Day One

Director: Joseph Sargent
Starring: David Strathairn, Brian Dennehy,

Finally, a movie that takes a risk.

A defiant portrayal of the development and detonation of the first nuclear weapon  Day One brings the subtle complexity and emotion of The Manhattan Project to television. With a great cast, including SAG award winner Brian Dennehy from Death of a Salesman and David Strathairn from Good Night and Good Luck. Day One gives us an historically accurate, strikingly tender story behind the building of the atomic bomb.

As with all advances in history's arsenal, the atomic bomb started as an idea. Day One takes us through all stages of the bomb's science and politics, a graceful and powerful blend of physics and the military. Starting with the initial proposal to Washington, director Joseph Sargent (Warm Springs) focuses on the division and collaboration of the two; with contrasting attitudes, personalities and professions, the "academics" and military men must work together to find a way of ending the war quickly. The U.S. motive for ending the war is sharply questioned in the film's conclusion; the question weighed is, "Should their interest extend beyond saving American lives alone?" From early stages at several American universities to the series of tests in New Mexico, Day One presents us with a question that continues to be relevant today: In modern warfare, where do we cross the line?

Day One does indeed take a risk, bluntly asking the viewers to analyze our actions, our beliefs and the power upon which our nations rely. Sargent consistently challenges our ethics, first as Americans and, more importantly, as members of the human race. The decision to drop the bomb is criticized in this film (although there are attempts to water down the director's opinion), made clear in scenes where the ethics and the outcome of the bomb are debated. An historical landmark in the politics of today, Day One demands with cinematic grace that we take stock of our destructive resources.

For a contemporary audience used to the typical 90-minute film, Day One's 144 minutes may seem painfully slow and long. Mimicking the painfully slow process of developing the bomb's technology, Sargent intentionally builds tension through his film, making it, at times, frustrating to watch. The first two hours seem unconcerned with the limited attention span of modern viewers as the director makes this an opportunity to defy Hollywood's standards and draw our attention to a movie that matters. Only in the film's last few minutes does the significance of its message meet the screen. But when it does, the perhaps-uncomfortable wait dissipates as the climax erupts before your eyes.

Unafraid to question the ethics surrounding the bomb, this film truly wants its voice heard.