Hollywood Tackles Political and Social Controversies in the Late 1970s
In the late 1970s Hollywood began tackling immediate political and social controversies, and few topics were as divisive as civilian nuclear power. The China Syndrome dramatized a possible reactor meltdown with painstaking detail, sparking debate about industry safety and corporate responsibility.
Inspiration Behind the Film
The screenplay, inspired by rising anti-nuclear sentiment, took its title from a phrase screenwriter Mike Gray encountered. The term described a feared accident in which a reactor core could theoretically melt downward through containment “in the direction of China.” Critics initially condemned the film as an attack on an entire industry, but its portrayal would soon gain unsettling real-world relevance.
Plot Overview
The plot follows a routine television investigation at the Ventana nuclear plant near Los Angeles. Reporters Kimberly Wells (Jane Fonda), cameraman Richard Adams (Michael Douglas), and soundman Hector Salas witness irregularities and secretly record evidence suggesting serious safety violations.
Jack Godell, the plant’s shift supervi...