Testament Review
Concern about the possibility of nuclear war reached one of its highest levels in the early 1980s, with a Cold War showdown over nuclear forces in Europe and the growing militancy of the worldwide anti-nuclear campaign. With images of nuclear confrontation closer to mass consciousness than at any time since the early 1960s, two films dramatized the scenarios of an apocalyptic world. The made-for-television The_Day_After was controversial and much-watched; Testament, the much better feature film on the same theme, was comparatively less noticed. Jane_Alexander did get an Oscar nomination for her searing performance as a mother trying to protect her family in a small California town. By humanizing the unfathomable, writer John_Sacret_Young and director Lynne_Littman avoided sensationalism while retaining authenticity. Testament comes closer to an unflinching examination of nuclear annihilation than any film since Stanley_Kramer's On the Beach (1959). Kevin_Costner has a minor role. Michael Betzold, Rovi
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