[9]
Director Lynne Littman delivers a devastating drama about a tight-knit California community suffering from fatal radiation poisoning after nuclear bombs are dropped on America’s major cities. Based on a short story by Carol Amen, Testament examines the horrors of nuclear warfare from a more intimate perspective than Hollywood usually takes. We experience everything from the viewpoint of a mother (four-time Oscar nominee Jane Alexander) and her three children. After the blinding light of the nearest bomb, the family hunkers down and waits for the father (William Devane) to return home from work. But he never does. Television and radio signals go silent, effectively cutting the town off from the outside world. The neighborhood bands together for support as the grim reality of their situation begins to set in: the ones who died instantly are the lucky ones, for everyone else is now sentenced to a slower, more agonizing death.
Littman, who started her career in documentary films, lends Testament a haunting realism. She handles the material with uncommon restraint — and thank goodness for that, because Testament is grim enough without any embellishments. The screenplay by John Sacret Young is remarkable in the way it allows the viewer to fill in many of the more emotional gaps in the narrative. The script will indicate, for example, that a character is dying, or it will address their death after the fact. This approach not only sidesteps any potential sensationalizing, but also mirrors the unsettling nonchalance the characters of Testament are are forced to adopt as civilization withers and dies.
Alexander (All the President’s Men, Kramer vs. Kramer) earned a much deserved fourth Oscar nomination for this film. It’s a dynamic performance in which she often holds back her fears and sorrows for the sake of her children. One of her best scenes is when her daughter (Roxana Zal) asks what it’s like to make love. Her answer is poetic and spiritual, but tinged with the knowledge that it’s something her daughter will never experience. Young Rossie Harris gives a remarkable performance as Alexander’s middle child, a pre-teen boy who adopts his mother’s stiff upper lip and sense of duty once the tragedy strikes. Kevin Costner (Field of Dreams) and Rebecca De Mornay (The Hand that Rocks the Cradle), both in early career performances, are touching as a young couple whose infant baby is one of the first to die. Lukas Haas (Witness, Lady in White) makes his film debut as Alexander’s youngest son.
Testament is a powerfully impactful film, but one that’s also very hard to watch. No one saves the day. There is no happy ending in nuclear fallout. The best we can hope for is that the last few surviving characters can find some small joy or peace in their lives before their time comes. While Testament is more horrifying than most traditional horror films, it also provides a noble contrast. The film’s most poignant moments come when characters do their best to comfort each other with their selflessness — a portrait of human love and compassion, even in the darkest of scenarios.
With Mako, Leon Ames, Lilia Skala, and a striking, early score from James Horner (Titanic, Legends of the Fall).
Oscar Nomination: Best Actress (Jane Alexander)