War Game, The

Synopsis: Few films have caused as much controversy as Peter Watkins’ THE WAR GAME, a drama documentary made for BBC TV in 1965 about a ‘limited’ nuclear attack on Kent. Blending fiction and fact to create a moving and startling vision of the personal as well as the public consequences of such an attack, Watkins exposes the inadequacy of the nation’s Civil Defence programme and questions the philosophy of the nuclear deterrent. It was banned from television screens anywhere in the world until 1985.
The video and DVD versions also include THE WAR GAME- A CONTROVERSY and a Peter Watkins short THE DIARY OF AN UNKNOWN SOLDIER.
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Year of release: 2003
Year of production: 1966
Availability: out of distribution
Subjects: Drama; Media studies; Politics & government; Sociology
Keywords: censorship; dramatised documentary films; nuclear warfare; television drama

Title: War game, The
Duration: 47 mins
Title: War game - the controversy, The
Synopsis: Patrick Murphy reveals new information about the banning of the film and dicusses whether the BBC was involved in the decision.
Title: Diary of an unknown soldier
Synopsis: Made in 1959, this low-budget film portrays the moving, personal doubts and fears of a World War 1 soldier. The film won an ‘Amateur Oscar’.

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