The China Syndrome (1979)
The term “China Syndrome” became an indelible part of our
vocabulary as the effects of such a nuclear disaster became a
reality during the 70s and 80's with Three Mile Island and
Chernobyl.
In theory, when the core of a nuclear reactor overheats, the
energy and heat generated would start melting the Earth’s
surface.
The core would then start sinking into the Earth and
drill its way all the way to the other side of the world - hence
the reference to China.
 In this 1978 movie, Kimberly Wells (Jane Fonda) is a news
anchor for a local TV station, slowly working her way up through
the ranks defined by company politics.
One day while covering a nuclear power plant as part of a
series of informative news stories, an accident happens and not
knowing what is going on, her cameraman, Richard (Michael Douglas)
starts filming the ensuing events without permission.
Once they leave the building they try to use the material for
exclusive coverage of the event but the station declines, in fear
of a lawsuit. Aggravated, Richard steals the film and shows it to
experts who are able to identify the accident and classify it with
comments, such as “we are all very lucky we are still alive!”.
During their visit a control meter in the plant’s control
room indicated that water level in the plant’s core was too high
and to release the pressure Jack Godell (Jack Lemmon) orders to
open valves to release the water. When the desired effect is not
kicking in, he decides to open more valves, trying to drain more
water.
Once again, without effect it seems, but then a look at another
meter indicates that the water level has become dangerously low.
To their horror it turns out that the needle of the analogue meter
was stuck and that in fact they had drained nearly all the water
from the plant’s nuclear core.
Immediately the men in the control room try frantically to
refill the containment only seconds before they physically lay
bare the core. After seconds of desperate measures, they manage to
slowly refill the water and contain the danger, but they all know
that they almost caused a China Syndrome because of the stuck
needle on the gauge.
Officially "nothing happened" and the press releases
cover up most of the vents, despite the fact that Richard is still
in possession of the film footage. Kimberly and Richard try to
make the footage available to the public to show the threat of
these nuclear power plants but when they talk to Godell about the
events, it turns out that there is a bigger threat. One that is
still acute and can cost millions of lives.
Originally released during a period when the fear of nuclear
energy was on the front of everyone’s minds, The China
Syndrome touched on a very hot topic.
Ironically, only 12 days after the theatrical release of the
film an accident as described in the film happened at Three Mile
Island power plant in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
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