Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-25 01:54:54

Unbelievably sad, terrific and important

Saddest film ever made? Surely it's a GREAT film which reduces the unfathomable and thus numbingly abstract concept of nuclear war to a single community and (mostly) to a single family. It's beautifully acted and scripted. And it's achingly, heart breakingly sad. I have been brought to tears just reading someone else's description of the film. (Of course, the same thing has happened the several times I have watched the film myself). If you are looking for a film that truly shows the devastation that would follow in the wake of a nuclear attack, this is it. None of the other films that deal with similar subject matter ("The Day After", etc.) come remotely close. Likely the best--and most important--film to get its DVD debut at this late date.

2012-05-24 12:05:20

The human element of nuclear war finally is addressed

When I was 10, I first saw bits and pieces of this film, but my parents wouldn't let me watch the whole thing. When I was 14 (and again when I was 18), I watched "The Day After." Last year, I finally saw "Threads."This movie puts both of them to shame. "Threads" is unrelentently graphic, "The Day After" hammers you with its message about as subtly as a person with a baseball bat going "nuclear war is BAD! BAD BAD BAD!!!""Testament" puts the human elements back into the equation that nuclear war will become. After all is said and done with an attack (god forbid), the world will have to find a way to go on, or to make its way through the aftermath as best as possible. Jane Alexander shows us this journey through the eyes of a mother, heartsick and driven to the edge by the hopelessness around her.The film is sad, yes, but it also leaves a message of hope, such as it is: that most human beings will find a way to go, for as long as they can, remembering what once was and hoping for what will be again

gatsby601 2012-05-20 15:35:44

Maudlin Mush

I first saw this film back in '83 and I think for people who didn'tgrow up during the Cold War era this could be looked at as just anotherdisaster film of the angry alien or global warming melting glaciersvariety. The difference is, this could have really happened. People getup, leave for work on a normal day and then, in the middle of SesameStreet, the world just ends.Testament focuses on the lives of one family in a small California townsurviving this fate. The tag line on the film stressed it was a'realistic account' of how things might be after a nuclear war. Noexplosions or Mad Max violence, just regular people deciding 'Whatnow?' The first half of the film deals with this pretty well and thefamily members are sympathetic and likable. The problem that I have,have always had with Testament, is act 2.After a few weeks of living with the shock of what has happened thefamily begins confronting their grief and the realization that thetelevision isn't going to be coming back nor will the Red Cross bedropping by with coffee and blankets. They are on their own. Forever. Oh, and radioactive fallout has started making everyone sick.So what does our leading lady do? As the mother of her 3 kids plusseveral newly orphaned neighbour children does she load up the Volvowagon with her family and supplies and head to Canada? No. She does not.Instead she goes to increasingly futile town meetings and talent shows.Her narrative is concerned with how people in the future will rememberhow they (the town) lived, not about surviving for another day. Sherattles around her house as people start dying around her and thefilmmaker wants us to see this as noble.The message of Testment isn't 'The human spirit overcoming terribleodds' or 'Strength of family will get you through' or even 'Modernscience will doom us all.' No. The message here seems to be 'Die withdignity.' And that, it would seem, includes those dependant on you.Given the option I would rather be Mad Max.

Freya 2012-05-20 02:25:20

A restrained yet horrifying realistic picture...

...of what being the survivors of the explosion of a nuclear device WILL be like. Those who need the soft escape of fantasies and delusions should BEWARE -- this story shows THE TRUTH.

Greg 2012-05-17 11:50:55

Absolutely Heartbreaking.

I still think of this movie as the most depressing and upsetting film Ihave ever seen. As the Cold War eased, this movie became forgotten butthen came 911. It portrays how the world can come to a standstill andhow precious life can be.It is hard not to weep openly at this film. Jane Alexander and RoxanaZal's performance are nothing short of brilliant. The desperateness ofAlexander to provide some normalcy after the effects of a nuclearfallout seem pointless, but not to her. She painstakingly does her bestwhile watching people around her slowly die. The movie's lack ofspecial effects and concentration on a small group make it all the morereal.This movie is not for the faint of heart. It will leave you feelinguneasy for a long time, especially in the world we live in today. Ithas left an indelible mark on my mind. Enjoy what you have and bethankful for your loved ones. It all can be gone.

