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Fail-Safe by Sidney Lumet from Sociological Perspective

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Success of the cinematographic picture directly depends on its correspondence to the certain social conditions that would be potentially interesting to the audience.

Therefore, films usually deal with the particular social issues in order to represent certain idea that could be useful or appealing to the viewers. The film Fail-Safe directed by Sidney Lumet based on the novel by Eugene Burdick shows the story about military mistake caused by computers that led to the human loss. Therefore, it is possible to point out several sociological issues in this film: relations between Western and non-Western cultures (international relations), the war and peace in terms of nuclear threat, and overestimation of the computer technologies.

The established superiority of the West in the technical-economic and military-strategic aspects caused certain political stereotype regarding the Cold War relationships between East and West, mainly America and Russia. From the sociological perspective, the analyzed film deals with the consequences of the cultural and political discrepancy of the two countries. The relationships between America and USSR show that it is hard to create certain political environment in which two giant states will follow equal norms and avoid mutual mistrust. Professor Groeteschele states that “The Russian aim is to dominate the world” (Lumet, 1964). These words are maintained by the Russian attempts to block radio signal that determined the inability to prevent the disaster. This mutual distrust and aggression led to the loss of human lives. In fact, this situation shows the strong USA and USSR’s opposition when each of the state aspired to extend the limits of their ideological influence as far as possible in order to win the hearts and minds of people in an effort to break out in the arms race and talk with the opposite side from a position of strength. “Exactly. This time, we can finish what we start” – these words show permanent tension in relations between the states (Lumet, 1964). Therefore, from the sociological perspective, the tension that is pictured during the discussion of the problem with Moscow and the extreme mistrust of both sides are determined by the clash of the bourgeois and capitalistic ideologies and inability of the two giant states divide the areas of influence in the liberal and peaceful manner due to their ambitions.

Another important sociological issue that is revealed in the film and described in our interpretive essay outline paper is the relation between humans and computers. Due to the variety of software and hardware, it is now possible to use all the potential capabilities of computer technology. This allows storing huge amount of information taking up the minimum space. Also, computer technology allows one to quickly process this information and keep it protected. Many technical procedures are conducted easier and faster by computer technologies. In the analyzed film, it can be seen how Pentagon is proud of their military computer achievements: “There are checks and counterchecks” (Lumet, 1964). People start to overestimate computers’ abilities and forget that machines can also make mistakes. Therefore, the director of the film poses a rhetorical question: “Who's got the responsibility?” (Lumet, 1964). These words reveal an important sociological issue regarding the interaction of human and technology: they cannot substitute each other completely. Both technologies and humans have to be supervised all the time and divide the areas of tasks. Therefore, from the sociological perspectives, it is necessary to point out the following disadvantages of the complete substitution of the human resources by computers. The first is security threats/vulnerabilities: an automated system may have a limited level of intelligence therefore being more susceptible to making a mistake outside of its immediate field of knowledge (for example, it is generally not able to apply simple logic rules in general judgments).

However, the above-mentioned sociological issues presented in the film are only the background for the main topic raised in the picture: the problem of peace and war and nuclear war in particular. Wars began to arise after the formation of states. The largest traditional states appeared, as a rule, as a result of the conquest and subjugation of weaker groups. In a world where states have the means to use military force, there is always the likelihood of war. Events that provoke the outbreak of war are very different – usually a clash of interests of different states if disagreements cannot be resolved through the conclusion of political or trade agreements as well as diplomatic negotiations. Governments start wars because of claims to the territory of another state and aspirations to take over any resources or because of ideological clashes. One reason cannot lead to war. The discussed film represents not the war in particular, but the state of the extreme preparation to start it in any time. Such preparation led to the overestimation of the situation and, as a result – the adoption of the extreme safety measures that led to the human loss. “We're setting up a war machine that acts faster... than the ability of men to control it” – these words were said during the discussion of the limited war in Pentagon (Lumet, 1964). Therefore, the main point of the film is to show the disastrous consequences of the extreme military preparation without visible necessity.

In conclusion, the aim of sociology is to examine different social processes that influence humanity welfare. Lumet’s film Fail-Safe highlights the most urgent social issues that threaten human’s safety. The film shows what the state of confrontation between the two superpowers can lead to enmity in which there are no winners and losers, strong and weak for which it will be costly to pay to both parties. Enmity made the leaders of the countries victims of their own weapons and advanced military technologies, hostages of their own orders.

 

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