Silkwood

This film was supposed to be about unethical practices in the nuclear industry and I was curious about the filmmakers' perspective on my American colleagues and how much the environment in our field has changed since the film was made. To be honest, I consider Silkwood to be poorly executed from a dramatic point of view, with the film dragging on and on. After a little time passed after I watched it, I am able to recall nothing more than endless cigarette stubs and a very peculiar approach of American employees toward workplace safety, which would have been unimaginable just a decade later. And speaking of smoking, even filmmakers of the 50s were not as accommodating to the needs of the tobacco industry - or so I believe. Nonetheless, the charisma of Meryl Streep as one of the best actresses of her generation is necessary to save quite a bit of the film, meaning it will be difficult for it to maintain a three-star rating. Overall impression: 50%. (31/08/2018)

In its time, this was a very important film. Today, the context is missing and the late New Hollywood style is also not universal, but similar trips to the past are still worth attention. Karen Gay Silkwood (1946-1974) became notorious as a union activist dealing with safety at a plutonium-processing nuclear factory. The circumstances of her death raised many questions. Her story became a certain manifesto, although the legal dispute between the factory and the survivors was eventually settled out of court. The factory ceased its operations as early as 1975. The Silkwood case also inspired the film The China Syndrome. From an acting perspective, it is truly an experience, Meryl Streep's remarkable performance in the post-Sophie's Choice era is already an absolute classic today. Cher also gained a great deal of attention for her lesbian character Dolly Pelliker, but the strongest emotions were conveyed by Sudie Bond. (14/01/2024)

A dull and unremarkable drama that, after more than two hours without any sense of build-up, simply ends, leaving you wondering if it was worth your time. It left no impact on me, and I didn’t learn much about the malfunctioning nuclear plant in Oklahoma. The standout was the strong performances by Meryl Streep and Kurt Russell, which felt wasted in a film that didn’t live up to their talent. I understand that the Silkwood case was pivotal for nuclear issues in the US, but her life outside of this was not compelling enough to warrant a biopic. This is easily the weakest Mike Nichols film I’ve seen. Fun fact: When the film aired in Czechoslovakia in 1988, it had a runtime of just 91 minutes. Nearly all scenes featuring Cher, who played the lesbian roommate, were cut due to the taboo nature of homosexuality at the time. This led to confusion among Czechoslovak critics about why Cher won a Golden Globe for what seemed like minimal screen time. Even having seen the full original version, I’m puzzled by her win. She played a supporting role and didn’t stand out, especially compared to Meryl Streep, who overshadowed her in every scene. It’s baffling that Cher was the only one to receive acting accolades for this film. (04/08/2019)