Steve Skafte 2012-05-17 02:49:49

Until the world deserves them

This film is one of three made in fairly close succession about thepossible consequences of worldwide nuclear war, and certainly the mostwell-realized of them. The other two range from cheesy America TV moviehype in "The Day After" to extremely dark British horror with"Threads". The latter of the two has something to offer where the firsthas little, but of the three it is "Testament" that tells the balanced,down-to-earth experience that the majority of us would be only toolikely to experience.There's no mushroom cloud here, no special effects. Just a flash oflight in the distance, and an ever-building sense of dread. Thecharacters are written like true, believable people in other similar1980s dramas. I cannot stress enough how real this movie feels. If yougo in looking for action or thrills, this is not for you. This is atragedy, a drama, a film of real humanity. It would survive unhinderedwithout the horrific elements that provide the backbone of the script,because it is not interdependent on them. The characters don't existsimply to fill out the plot points. They have depth. And that's where"Testament" draws its power. This is not a disaster film, populated byvarying degrees of cannon fodder. This is a true "what-if". What if mysmall town, the one where I've grown up and spent the bulk of my life,became the victim of nuclear fallout? I saw my childhood in this film.The young character of Scottie (played by Lukas Haas) reminds me ofmyself, his mother (Jane Alexander) of my own. I saw all too many hintsof those I grew up with, my neighbors, my siblings in the scenes of"Testament".This film broke my heart, and if you let it, it just might do the sameto you. It's the face behind killing, the human factor, the cost ofcollateral damage. But, most of all, it's a warm yet intensely painfulstory of a mother faced with the unavoidable and imminent death of herloved ones. "Testament" is a dirge, a march to the end through all thepurity and life of our fading memories. It holds you close like a dyingfriend, hoping that an embrace will keep the soul from escaping. Thisis life at its most precarious.

2012-05-10 06:22:38

Every American Should Watch This Movie.

This review is from: Testament (DVD) There are some images from movies and television that I watched as a child that have been seared into my brain: the Yankee soldier who wets himself before going into battle in THE BLUE AND THE GREY; the venomous snake that spooks the horses in a river crossing in LONESOME DOVE which ends up killing Ricky Schroeder; the masks that the kidnappers where in FORTRESS. Added to these images are a couple more: that of the residents of a small town burning the bodies of their citizens from radiation poisoning after a nuclear holocaust because there is no place left to bury them and disease is spreading too fast and that of a young father (played by Kevin Costner) carrying the body of his newborn child in a dresser drawer to be buried. These last two images are from the film TESTAMENT.TESTAMENT is the most powerful film about the aftermath of nuclear attack ever made. It aired on television right around the time another movie about the aftermath of a nuclear war, THE DAY AFTER, aired. THE DAY AFTER is kind of a special effects extravaganza complete with launching missiles, mushroom clouds, masses of people in hysteria, and makeup revealing rotting flesh and opens sores. TESTAMENT is a much simpler film. The atomic attack is represented by a bright flash of light and all telephones and televisions going dead.Jane Alexander portrays the central character of the story, Carol Wetherly, and she does so brilliantly. Wetherly is a stay at home mom with three children and a wonderful husband named Tom (William Devane). The Wetherlys live in the small town of Hamlin, CA--not too far outside of San Francisco. Tom leaves for work on the day of the attack and never comes back. The agony and suffering of this story is relayed ever so eloquently on the day after the attack as Carol realizes that Tom is never going to come back, a realization she eventually has to share with her children. TESTAMENT illustrates just how the people of a small community might have to deal with a nuclear holocaust if it ever happened: people burying their family members in their front yards, town meetings in one of the local churches that continue to drop in number as the days pass, people using HAM radios in attempt to contact someone somewhere, the struggle to find food, the frustration of wanting to leave but not being able to because of no fuel.Perhaps one of the reasons that TESTAMENT affected me so much is that I was raised in a small town and it made the threat of what a nuclear attack could do very real to me. Many of the characters in the film reminded me of people I knew and I couldn't help but think to myself, what would I do in such a situation? What would my Mom do? Would we be able to survive? Or would we die before our time?When the Cold War finally thawed in 1989 and finally ended less than a year later, TESTAMENT was forgotten by many people as a relic of the past. I've never forgotten the film and its images have been seared into my mind since I was a child. However, in the post-9/11 world in which we live, TESTAMENT is a film that is just as relevant as ever. As haunting and disturbing as the film is, TESTAMENT is a film that every American should watch at least once.The DVD version of the film includes a couple of featurettes about the film as well as a timeline of the nuclear age. I enjoyed the TESTAMENT AT 20 featurette the best because it was an honest reflection about the film with some of the principal actors.

