I just watched Sidney Lumet’s movie Fail-Safe (1964) and I was blown away (ha-ha) by how good and current it was. I had expected something touching but dated, a piece of history like On The Beach, but it’s a masterpiece that has well stood the test of time.
On the DVD was an interesting featurette about the making of the movie, mentioning how Stanley Kubrick managed to force a delay of the release until after Dr. Strangelove was out. An excellent comparison too: with none of the stunning exteriors which Kubrick used, just four fixed and Spartan sets, Gerald Hirschfeld’s cinematography manages to be absolutely drool-worthy beautiful. It’s like Ansel Adams filming a bunch of generals.
Fail-Safe (1964) on Wikipedia
Fail-Safe (1964) on IMDb
The Reef 