Not all post-apocalyptic films are full of mutated zombies and roaming savages fighting over fuel. Some focus on the human stories that will be the reality for many of us if one of the mentalists decides to press the button.
Set in a suburban town, the story focuses on a regular American family, a Mother (Jane Alexander) and Father (William Devane) and their children. When Father is out of town on business, nuclear war breaks out.
Testament has a similar brooding dread that burns through the classic On the Beach, albeit with more of a made-for-TV feel. We see the human aspect of the aftermath of a nuclear attack. The attempt at normalcy and the desperation of not having any control over what’s occurring. Everything takes place in a regular, middle-class environment. While there may be a little looting in the town, the family we follow keeps an essence of politeness and decency. The young boy gets to know an elderly neighbour with a ham radio, and they attempt to contact other towns. The sad reality of the fallout of a nuclear bomb creeps in, and this is also handled gently, which makes it all the more devastating. Kevin Costner has a small but effective part as a father who loses a child early in the aftermath.
Lynne Littman directs with a daytime TV aesthetic, but rather than making the film look cheap, it gives it an immediacy that a grander production may have lost.
Imprint’s Blu-ray has enough bonus features to make this a worthy purchase, but the film alone is worth your money. Haunting and sobering stuff.
Testament is out now on Blu-ray in Australia from Imprint (region free).
