In My Lifetime

With the end of the Cold War, the dread of global nuclear war and atomic Armageddon seems to have receded. Filmmaker Robert E. Frye (a former ABC News executive) aims to restore a sense of danger and urgency in this insightful documentary. Now that the U.S. and Russia (both still leading the planet in nuclear arsenals) need to choose between updating or scrapping an aging intercontinental ballistic missile supply, the complete disposal of the devastating warheads is a true option. Frye recounts the history of nuclear war, beginning with the Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings (the film includes interviews with still-living survivors), moving on to the U.S.-U.S.S.R. stare-down during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and winding up with the current situation in which loose-cannon nations such as Pakistan and North Korea aspire to join the growing "nuclear club." The bombshell revelation here is that even Reagan administration top-level "hawks" are now in favor of disarmament. Meanwhile, peace activists continue to protest and nuclear-missile silos continue to be manned 24/7. Offering a potent reminder of our technological rather than environmental capacity for self-destruction, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)