New Film About Reagan and the Cold War Sparks Debate
Listen to the story
A new film about the Cold War has drawn criticism from a reviewer at The Atlantic. The movie is called 'The Brink of War'.
The film focuses on the 1986 Reykjavik summit, a meeting between US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leaders in Iceland's capital. This summit was an important moment in Cold War history, when the two countries discussed reducing nuclear weapons.
Actor Jeff Daniels, who is from Michigan, plays Reagan in the film. He joins a long list of actors who have taken on the role of a US president on screen.
However, the reviewer argues that the movie gives Reagan too much credit for the events shown. According to the review, the film may present a version of history that is too kind to the former president.
This kind of criticism is common in film reviews about historical events. Reviewers often check whether a movie stays close to real facts or changes them to tell a better story.
The Cold War was a long period of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. It did not involve direct fighting, but the two superpowers competed in many other ways, including through nuclear weapons and political influence around the world.
'The Brink of War' adds to a growing number of films that look back at this era. Such movies often try to show what world leaders were thinking during dangerous moments in history.
The debate over how fairly the film treats Reagan shows how filmmakers face challenges when turning real history into entertainment.
Vocabulary10 words
- Cold War
- a long period when the US and Soviet Union were enemies but did not fight directly
- summit
- an important meeting between top leaders
- role
- a character an actor plays
- credit
- praise given for something good
- superpowers
- very powerful countries that control much of world events
- entertainment
- movies, shows, or media made for fun
- nuclear weapons
- very powerful and dangerous bombs
- tension
- a feeling of stress between groups or countries
- historical
- related to real events from the past
- criticism
- comments pointing out problems with something
Quiz
Answer key
1. The 1986 Reykjavik summit 2. It gives Reagan too much credit 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A new film about the Cold War has drawn _____ from a reviewer at The Atlantic. The movie is called 'The Brink of War'.
The film focuses on the 1986 _____, a meeting between US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leaders in Iceland's capital.
Actor Jeff Daniels, who is from Michigan, plays Reagan in the film. He joins a long list of actors who have taken on the _____ of a US president on screen.
However, the reviewer argues that the movie gives Reagan too much _____ for the events shown.
The Cold War was a long period of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. The two _____ competed in many other ways, including through nuclear weapons.
'The Brink of War' adds to a growing number of films that look back at this era.
The debate over how fairly the film treats Reagan shows how filmmakers face challenges when turning real history into _____.
Discussion questions
- Do you think movies about real historical events should always be completely accurate? Why or why not?
- Why do you think filmmakers continue to make movies about the Cold War?
- What challenges might actors face when playing a real historical figure like a US president?
- Do you think it is fair for reviewers to criticize how a movie portrays a historical figure?
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