Hessian499 2012-05-09 15:15:49

Very powerful, hard to sit through

Possible spoilers!Testament is a movie that I do not want to see again, but not because it wasa bad film. It is so depressing, tragic, and sad that I don't think I couldhandle seeing it again, even with knowing the details of what wouldtranspire if I saw the video of it once more. This being said, Testament isa movie that should be seen, as it is well acted and a powerful tale ofsurvival, death, and loss.Set in a small town outside San Francisco, the film begins with people goingabout their lives just like any other day. There is no hint of any impendingnuclear attack, nor of any world events that might trigger a nuclear war. Inthe middle of the day, an emergency broadcast interrupts Sesame Street toannounce that America is under attack. The broadcast lasts about thirtyseconds before a nuclear blast nearby knocks out the television signal; thatis the last we hear of the government or most of the outside world for therest of the film.The citizens initially handle the situation quite well, walking out onto thestreets after the attack like they would after a bad thunderstorm to surveythe damage. As time goes on, however, it seems apparent that the town is cutoff and they are basically alone. Hunger and radiation poisoning set in, andmany become sick and die from the radiation.Jane Alexander puts on a great performance, and should have won every awardin 1983 for her role as the mother trying to keep the family alive andtogether. The characters are ones you get to know and like, and you feel thepain when one of them passes away. Unlike The Day After, this film haslittle special effects and focuses on a small group of people, which makesit more powerful.The mounting number of deaths from radiation is handled effectively and isquite scary; one very memorable shot near the end of the movie shows aplayground having been converted to a cemetery, with a swing set movingslowly in the breeze with dozens of graves in the background. At the end,Jane Alexander and what is left of her family sit down for a makeshiftparty, and she tells them they must not forget the past before the NuclearHolocaust but must move on and try to survive somehow. You will wonder if ayear later if anyone of them will still be alive. It is also quite powerfulto note that the home the family lives in is quite large and well furnished.By the end, there is no power, no running water, no TV, no air conditioningor heat, no cable, no telephone, and almost no food; it is a relic of whatAmericans once saved up for and strived to have, and now is little more thana roof and four walls, itself a testament to an era and civilizationdestroyed.Testament is very hard to watch, but teaches an important lesson about thefutility of nuclear war. While times and the world situation have changedmuch since 1983, this is a film that is still relevant and should bewatched.

funnygy 2012-05-06 22:45:10

Beautiful... and horrific

I never thought a film about nuclear war could be more moving than "TheDay After" or "Threads". Now that I've viewed "Testament", I know I waswrong.Frankly, I thought the film would seem mild in comparison with theformer two, which are very graphic and horrific. In fact, it was evenmore disturbing and difficult to watch. Several times I consideredshutting the film off, thinking "What good is it doing me to watch thisdepressing movie?" But each time I convinced myself to stick it out,and I'm glad I did.I don't know what it was; the strength of Jane Alexander's performance,the combined performances by the younger actors playing her children,the excellent and artistic (yet remarkably matter-of-fact)cinematography, the haunting beauty of James Horner's score, or all ofthe above, but "Testament" just got into me and tore my very soulapart. There's no graphic "ground zero" scenes like in the other twofilms, just the story of a family struggling to survive, trying to stayhopeful beyond all hope.The scene that I think will stick with me forever is the shot of JaneAlexander tearing apart bedsheets. That's all I'll say about this scenefor now since I don't want to give anything away, but watch the filmand you'll know what I'm talking about.As other reviews have alluded to, "The Day After" and "Testament" bothcame out around the same time, yet "Testament" is far less known andremembered among the two films, even though most consider it the betterof the two. I think the reason for this is that "The Day After" waspresented on television, while "Testament", though originally made forpublic television, was instead released to theaters. With a movie likethis, I think it's easier to just watch it on TV than to bring yourselfto actually go out to a theater to experience this type of film."Testament" is one of those films like "The Hours". It's beautiful,breathtaking, unforgettable... and so heartrending I'm not sure I canever bring myself to watch it again. But if you haven't seen it, youshould. Trust me, it will be worth it.

