freely state here that George Clooney is capable of brilliance, and the live television production of "Fail Safe" is a prime example of this.
The atmosphere of tension and violently conflicting loyalties comes across as sharp or sharper as in the original movie.I recommend you view this film, and the original film, and read the novel "Fail Safe," for the problem it explores, the very unsteady nature of nuclear weapon command and control, is going to be even more important to us as the membership of the Nuclear Weapon Club passes ten and moves toward twenty nations.
I've seen stuff like this before, the whole plane-getting-new-orders issue, but who knows if that was maybe just copied off the earlier fail-safe movie.
I suspect that many of these comments are coming from young people who have not seen the original film.This was a very laudable effort in revisiting live television production, basically propelled by George Clooney.
Even in the heyday of live television productions (1950's) this would have been an ambitious undertaking.Unfortunately the casting made this look like a college play.
This crew seems to work too hard to mimic the performances of actors who stand just too far above them.If you've not yet seen this production or the original film, I suggest viewing this first.
What I thought was particularly funny was the fact that I only noticed one missed line in about the first 45 minutes, and that was in the introduction!The whole way through this movie I was thinking about Dr Strangelove, but hey, that's what you get when you make a movie about American planes mistakenly given the order to drop nuclear bombs on Moscow at the height of the Cold War.This is a good movie - and there is a sense of immediacy to it because there are no special effects, funny lights, odd sound effects, there's no background music, nothing but what goes on.
Watching Fail Safe last night on CBS should have been a wake up call to other networks that live television programs need a new awakening.
What will it take for the enemy to believe that it is a genuine error?This remake of a 1964 film explores issues which are as timely today as they were during the Cold War...and will continue to be until worldwide disarmament is achieved.The telemovie is also presented interestingly, like a play, with "acts" titled on the screen.
Somehow knowing it is live adds an edge to the viewing.The cut away stock footage seemed weak, but the performances - specially that of Richard Dryfus were excellent.Congrats to George Clooney (in a small role) made this happen, it was an entertaining event..
After being introduced by Walter Cronkite (who had the only flub of the evening), we watched a good remake of the original movie made in 1964.However, it was clear from the outset, the multi-talented cast were going thru the lines in hopes of not screwing up and left their acting skills on the back burner for the moment.
I have read 'Fail Safe' (the book) by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler about 10 times and seen the Fonda movie about 5 and both were fantastic.
They tried SO hard to copy the Fonda version even to the extent of showing it in black and white like the original.
Though I think Dreyfuss, Keitel and Clooney are superb actors they simply didn't work in this televised live performance ....I couldn't in good conscience recommend this presentation..
The real-scenes don't look that bad, because the whole movie is in black and white, so that would be another small positive aspect.The actors are ok, though there was this thing that troubled me...the atmosphere seemed much to cool for such an event.
Give George Clooney great credit for recognizing the excellence of "Fail Safe," and for putting it on TV, live in b&w, with a world-beating cast.
For those who haven't seen the 1964 original film must have been so riveting in Cold war America for its time.- this remake should be compared on two basic levels.
I really can't see the reason why"The actor did NOT say Paris, he said Persia.The movie was great, the black and white was a great affect (and I'm generally prefer color) and I loved the fact that it was live.
If you have never seen or never had seen the original 1964 film, you would find this an exceptional piece of television, both in the story and the acting, and in the live production.
But what I find one of the most interesting qualities of this film is how it illustrates the range and risk taking of George Clooney as an actor, who was the driving force behind making this film and doing it live (as in "real time") on network television.
What would you think of a film broadcast Live on TV, almost like a play where actors perform in the moment with the possibility of making mistakes, forget their lines and all that?
"Fail Safe" remake of the 1964 classic starring Henry Fonda and Walter Matthau was the example I'm mentioning and it was filmed live in 2000 starring a great ensemble cast featuring names like Richard Dreyfuss, George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Brian Dennehy, James Cromwell, Don Cheadle, Sam Elliott, John Diehl and Noah Wyle.
