AYoungManAtTheMovies I first saw this documentary back when the DailyMail in the UK did a weekly DVD release entitled Events That Shook The World. This documentary was one of them. It terrified me at a younger age, but now that I watch it with adult eyes, I can safely regard it as the best documentary on the subject of Chernobyl.Call it the 102 Minutes That Changed America for the Chernobyl disaster, the documentary concerns the aftermath and conspiracies that plagued the disaster in both the short and long term, including interviews with people who were there, and those behind the cover up. Minor spoiler incoming... Even Mikhail Gorbachev is featured in this film, describing the disturbing secrecy the Soviets tried to keep hidden.The film doesn't pull any punches: The whole thing is voiced over by a very calm, apathetic and authoritarian narrator, who describes the events. That, and the subtle music cues create an uncomfortable atmosphere unlike any other documentary film I have ever seen. At a little over an hour and a half long, the film leaves no details missed, describing everything that could possibly be mentioned. That being said, there are two versions of this documentary. One was done with an American narrator, and the original version features a British narrator. I'm not biased being a Brit, but I'd highly recommend people watch the British narrated version over the American version. The latter is a more traditional documentary length at around 40 minutes and misses out a ton of details, plus some of the chilling effectiveness is lost. The American narrator uses a tone that one might not take seriously, and it's comparable to him describing his trip down to the supermarket/grocery store than describing the worlds worst nuclear disaster. The British version is much better. The aforementioned apathetic tone can be taken more seriously, you can find it on YouTube if you search Chernobyl Uncensored.In conclusion, this documentary is up there with Threads as being one of the best and most haunting films about the nuclear issue out there. If your interested at any level about the Chernobyl disaster, definitely check it out. Just be sure to bring some extra pants/trousers because it's pretty haunting, and you have my word on it.

Lechuguilla If ever there was a film that documented the horrors of nuclear weapons "The Battle Of Chernobyl" is surely it. What makes this film so potent are the images: photos yes, but also a surprising number of retro news and secret camera footage from the nuclear power plant site and surrounding area, as the catastrophe unfolded in April of 1986, in Ukraine.One of the most haunting components here is the story of Pripyat, a bustling city of almost fifty thousand people in 1986; everyone had to be evacuated. And none of the residents ever returned to live there; the structures remain, but Pripyat is now a ghost town, as are hundreds of small villages in the region, thirty years after the nuclear explosion.One of the big problems with radioactive material is that not only can it be lethal to humans, but it is also invisible, and it remains for a very long time. This film documents the government's secrecy and lies in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy and in later years, and then the denial that now exists among people living in Ukraine and neighboring Belarus that bore the brunt of the radiation fallout.In addition to the images, a narrator (Tim Birkett) describes the events; interviews include comments by Gorbachev and Hans Blix, along with Soviet technical experts and medical personnel that dealt firsthand with the disaster.The Chernobyl apocalypse continues ten years after this film was released. People in Ukraine and Belarus, and even in parts of Western Europe, are still exposed to some radiation. Mercifully, in November, 2016, a giant arched shelter, decades in the making, was slid into place over the original, hastily built, cement and steel sarcophagus, to more adequately contain the still leaking radiation at the plant site.Yet, for several hundreds more years at least, a one thousand square mile area surrounding the Chernobyl nuclear power plant will be off-limits to human habitation, a no-mans land of invisible but deadly radioactivity.

pdlines-26860 I loved the drama and emotive delivery by Tim Birkett, and the script was worthy of Hollywood's finest. What is conveniently glossed over is why the CIA/Mossad agents planted a mini-nuke at Chernobyl to destabilize Russia's on-going collaboration with France to develop their nuclear power program; after all, everyone knows that the low levels of U235 enrichment used in power stations are unable to cause the degree of super-criticality needed in a fission bomb. It was also interesting to learn that "thousands" had died in the immediate aftermath, but that the identities of these people was not acknowledged by the Soviet authorities; perhaps these people didn't really exist... Still, why let the real truth get in the way of a great story.

fahad the battle of Chernobyl is about the worst nuclear disaster in the history which effected 9 million lives till date. i am kind of astounded, this movie not even have a single review. the movie contains rare original footage, pictures and some good re- enactments. it is kind of hard to believe what happened in reality because the destruction caused by the radioactivity is enormous. most of the story is forgotten and new generations around the world are not even aware of this disaster.this catastrophe almost crippled the entire country(Ukraine).interview of political leaders,scientists,soldiers,journalist,photographer and several military personnel and real footage of damaged rector makes it not less than a horror movie and the truth becomes more lucid. a mind blowing piece of work,this movie packs a horrifying and emotional punch that you will never forget. so, just do yourself a favor and watch this documentary. this is a must watch.