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1983
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SILKWOOD
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STARRING:MERYL
STREEP,KURT RUSSELL,CHER,CRAIG T.NELSON,FRED WARD,RON SILVER,DIANA
SCARWID,CHARLES HALLAHAN,SUSIE BOND, BRUCE MCGILL
WRITTEN
BY NORA EPHRON & ALICE ARLEN
PRODUCED
BY MICHAEL HAUSMAN & MIKE NICHOLS
DIRECTED
BY MIKE NICHOLS
GENRE:BIOGRAPHY/DRAMA/THRILLER
RATED:AUSTRALIA:M/UK:15/USA:R
RUNNING
TIME:131 MIN
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Silkwood
tells the true story of Karen Silkwood (Meryl Streep) a chemical technician
at the Kerr-McGee plutonium processing plant in Oklahoma. After a
double shift Karen witnesses several men chopping up and burying a
truck contaminated with plutonium. On her next shift she is blamed
for contaminating her section which draws suspicions from her fellow
employees and management who transfer her to another section. Sick
of having all of the blame placed on her, Karen takes a stance against
Kerr-McGee and joins the union subsequently blowing the whistle on
the plants un-satisfactory working conditions which include the altering
of x-rays and high levels of plutonium contamination (Karen herself
would be contaminated several times which she believed to be retaliation
by Kerr-McGee). Karen would die in a mysterious car accident while
she was on her way to speak with a journalist from the New York Times.
The predecessor of films such as Erin Brokovich and
North Country, Silkwood features an outstanding
performance by Meryl Streep who continues to showcase her extraordinary
range and chameleon like abilities. Complete with southern accent
and mullet hair cut, Streep does not play Karen Silkwood but becomes
Karen Silkwood, a woman who's aggressive and curious nature spawned
an obsession to find the truth behind her employers inadequate working
conditions, bringing forward the lack of education given to the workers
at the Kerr-McGee plutonium plant and the dangers of a new industry.
Kurt Russell plays Drew, Karen's live in boyfriend. Dolly (Cher) also
lives with them. Her sexual feelings for Karen places a strain on
their friendship, only for it to nearly collapse as Karen begins to
alienate all those around her in her quest for the truth. Both Russell
and Cher give great performances as the two stars easily slip into
these two real life, down to earth figures. Craig T. Nelson is also
good as the sleazy Winston, whose actions border on sexual harassment.
Movies based on real life personalities tend to be an over dramatized
account of events, yet Silkwood is different. Director Mike
Nichols knows that the strength of his movie lies within the people
it is based on, particularly that of Karen Silkwood. I sympathized
with her struggle. Every risk she takes created knots in my stomach
with Nichols knowing when to crank the tension. Every time she is
scrubbed down by men in plastic suits using hard brushes I couldn't
help but wince, and when it is revealed she had been spiked with plutonium
I was angry.
Of course there is a downside, and this can be found in George Delerue's
score which was an unwelcome distraction. Excessive in its use, it
killed the subtle tone that I was growing accustomed to. And is it
me, or was it a little hypocritical for Silkwood to lobby against
the dangers of cancer in the mishandling of plutonium while sucking
down cigarettes like it was Coca Cola? I think this almost beats Robert
De Niro's 1987 crime/comedy Midnight
Run for most cigarettes smoked in a film.
This isn't a flashy film chock a block full of inspiring monologues
and well lit scenes of our dashing heroine fighting against her oppressor's.
Silkwood is a well directed movie that likes to take its time,
contains many well rounded characters and treats its subjects and
subject matter with the proper respect. |
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