Directed by:
Joseph LoseyScreenplay:
Evan JonesCinematography:
Arthur GrantComposer:
James BernardCast:
Macdonald Carey, Oliver Reed, Alexander Knox, Walter Gotell, Viveca Lindfors, Brian Oulton, Kenneth Cope, Shirley Anne Field, Anthony Valentine (more)Plots(1)
Legal and illegal criminality. An American tourist with a boat is robbed by a gang of teenage boys, assisted by the leader's sister. But soon afterward she jumps to the victim's boat to escape her brother's incestuous jealousy. The couple fly together and is hunted by the entire gang. Both happen to enter high-classified military territory. There might be a third and atomic world war, after which no ordinary man could survive. But now and then children are born who are "naturally" radio-active and have cold blood. They might survive in the post-war world and carry on mankind. They are fetched and brought to an underground construction where they are educated by TV. They are told that they are on a space ship moving toward the earth, which they should eventually colonize. This military project seems to be a failure because of a high mortality among the children. - The military soon finds the gang. The couple finds the children and tries to help them to escape. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
Let's face it, the culmination and revelation of everything aren't as great as one would expect, and the author of the source material probably didn't know how to camouflage it anymore. But it does have the good vibe of the 1950s, that indelible fear and its consequences. The point definitely isn't a strong aspect of the film, but maybe I'll remember that opening song in my head for quite a while. Oliver Reed excels here.
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