kirin4040-1 2012-05-06 09:02:50

One of the most depressing movies I have ever seen

Testament is an elegant yet powerful film which depicts a family tryingto survive the aftermath of a nuclear war. Jane Alexander gives anexcellent performance as Carol Wetherly, a woman struggling to maintaina sense of hope in the face of starvation, radiation poisoning, and thesteady loss of her family and friends. The director effectivelyproduced a sense of isolation as the residents of the town areuncertain as to the extent of damage to the outside world, what theyshould do, or even who had launched the attack. Stark images of thesteady deterioration of the town and its residents tell the tale in away at least as powerful as other films that rely more on specialeffects. Particularly effective are the scenes of burials. At first thetownspeople conduct formal funerals, but as resources and manpowerbecome ever more scare, these eventually degenerate into mass funeralpyres and bodies hastily buried in backyards with only sticks to markthe grave. The scene of an abandoned school with the playfieldsconverted into a crude cemetery shows the end of civilization as wellas any mushroom cloud.

2012-05-04 09:19:38

testament of a family surviving a nuclear attack

I really like this film because it focuses on real people in a real situation. It seems to me to be very much like how it could be after a nuclear attack. I like that it's mostly about people caring about one another and about one family's memories of their life together. Also everyone does a fine acting job. Besides Ms. Alexander, I especially remember the husband and the daughter. Very touching and warm. I can't help thinking, of course, that without Jesus in their lives, they are, in the end, hopeless though. Any death of any individual without Him is hopeless and dark and tragic. One day there will truly be world peace, and no nuclear weapons ever again. But only when He comes!

2012-05-03 20:02:49

Things few politicians will tell but every mother knows

This film has been a favorite of mine for some time, especially since I lived under the nuclear shadow in its heyday, which came to a particular head in the 1980s. Besides following the strained yet adamantly coherent progress of a middle American family through the 3 months after someone (we don't know who, or even if it was "their" first strike) attacks the larger centers of the US with nuclear devices. Indeed, the political aspect is of no concern to the viewpoint of the film, except as the local authorities slowly lose hold in the northern CA town of Hamlin. We see Jane Alexander attempting as best she can to maintain a sense of continuity, and her children appear to respond in a meaningful way, even as they begin to succumb to the hidden but ever-present antagonist, the radioactive fallout. With little certainty except that of further decline, the ones who succeed are, ironically, the ones who concede that they can only carry out small actions of their own. The film does have some trouble with technical details (e.g., why is it that radio amateur W6DN's transistors are all blown by electromagnetic pulse but not the ones in the tape recorder, spelling tutor and answering machine?), and the overall feel of the presentation, as in the musical accompaniment, make it feel like a made-for-TV special one might see on Lifetime or PBS, the viewer is still given a powerful image that the idealogues of the time would not or could not admit to the public they served. As Alexander is committing one of her children to the grave, she asks, "Who did this--God D**n you!". After such a "war", it seems, the politicians' popularity is without meaning anyway.

2012-04-30 08:18:45

3 stars out of 4

The Bottom Line:A quiet and moving (and bleak and depressing) look at America before the end, Testament never attained the level of cultural penetration that The Day After did but in its own way its a worthier film; with a powerful performance by Jane Alexander in the lead and a conclusion that'll put a lump in your throat, it's quite a little gem.

bruinsj 2012-04-29 15:56:46

Wonderful movie, but just one problem.

