The China Syndrome: Special Edition

The China Syndrome was a must-see-movie in 1979, especially since its opening coincided with the real-life disaster at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. Viewed today, the film not only still holds its own as a gripping drama of visceral emotion, but--sadly--there are significant parallels between the late 1970s and today's environment regarding public safety and government stonewalling (in both eras, we have populations at risk watching in horror as attempts to bring out the truth are met with corporate and federally-funded smears and intimidation). The China Syndrome is fueled with high-octane performances, with Jack Lemmon starring as a nuclear plant engineer who goes to extreme lengths to expose an accident, and Jane Fonda as the overly ambitious TV reporter who exploits his story until it spirals out of her control (the two stars were at the peaks of their respective careers and their screen time is, pardon the energy pun, combustible). Michael Douglas, nominally the third star as Fonda's cameraman (and the film's co-producer), has relatively little to do here and is overshadowed by Lemmon and Fonda. But the real joker in the pack is Wilford Brimley as Lemmon's fellow engineer, who watches most of the action from the quiet sidelines but then unexpectedly winds up with a closing monologue of devastating power and intelligence. Still posing tough questions about responsibility, both at the personal and official level, The China Syndrome debuts on DVD in a fine-looking transfer, backed by a handful of solid extras--including two half-hour featurettes and a trio of deleted scenes. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)