It might be an awkward experience now that is available on DVD, it's gonna look like there's nothing exceptional except for being a good movie (better than the original I must say) because you won't notice that it was something performed live.
So don't expect humor and too much cleverness in this film, it is a more serious approach of the mass hysteria caused by possible attacks with atomic bombs during the bitter days of Cold War.I really wish that the idea of TV movies being broadcast live become something more recurring.
I've enjoyed some of Stephen Frears past works like High Fidelity, Mrs Henderson Presents and his latest The Queen, so I was intrigued enough to pick up a DVD movie released some 8 years ago made for television, a CBS TV special that was broadcast live during the time.
I'd bet it was a novelty and I could have seen it before, but nonetheless it didn't stop me from sitting through this rather gripping drama from start to end.Filmed in black and white, Fail Safe is set during the Cold War, where hostilities between the US and the Soviets are at an all time high, and military doctrine on both sides dictate world annihilation should anyone decide to provoke the other by firing off their nukes to the other's territory.
This black and white movie, set on the height of the cold war in the sixties, focuses on the actions of the commanders of the military, the president and his advisers, as well as their Russian counterparts, all trying to solve this dilemma.
I personally think this is a great movie considering it was a live broadcast...granted, the acting wasn't perfect, but it didn't really need to be.
Brian Dennehy, Harvey Keitel and Richard Dreyfuss give the best performances, but that's not to say anything about the rest of this great cast.
Its obvious, that this made for TV drama, will be compared to the original drama, made in 1964, starring a very young Henry Fonda.There were no stellar performances here, despite some well known actors in the business, specifically:  George Clooney (former "ER" fame), and Noah Wyle (also from "ER").Richard Dreyfus was a bit un-convincing as the President.
But at least he didn't just "feel the pain" as Bill Clinton would have.For all its efforts, George Clooney did a good job at directing this remake - it was done live -- the melo-drama was re-enacted in black and white - which I think was a smart move.
After all they were trying to re-create the time era this occurred - 1964 at the height of the cold war.I remember seeing the original movie when it came out, in thetheatres.
The live-TV version of the 1964 classic movie Fail Safe was a severe disappointment.
Like George Clooney, I am a lifelong fan of the original movie and was surprised that the level of good acting, intensity, and believability in the movie failed in all quarters on TV.The performances of the lead characters in the two versions couldn't be more different.
Richard Dreyfuss as the President: Fonda was simply a better actor.Even the display of messages and aircraft formations on the big display screen in the TV version lacked the impact of the set in the movie!
I think Richard Dreyfuss was too snippy and not commanding enough as President (I haven't seen the original "Fail Safe" to compare his performance with Fonda's), but all the other actors did a fine job.POSSIBLE SPOILER.
It's hard for a teleplay such as this to recapitulate the Cold War in a way that makes it real for most of the audience, let alone re-define such a film as "Fail Safe".
"Fail Safe", for its drama, was a film of its time and as such is (and was) very dated.
For instance, Henry Fonda played an excellent portrayal of the president in the movie version ....
The concept just seems horribly wrong, not to mention self-indulgent and creatively bankrupt.This brings me to the "Fail-Safe" remake, produced live and in black and white for CBS television.
The original is a wonderful film, and would most likely be a respected classic had it not been for its direct competition with "Dr. Strangelove." Regardless, "Fail-Safe" deserves just as much praise as "Strangelove," if not more.
That said, I found the "Fail-Safe" remake to be a horrible, pretentious disservice to the original film.First, there is no reason to do this story in black and white, live, or on network TV.
While not quite as good as the original, it was the first live TV drama in about 40 years.
Richard Dreyfuss as the President, George Clooney as a bomber pilot, Sam Elliott as a visiting congressman who watches the drama unfold, Harvey Keitel as a general who is trying to understand the crisis, are all great.