Have You Been Watching...? Threads (1984)

 

At the time of writing, the world seems all doom and gloom. We are still in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, monkey pox is on the rise, Russia went to war with Ukraine, the costs of living and energy are continually on the rise, life is gloomy and scary, so of COURSE it’s the best time to watch 1984’s nuclear holocaust drama Threads.

First broadcast on Sunday 23^rd September 1984 at 9.30pm, it was compared with The Day After, an American TV Movie from 1983 along similar themes. That’s really where the similarities end. While The Day After is unashamedly American, Threads is unashamedly British. This means grit, drama and a bit more working class. While not particularly gory, Threads is much more horrific than The Day After.

Threads did not cast major stars in it’s main roles, but some are recognisable. Reece Dinsdale (from Home To Roost and many other now well known dramas) stars as Jimmy Kemp, one of the main leads. David Brierley (known to Dr Who fans as the second actor to voice robot dog K9) stars as Jimmy’s dad Bill Kemp. TV presenter and Adventure Game “mole” Lesley Judd appeared as the newsreader.

I won’t go into the plot too much as there’s so much more in the film to see. The film tells the story of Jimmy Kemp and his girlfriend Ruth Bennett, who live in the city of Sheffield. Ruth discovers she is pregnant and she and Jimmy plan to marry, much to the concern of both sets of parents. As the soap opera elements of our story unfold, in the background, in heard radio reports and TV newscasts, slowly a war begins in eastern Europe. Most of this of course, bypasses our two families who are much more consumed in their own affairs, much like any other family. As time progresses, we see the rest of the country HAS been paying attention. As the Kemps and Bennetts try to get to grips with what’s going on in the world, they face panic buying and looting. As the warnings loom in the media, they begin to make preparations for Worst Case Scenario. Nothing prepares them for what’s to come. As tensions rise in the east, nuclear weapons begin to be deployed. One eventually targets an RAF base outside of Sheffield, and Jimmy observes the tell-tale mushroom cloud of a nuclear explosion. Sheffield is destroyed. People die in their millions due to fallout and nuclear winter, as the sun is obscured by dust and debris in the atmosphere. Temperatures plummet. Money has no value, only food. As time goes on, The Kemps and Bennetts perish like most others, except for Ruth, and she becomes the focus of the story and the horror of nuclear winter unfolds. She gives birth to her child, a daughter she calls Jane, in a dirty outbuilding as a tied up Alsatian dog watches on. She must bite through the umbilical cord as there’s no one to help. Ruth story continues, as she must toil in fields for food. She survives. As the years progress, Ruth eventually perishes when Jane is 10. Jane barely notices. Jane then continues to scrabble and scrounge to exist, joining a pair of lads, one of whom get shot as they steal. Jane and remaining lad end up sleeping together. The movie ends months later, as Jane gives birth to her own child, and looks in horror at the baby.

Threads is really unlike anything I’ve seen before. It’s rarely repeated (I recorded it from only its THIRD showing on British TV in 2003, thank you BBC4). It apparently has only been shown twice since then. Threads is relentless. There’s no holding back on what this film shows you. The film’s format makes this easier to digest. It has a “docu-drama” feel to it, with narrator and captions explaining what goes on, providing information and statistics before cutting back to the drama. We see people die by the bucketload. We see minor characters in local councils suddenly burdened with a responsibility they are way too out of their depth to manage. We see people trying to do their best in hopeless situations. Shot on film, it gives the movie that extra grittiness and realism which only adds to the soul crushing despair.

Threads has been described as one of the most terrifying movies ever made, and it’s hard to disagree. The use of working class people and their day to day problems as the device to bring the viewer in, is a masterstroke of genius. It makes the whole movie relatable and terrifying. We can image these people being US, our families, our friends. Going to our job in the morning and the world going to hell by teatime.  What would WE do? More importantly, if we were to survive such an attack, would we WANT to? Is the story of Ruth and the survivors better than death? Legend has it that US President Ronald Reagan changed his nuclear policy in 1985 having watched Threads.

Overall, it’s an excellent movie, a thought-provoking and downright terrifying tale. Of note, there have been several home media releases for this, but if you seek one out to watch, go for the Simply Media blu-ray, which besides looking magnificent (increasing that grittiness) it also has a number of special features (including a director approved widescreen edition and a commentary from director Mick Jackson) and the original soundtrack.

YEAR: 1984

Availability: DVD and Blu Ray (updated 20^th August 2022 – now available to stream on Britbox)

HYBW rating: 9/10