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The China Syndrome (1979)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 7/03, 11/25

ChinaSynd
11/25: How about The China Syndrome?

Oddly, it doesn't explain much why nuclear power is bad for the public. According to Green America, "the waste generated by nuclear reactors remains radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years and needs to be kept contained for one million years. Currently, there are no long-term storage solutions for radioactive waste, and most is stored in temporary, above-ground facilities."

Moreover, "the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine led to the deaths of 30 employees in the initial explosion and caused a variety of negative health effects on thousands of people across Russia and Eastern Europe. A massive tsunami bypassed the safety mechanisms of power plants in Fukushima Japan in 2011, causing three nuclear meltdowns, resulting in the release of radioactive materials into the surrounding area. In both disasters, hundreds of thousands were relocated, millions of dollars spent, and the radiation-related deaths are being evaluated to this day."

Here's another from How Engineering Works: "Maintenance and decommissioning of old reactors also add to the cost. After the end of a reactor's life (usually 40–60 years), dismantling it safely and managing the radioactive parts can take decades and cost billions of dollars." Lately, there has been a wave of bringing nuclear power plants back, but chances are that it won't go well.

Back to the film, as much as I hate Jane Fonda, she has done a good job of playing the reporter who's desperate in moving from soft crap to investigative journalism. But she's going to be insufferable and prone to making up some shit in the long run. Not to discount is Jack Lemmon's performance. Both were Oscar-nominated. It's surprise Michael Douglas didn't garner one as well given that he was the catalyst of the high-tension drama.

However, the ending feels false as we know that nuclear power companies will go so far to cover up the matter. In fact, they said The China Syndrome was "sheer fiction" and a "character assassination of an entire industry." Then, the Three Mile Island nuclear accident happened which was twelve days after its theatrical release. Incidents in the film are taken from different nuclear plants in real life including what happened to Karen Silkwood as recounted in Silkwood, and there are few more that eventually came true.

All in all, The China Syndrome is the Fail-Safe of nuclear power plants.