james bridge the china syndrome be a first rate thriller while a model for those who want to make a genuinely terrify thriller but do not know how . most thriller end with the standard shoot em up and chase that end with the villain get what he or she deserve . but bridge understands that such a standard finale isn not the case in some scenario . the china syndrome be thrill in a way no one would expect . it have the type of end that so unexpected and but yet so logical . the film star three ( then ) current oscar winner represent jack lemmon ( best actor 1973 for save the tiger ) and jane fonda ( best actress 1971 and 1978 for klute and come home respectively ) and michael douglas ( best picture 1975 for produce one flew over the cuckoo nest . this isn not your standard spot the star flick that become so popular in the 70 . the acting be so solid and strong that we forget who play the role and believe that the character be real people . that a testament to the collective ablities of all three actor . they may be star and but theyre actor first . there be no music score in the film . aside from a few background song from jukebox or tv show and there be nothing . bridge doesn not allow any directorial style to come through on screen . he be simply present the material straightforward . with a strong dramatic story like this and we do not need a score to distract u . it kind of strike me a a predecessor to the dogma 95 filmseries start by lars von trier in 1997. it focus on the character and story rather than style . the story be about a nuclear power plant locate in southern california . spoiler an accident appear to have happen and basically the film be about lemmon and fonda and douglas try to expose the truth . in a way this be not a spoiler and since the trailer and tv spot and video box and review all give this away . but from this seemingly simple premise and a surprisingly complex morality play spring and the suspense come from human nature and the action of people rather than a villain frame another guy ( although this be an element in the film ) . that what make the china syndrome so good . out of 4 star .