Watch American Experience: Command and Control

The movie American Experience: Command and Control is a documentary that explores one of the most traumatic events in American history: the accidental explosion of a nuclear missile in Arkansas in 1980. Through interviews with the men who were present that day and a wealth of archival footage, the filmmakers reconstruct the circumstances of the incident, which occurred at a missile silo in Damascus, Arkansas, that was operated by the U.S. Air Force. The missile in question was a Titan II, one of the most powerful nuclear weapons ever developed and a key component of America's Cold War strategy.

The film tells the story of the individuals who were tasked with operating and maintaining the missile, and the enormous pressure that they were under to keep it operational at all times. We see how small errors in judgment and communication can have catastrophic consequences, as one unscrewed bolt led to a chain reaction of events that almost resulted in a nuclear detonation.

The filmmakers use a combination of archival footage, interviews with experts, and dramatic reconstructions to give viewers a sense of the terror and confusion that gripped the silo that day. We see how local law enforcement officers and members of the public were forced to deal with the consequences of the explosion, and how the Air Force struggled to contain the situation and prevent a meltdown.

Throughout the film, we get a sense of the immense power and danger of nuclear weapons, and the difficulty of maintaining control over them at all times. We see how even the most sophisticated technology can fail, and how human error and miscommunication can have catastrophic consequences.

Despite the terror and danger at the heart of the film, the filmmakers manage to inject a note of hope and optimism as well. We see how the lessons learned from this disaster led to reforms in how America's nuclear weapons were managed and maintained, and how the new generation of missile operators is taking steps to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future.

In the end, American Experience: Command and Control is a powerful and thought-provoking film that manages to convey both the horror and the heroism of the people involved in the Damascus incident. With its engaging storytelling and powerful visual style, it is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of nuclear weapons and the dangers they pose to our world.

American Experience: Command and Control is a 2017 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes.