Thirteen days = Thirteen days that shocked the world

Based on the book “The Kennedy Tapes - inside the White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis” by Ernest R. May and Philip D. Zelikow, “Thirteen Days” is a riveting drama about one of the most significant moments in the Cold War. Set almost entirely in the White House the film examines President John Kennedy’s (Bruce Greenwood) role in the Crisis, his relationship with his brother Robert (Steven Culp) - the then Attorney General of the USA - and the crucial role played by the President’s political advisor, Kenny O’Donnell (Kevin Costner). Simply but elegantly shot by Andrzej Bartkowiak and featuring a well-researched and structured screenplay by David Self, the film approaches a near-documentary realism. Roger Donaldson’s taut direction builds a consistent tension without sacrificing the complexities of the historical drama. Undoubtedly the closest the world has come to a nuclear war, the film establishes the diplomatic and military stand-off between the USA and the USSR as the key foreign affairs event for both President Kennedy and for Soviet leader Kruschev. This film is an excellent political thriller, its impact made more chillingly frightening by our knowledge of the catastrophic consequences of one wrong, or ill-communicated, political decision.