Seven Days In May
"A totally fresh and bold experience. As loaded as a Hitchcock mystery film." -The New York Times
It happens with a startling swiftness and violence. An armed cadre seizes state control. Fortunately, a coup d' etat can't happen here. Or can it?
A classic of suspense directed by John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate, Ronin) and written for the screen by Rod Sterling (The Twilight Zone), Seven Days In May tautly explores that possibility. At odds are a popular general and joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman (Burt Lancaster) and an unpopular President (Fredric March) with a pacifist agenda. At stake is the survival of the Republic. A vigilant colonel (Kirk Douglas) uncovers the scheme. But are the seven fateful days ahead enough time to derail a takeover? The clock is ticking.
Member Reviews
Chilling Story That Has Few Flaws - revsdd
This is a marvelous and believable account of a military conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government after the President signs a disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union against the wishes of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Rod Serling wrote the screenplay based on the book by Fletcher Knebel. Serling masterfully builds the suspense from the very beginning and leaves the viewer hanging on every word, waiting to see how this plot is going to be stopped (or if it will succeed.) Burt Lancaster offered a powerful performance as the megalomaniac General James Scott - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - who sees himself as the saviour of the nation opposing a weak and unpopular President (Frederic March, who does a good job of portraying a President perhaps a bit unsure how to handle the situation, but certain that he will not give in), and who is prepared to topple the democratically elected government to ensure that the President's disarmament treaty is stopped. Kirk Douglas is equally powerful as General Jiggs Casey, Scott's assistant, who gradually becomes aware of the plot. While sympathetic to Scott's antagonism to the treaty, Casey can't convince himself to commit treason by allowing the coup to take place, and becomes part of the President's circle trying to put an end to it. (The most powerful scene of the entire movie occurs near the end, as Scott and Casey disagree over which of them most closely resembles Judas Iscariot.)
Aside from an ending that was perhaps a bit anti-climatic this has little to criticize, and it raises disturbing questions even today in the absence of the Cold War. What would happen if the democratically elected government set out on a course that powerful military figures genuinely believed would lead to the destruction of the country? How fragile is democracy? The questions raised leave questions ringing in your mind long after the movie ends.
This one is definitely a must-see.A masterpiece! - allknowingeye
This movie is masterpiece, and highly recommended by me. Another great partnering of Burt Lancaster and John Frankenheimer, my personal favorite director.
The suspense and drive of this movie never lets up. It's story of an attempted miltary coup against the American government by a wacked out General played by Burt Lancaster.
The General is pissed cause the President has signed a treaty with Soviets to get rid a bunch of nukes. The General so loves his nukes, more then he loves the American Constitution.
Yes it's in Black and White, but get over that. Watch this movie and pay attention to the General's wacked out right wing politics, and see if it don't sound a lot like the Bushites of today.
This is a movie that is completely contemperary to the world we live in today. Rent it, watch it, I bet you will love it too. If you like it check out the Frankenhiemer/Lancaster Ultimate Masterpiece THE TRAIN, perhaps the best movie ever made.Fantastic! - heatherc
There is a more remake of this film, but it's not available on dvd. Not to worry, though - the original version is fantastic. The pace is exciting, and it's kind of like a 1950s 'West Wing' meets '24.' Just without the Jack Bauer. And cell phones.
You'll enjoy it. I promise.
Member Reviews
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Chilling Story That Has Few Flaws - revsdd
This is a marvelous and believable account of a military conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government after the President signs a disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union against the wishes of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Rod Serling wrote the screenplay ...A masterpiece! - allknowingeye
This movie is masterpiece, and highly recommended by me. Another great partnering of Burt Lancaster and John Frankenheimer, my personal favorite director.
The suspense and drive of this movie never lets up. It's story of an attempted miltary coup against ...Fantastic! - heatherc
There is a more remake of this film, but it's not available on dvd. Not to worry, though - the original version is fantastic. The pace is exciting, and it's kind of like a 1950s 'West Wing' meets '24.' Just without the Jack Bauer. And cell phones.
You'll ...