Firstly, I agree wholeheartedly with every previous glowing review ofthis film. So, I won't gush regarding the obvious greatness ofTestament.However, one thing really irked me, well actually two things...First;why didn't the mother get away...people are leaving, driving away toareas beyond the radiation & the nuclear fallout, I recall NorthernCanada being mentioned, what have you. So, very quickly the effects ofthe radiation become apparent on others, and soon after they begin toaffect her own family; her son dies. So, why on earth does she stay andwatch everyone die? I enjoyed the film very much, but I felt myselfbeing angry the entire time with the mother....like your watching yourchildren die, clearly the radiation levels where you are areunacceptable, but you stay; why??? I mean how could a mother do that?It's not like they didn't have a car or gasoline, or that there was anyexplanation given within the confines of the film as to why shecouldn't have simply driven away to escape the fallout, just did notmake any sense to me. Secondly, what happened?, weeks pass...where isthe president, where is the military, what cities where hit, by whom?,even if the worst case scenario, there's always some info that getsout, so i also suffered from a complete lack of understanding regardingtheir situation, simply put...What happened?...throw me a small bone atleast. So, my two complaints, but for what it was and the story itaimed to tell, it still did a spectacular job indeed.

Mel J 2012-04-29 07:43:34

A real horror film

Forget Freddie and Jason, if you want a real horror film then Irecommend this because I think it will keep most normal people awakelong into the night. This film doesn't rely on gore or violence to getits message across; instead it takes the very familiar scene of aloving young family living in a close-knit town and dumps them into theharsh, harrowing realities of nuclear war where there is no mercy foreither the good or the innocent.'Testament' is a tale of what would happen if a nuclear strikedevastated America and how average people, who have no militarytraining or the like, would cope. There is no computer virus to fixthings nor is there some hunky, muscular hero to save the day; peopleare left to fend for themselves in a world forever changed, inconditions that are unforgiving and demoralising. The film revolvesmainly around the Wetherly family, made up by parents- Carol and Tom -and their three children, fourteen-year-old Mary Liz, twelve-year-oldBrad and six-year-old Scottie and it packs no punches for the fate ofthis little group.For a film that couldn't have had a massive budget, not only is thescript of good quality but so was the acting. Jane Alexander wasexcellent as a Carol, a mother striving to see her family through thisdisaster, watching as the town around her dwindles as people die ofradiation poisoning or flee for safer pastors. But Ross Harrisdefinitely deserves recognition for his part as young Brad. Throughhim, we are able to see how a child would deal with such an event andhow the innocence of childhood is brought to a sharp end as Brad isforced to take the role of an adult for the sake of his family.After seeing 'Testament', I don't think I'll ever really stop ponderingthe issues it raised and how it is vitally important that thegovernments of all countries do anything and everything to ensure wenever have to deal with such an event in real life. It is verythought-provoking and terrifying in a way no horror flick can be. Andif you want to add to your trauma, I recommend checking out 'Threads'(the same situation only set in England and so chilling that it makesthis film out to be a bag of laughs) and 'The Day After'.

MaryAnn Johanson 2012-04-28 23:33:21

Testament's power comes in all the understatements...

2012-04-24 22:29:48

Testiment video

This review is from: Testament [VHS] (VHS Tape) I'd seen this video 20yr past, it is as powerful today as it was then. I did not watch it for a scare factor, and I don't live my life like chicken little. Just a tidbit, Kevin Costner had a bit roll in this move. I wrote this because Amazon wanted my input.

2012-04-24 16:55:21

"This is San Francisco, we have lost our New York signal..."

