Cinema
Big bang
Ted Whitehead
The China Syndrome (Leicester Square Theatre) The title of The China Syndrome (A) takes some explaining. It refers to a terrifying possibility dreamed up by the designers of America's light-water nuclear reactors. In this type of reactor the uranium core is immersed in water which controls its temp erature. If for any reason the water level were to drop, then the exposed core would heat up to the point at which it would eventually melt and turn into a flaming ball of radioactive fuel that would burn through its casing and tear through the earth 'headed for China'. Inhabitants of China may relax, however, as it seems that the syndrome is no more than a merry fancy: what would actually happen if the core were to overheat is that it would blow up, and irradiate half of California.
Fortunately the senior scientist, Jack Lemmon, and his team of assistants in the control room are able to cope with the crisis by bringing an emergency cooling system into operation — but not before their hysterical fear and near-panic have been witnessed and filmed by a visiting TV reporter (Jane Fonda) and cameraman (Michael Douglas). When the XKLA TV station refuses to transmit the film, Douglas steals it and submits it to a physicist opposed to the development of nuclear technology: his verdict is, 'You're lucky to be alive — and so is the rest of Southern California.'
Despite this the company announce after a lightning investigation (there's that other licence looming) that owing to negligence there had been a minor mishap but no real danger. Lemmon tries to persuade a sceptical Fonda that the system works, adding, '1 love that plant — it's my whole life.' And then he unearths evidence proving that the system is critically vulnerable.
Strong-arm tactics on the part of company 'security force,' prevent the exposure of the evidence and compel Lemmon finally to take action himself. He occupies the control room and by threatening to sabotage the plant forces the management to allow him to give an interview on TV to Jane Fonda. Unfortunately his speech is rambling, jittery and bewilderingly technical, and before he can get his point across he is gunned down by security men. As he lies dying the crisis in the cooling system is repeated, and again averted. Till next time?
It's a pity that the melodrama diminishes the impact of an urgent and serious message film. The director, James Bridges, and his scriptwriters skilfully get across the essential technical information, and there are excellent performances by Fonda and Lemmon and particularly by Scott Brady as a plant boss as volatile as the uranium core.
A month after the film's release in America came the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power station at Harrisburg. There aren't any light-water reactors in this country as yet„but there's a strong lobby promoting them. It should be interesting to see how they respond to The China Syndrome. It left me with a sudden affection for windmills.
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