I saw this film on a British television channel and having seen it years ago I realised yet again how time changes one's responses. I was shocked back then but was more shocked this time at the violent amount of shooting people and how ultra-sensationalist this film is. No spoilers but after an attack on the USA by nuclear weapons a family who are out of the zone of destruction do everything to survive. To survive the family have to shoot people and kill them, endure a rape involving the daughter and try their hardest to establish civilization when most people around them are shown as much, much worse than them. The first half depicting panic is well done, but Ray Milland who also directed does less well in my opinion in the second half. The sexual attitude towards women is patronising and they rarely have a say, or are allowed to do anything. Milland almost ignores their existence until one of them is raped and then he just uses his gun to make things better. The ending is predictable. No doubt in 1962 it must have alarmed viewers, but the premise of the nuclear attack is used to keep the nuclear family intact. Jean Hagen who plays the mother is wasted and pop star of the time Frankie Avalon does not sing, but signs are he will end up like his role model father in the film. Depressing, as nuclear war should be but the film avoids showing it and concentrates on bad boys and the so-called hooligans of the times.
Review of Panic in Year Zero!
