Doomsday Gun (1994)

How the brilliant Canadian munitions engineer, Dr. Gerald Bull, agreed to build a super-gun for Saddam Hussein in 1988, when the U.S. cut his funding for the experiment, and how it attracted the attention of several intelligence agencies.

Director:

Robert Young

Writers:

Walter Bernstein, Lionel Chetwynd

Stars:

Frank Langella, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Frank Langella	...	Gerald Bull
Alan Arkin	...	Yossi
Kevin Spacey	...	Price
Michael Kitchen	...	Chris Cowley
Francesca Annis	...	Sophie
Aharon Ipalé	...	Maurouf
Zia Mohyeddin	...	Hashim
Tony Goldwyn	...	Duvall
James Fox	...	Whittington
Rupert Graves	...	Jones
Clive Owen	...	Dov
Murray Melvin	...	Shop Manager
Marianne Denicourt	...	Monique
Alexandra Vandernoot	...	Marie
Roger Hammond	...	Mackler

Storyline

Dr Gerald Bull was a genius at designing and building superguns. (Very large long range guns capable of shooting more than 100 Miles.) When a plan by the CIA to export restricted material using him was exposed, the CIA denied all knowledge and he went to jail. He was later released to help Saddam Hussein build a new supergun capable of firing over 500 miles. Israel, upon learning of the supergun, fears it would be used against themselves.

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Plot Keywords:

supergun | cia | saddam hussein | engineer | gun | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | History | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 July 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

A szuperágyú

Filming Locations:

Belgium

Company Credits

Production Co:

Griffin Productions,HBO Showcase

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 141 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alan Arkin and Kevin Spacey previously appeared in Glengarry Glen Ross (1992).

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Goofs

Near the end of the film, when Monique hands Gerry his loaf of bread, the reflection of two crew members can be seen in the car window.

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Quotes

Jim Price: What do you want me to say, Gerry? You were fucked! Up, down, and sideways!

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Connections

References Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

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Soundtracks

They All Laughed
(uncredited)
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Performed by Frank Langella

User Reviews

A jewel of human truth

As an engineer's son, I have never seen a better portrayal of an engineer's enthusiasm for new problems and new challenges. In one unforgettable scene, Frank Langella brought to the screen for the first time in my opinion what can only be called, "the-joy-of-development."

Too often films that deal with invention focus on that moment when the problem comes together and is solved. What they fail to recognize is the first step, when the men and women are looking at the challenge ahead has even more emotional potential. Thankfully the writers and actors in this film did not forget this human truth.

The cast is excellent. The script is uneven, but the only reason this is obvious is because instead of staying mildly good throughout, like most made for cable films, this movie is mildly good with occasional scenes of brilliance.

If you are an engineer or just have one as a friend or member of the family, see this film. It's a wonder.