So says the TV broadcaster, who suddenly and jarringly appears on the television screen, after a PBS Children's show that was being aired disappears into snow, one sunny afternoon that the Wetherly family is watching while doing various activities; the daughter practicing the piano, the two brothers squabbling over the TV reception and antenna, and Mom (played by Jane Alexander) listening to telephone messages, when they learn that their world is about to abruptly change. The TV broadcaster goes on to say that "radar sources confirm the explosion of nuclear devices in New York and up and down the East Coast. "Ladies and Gentleman", the TV broadcaster continues, "this is real this is not" when he is interrupted and cut out by the Emergency Broadcasting System.I saw Testament when it aired on PBS in the early 1980's and it still is one of the most powerful and moving films I have ever seen. For days afterward, I had this melancholy feeling that would not go away.Testament is a quiet and dignified film about a family living in a town near San Francisco in the aftermath of an unexplained nuclear attack on the United States (I'm assuming by the former Soviet Union). There are no depictions of the nuclear attack other than a flash of light in the film. Nor is any explanation given on the reason why there was a nuclear attack. You do find out in the film from the town's Ham radio operator, that the the entire San Francisco Bay area is out, up north (Portland, OR?, Seattle, WA? Canada?)are ok, and that there is no communication east of the Mississippi River.Needless to say there isn't a happy ending, but the film does end on a somewhat hopeful note. I also found the film score to be haunting, especially so, as the movie ends with it playing while a Wetherly family home movie is being played of the husband/father's (played by William Devane) birthday party.Be sure to look for Kevin Costner's and Rebecca De Mornay's cameo roles. Also, the town's elderly and WWII veteran ham radio operator was played by Leon Ames who was the father in the movies "Meet me in St. Louis" and "By the light of the Silvery Moon".Please read the other reviews for a more detailed description.Deserves to be seen by everyone.

enthusiast 2012-04-24 00:35:56

THIS Really Happened!!!!!

This movie actually happened just three years later! I was living inthe United States then (despite my name and current residence inLithuania I am American born and remain a U.S. citizen) and rememberseeing this movie. I recently watched it again and was horrified at thefact this actually happened!! The movie deals with the effect of anuclear war and the subsequent problem with radiation. This actuallyoccurred though, of course, not in the United States. Three years laterthe "unthinkable" actually did happen. In this case it was a reactormeltdown. And, while at first only a few people died eventuallythousands of people died. Unfortunately most of them were children-whoare the most at risk of Iodine 131 (a radioactive byproduct) poisoning.This result of this is noticeable even today as far removed as theBaltic Republics-which were downwind of the reactor accident inUkraine. There is a noticeable demographic dip in the number of peoplewho were children at that time. This film is VERY true to life eventhough it was made three years before the accident. The only reason whyI did not give this film a 10 is that some of the scenarios wereunrealistic- for instance, the continued lack of telephone service evenon a local scale as well as the local authorities not giving animmediate evacuation order such as was given in Ukraine in towns andvillages near the reactor mishap. A very powerful film that is morereal than most people realize.

2012-04-23 19:34:15

Most Powerful, impacting, emotional films ever made!

This review is from: Testament (DVD) Oh boy....here we go...testament has arrived on DVD! Its been a long time coming but I am so excited to see this make it finally to the DVD format.Let me tell all of you that this movie was a masterpiece. I saw it back in the early 80s on PBS TV and it just rocked me to the core. IM telling you people this movie is so powerful you will never be the same after watching it!Its about a family living a typical life of experiences and activities. They live in the suburbs of San Francisco Bay Area - the father goes off to work in San Francisco. The kids are watching cartoons after school and then hell is unleashed upon all! The TV is interrupted by news anchor notifying the entire eastern seaboard has been hit by nuclear missiles. A flash explodes in the living room and a air raid siren blasts....The story begins....we suffer through the agony and hopelessness as the mother tries to do the best she can to get her family (daughter and 2 sons) to go about their daily lives. You become so emotionally connected to the characters and their feelings that it becomes utterly painful to see the aftermath destruction of nuclear war via radiation and apocalypse.You will cry till there's no tommorow when you see the family slowly die one by one. Its a feeling I've not experienced watching television or movies. The acting is so beautiful and authentic you can forget you are watching a tv screen and think you are seeing a live performance.I am so happy to see this come out on DVD it is really a wake up call to human beings as they will appreciate life and the world we live in as opposed to nuclear holocaust that is out there.Please understand this movie is so depressing that you may need help to recover from it but its a fictional tale that hopefully never comes true. Buy and see this movie as soon as you can because it will be a life changing experience for you - I have no doubt!