Perhaps because it was produced in Australia, Deadly Enemies is more revealing, more thorough, and more frightening in its depiction of the secret history of biological weapons from WWII through the end of the Cold War than it might have been if made by an American filmmaker. For one thing, director Susan Lambert gained access to classified documents and archival footage that might not have been cleared for U.S.-made broadcast, which are combined with present-day interviews featuring former Soviet and American bio-weapons developers who are remarkably frank in assessing their roles in programs that could potentially have resulted in millions of deaths around the world (some of the most chilling footage involves conscientious objectors and pacifists being used as unsuspecting guinea pigs in the testing of potentially lethal germs in weapon form). Biological weapons were part and parcel of mid-to-late 20th century military thinking, and contemporary activities on the part of the interviewees here reflect a deep inner need to offset past work with humane and beneficial research. One of the interviewees is David Kelly, the former U.N. weapons inspector and bio-weapons advisor to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who committed suicide in July 2003--one month after appearing in this film. Riveting as both history and cautionary exposé, Deadly Enemies is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Shannon)
Deadly Enemies
(2004) 51 min. VHS or DVD: $390. First Run/Icarus Films. PPR. Color cover. Volume 20, Issue 1
Deadly Enemies
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