The Pentagon has weighed in on the accuracy of the U.S. nuclear missile that was depicted in the new Netflix film A House of Dynamite.
The Kathryn Bigelow political thriller has been making waves online since its release on the streamer on October 24. Aside from the polarizing reactions to the cliffhanger ending, there were also discussions on the accuracy of the depiction of the U.S. nuclear missile and the government protocols regarding a potential threat.
What is the Pentagon's Response to A House of Dynamite?
According to Deadline, the Pentagon released a memo on October 16 that addressed the accuracy of the nuclear missile depicted in A House of Dynamite.
While they acknowledged that the military's failure to stop the missile attack in the film was a "compelling part of the drama intended for the entertainment of the audience," they noted that in real life, they "tell a vastly different story."
They claimed that the country's interceptor missiles "displayed a 100% accuracy rate in testing for more than a decade." The film depicted it as having a 61% success rate.
"The numbers tell us what is occurring and we need to know. The results are very very good, with the program scheduled to grow over the next decade," an anonymous military official explained to Deadline.
The memo was released to "address false assumptions, provide correct facts and a better understanding," and the leadership in the Department of Defense "has situational awareness and is not ‘surprised’ by the topic, which may come up in conversations or meetings."
What is Kathryn Bigelow's Reaction to the Backlash from the Pentagon?
Director Kathryn Bigelow has weighed in on the Pentagon's reaction to A House of Dynamite's depiction of the country's nuclear missiles in the military.
"It’s interesting. In a perfect world, culture has the potential to drive policy — and if there’s dialogue around the proliferation of nuclear weapons, that is music to my ears, certainly," she told The Hollywood Reporter.
The filmmaker also explained that she had technical consultants to ensure accuracy when she made the movie.
"It’s the best course of action, to consult with all of the experts that we did. We had extraordinary tech advisors on this film, and then they were our North Star," she said.
Bigelow noted that she was seeking realism in the movie in order for the audience to give a glimpse of what the situation might look like if it happens in real life.
"I just state the truth. In this piece, it’s all about realism and authenticity. Same with Zero Dark Thirty and same with Hurt Locker — even though Hurt Locker was obviously a work of fiction, and this is a work of fiction. For me, these are pieces that lean in hard on realism," she explained.
"You’re inviting an audience into, say, the battledeck of STRATCOM. That’s a place that’s not easily accessible, and so you want it to be authentic and honest. That’s my goal, and I think we achieved it."
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