Fail-Safe

One of the best military ethics movies ever made!!

This was not the same Movie that was aired in the State of Hawaii during the "1960's"...! In Honolulu; as was the suppose (4) men, and additional assistance with each of them..!?? David Yuen Tim Kam

So powerful and sad, this movie explains the human heart and mind during the cold war. You will never think of war the same way after watching this.

The acting is superb. The photography is stark and claustrophobic. Every scene builds towards a crescendo of tension. Henry Fonda as the President is one of the great understated performances of his career. The dynamic between he and his interpreter (Larry Hagman) drives the storyline. The opening dream sequence establishes the context of the movie. Sidney Lumet does a wonderful job with a scant budget. The movie is even more amazing when you consider the Department of Defense contributed no technical advice. This is why movies are made in my opinion.

Comparisons to the incredibly dated and ridiculously satirical Dr. Strangelove is beyond words - Fail Safe is one of the greatest dramas ever produced. Comparing the two films is akin to comparing a computer geek playing a Navy Seal in a video game versus an actual Navy Seal. The incredibly realistic character driven film kicks the laughable Strangelove in the junk and pushes it into the dirt. Sidney Lumet's horrifying realistic portrait of our government and it's preset military nuclear strikeforce gives every hard-nosed hawk pause. Every character is tangible and true in every respect to their real-life counterparts. A devastating ending that will haunt you, literally, for the rest of your life. Powerful stuff.

Horrible movie-1/4 of the way into it I stopped watching it. Even that small part was a waste of my time and I'm sorry I bought this. Even one star is too good for this movie. I've seen Walter Matthau in some great movies but watching him wail on a woman for no apparent reason who was trying to get intimate with him was just bizarre. The dream sequence was plain amateurish. If you want to check out a great movie about the cold war with some humor & irreverence, watch Dr. Strangelove.

George Clooney is on record as saying this is one of his favorite movies, and I agree. The opening "dream sequence" could only have been filmed in the 60's because it cares not for popularity or mass approval. Henry Fonda is great as a President faced with an unimaginable nightmare, and Larry Hagman does well as the interpreter. It's not possible to watch this movie with the same mindset as one would have had in 1964, but, having said that, it's still as compelling as anything I've ever seen from American cinema.

Fail-Safe is one of the best cold war-era movies made. It never got very much attention because it was released at the same time as Dr. Strangeglove, and Stanley Kubrick had the clout to overshadow this movie. The major actors do a superb job - Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, etc. And be sure to catch a quick scene with Dom DeLuise as an air force sergeant. This movie is a great lesson on how dangerous it is when we - especially our military - rely too much on technology (and it taught this way before War Games was ever made.)