Seven Days in May
                                                                                                             
Director: John Frankenheimer
Year: 1964
Rating: 8.0
This is one of the classic 1960's political thrillers. Films suffused with Cold War paranoia like Fail Safe, Dr. Strangelove and The Manchurian Candidate. Those felt a little fantastical but this one has a black and white near documentary vérité feel to it. It crawls in your stomach pounding to get out. Because it could happen here. Today. Tomorrow. Much of it still feels relevant today. A divided nation between the left and the far right. A media willing to push the agenda of the far right. A President with dropping popularity. A fascist head of the military who prizes loyalty more than anything. A yearning by many to ignore democratic means and turn to a strong authoritarian leader. And possibly a coup in the making. Not one by the military as in this film, but one abetted by the military. If you feel like you have entered the Twilight Zone, that is perhaps because the script for the film is from Rod Serling; based on the book by Fletcher Knebel and Charles Bailey II.




It is a powerful film with a number of outstanding performances from an ensemble of terrific lead and character actors. Big names - Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Fredric March and Ava Gardner - and smaller Edmund O'Brien, Martin Balsam, John Houseman, Walt Bissell.  All of them get their chance to shine with cutting, realistic dialogue. It is directed by John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) with a sense of urgency and paces it like a horse race.




The USA has signed a nuclear disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union. The military thinks it is suicide. General Scott (Lancaster) seems modeled on General MacArthur who had wanted to nuke China and made political speeches. He is fanatical and driven. Lancaster plays him steely jawed and intense. His aide Colonel Jiggs Martin (Douglas) begins to suspect that Scott who he greatly admires is plotting to overthrow the government in seven days. All the pieces are in place and other senior generals on board. Jiggs goes to the President (a superb March) and tells him his concerns. Some wonderfully written and acted scenes. The one between Lancaster and March is masterful but also great ones with Douglas and Gardner, Balsam and Houseman, O'Brien and everyone. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Still, we believe that it can't happen here. We shall see.