The Brink of War: Reagan at Reykjavik

Elizabeth Massie never appears in this film, yet her presence is felt. She served as one of Pres. Ronald Reagan’s Soviet advisors. She hipped Reagan to the traditional Russian proverb “trust but verify,” which the President quoted back to General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev with great relish, during the Reykjavik summit. A lot of activists criticized Reagan for not reaching a dramatic agreement (their words for giving away the store just for the sake of a “deal”), but the meeting was later recognized as a pivotal juncture in U.S.-Soviet relations. In fact, it might have the key turning point. That is certainly how director-screenwriter Michael Russell Gunn interprets history in The Brink of War, which opens Friday in theaters, from Angel Studios.

As the film opens, Pres. Reagan appears to consider the summit a grave failure, because Gorbachev has walked away from the table, leaving the fragile pseudo-détente in doubt. How did they reach such an impasse? Gunn rewinds to show the summit’s promising start.

Reykjavik’s isolated (allegedly haunted) country hotel was chosen, because it was far from prying (news media) eyes. Nevertheless, several reporters pretend to cover the summit from the closest bar. Quickly finding them, Raisa Gorbachev launches a full-court media press, thrilled to take advantage of Nancy Reagan’s absence.

The actual work happens at the old manor house, where the heads of state meet in the conference room, while the CIA and KGB awkwardly share the basement, with a chalk line dividing their territories. Reagan’s advisory contingent includes Richard Perle and Ken Adelman, but Secretary of State George Schultz is the only one the President really talks to. However, Reagan doesn’t need anyone to tell him what he thinks. In fact, he came to the summit with a very specific strategy in mind—one that he hasn’t fully revealed to Schultz.

Gorbachev also has an agenda: save the Soviet Union. As he confides to Raisa (while masking their conversation from KGB eavesdroppers), the USSR is dead broke. He needs an arms control agreement, because the Socialist state (what do you think the third “S” in USSR stood for?) can no longer afford to wage the Cold War. He needs a deal more than Reagan, but he has less freedom to negotiate, fearing the military might turn against him (which indeed happened).

Consequently, Gorbachev wants to limit their discussions to arms control. However, Reagan keeps returning to the subject of human rights, because that is what really matters to him. Yet, the real sticking point will be the SDI missile defense system.

Frankly, Brink of War has the makings of a great play, because the high-stakes negotiations between the leaders are surprisingly gripping stuff. It is necessarily talky, but Gunn’s shrewd use of split screens results in a surprisingly cinematic presentation. Perhaps just as important, it fairly and accurately represents the history of the Reykjavik summit and the relationship between Pres. Reagan and Gorby.

In fact, that also entails faithfully depicting the American President’s great fear of potential nuclear Armageddon, which was precisely why he was so forcefully advocated for SDI. Gunn and company make it crystal clear that in reality, Reagan was the exact opposite of a warmonger.

That leads to the issue of casting leftwing actor Jeff Daniels as Reagan, but his performance is respectful and at times quite sensitive, especially with regards to his enduring love for Nancy. He employed modest prosthetics, which really weren’t necessary, but does a nice job evoking Reagan’s instantly recognizable vocal cadences, without recreating them through cartoonish mimicry.

Likewise, Jared Harris is quite convincing as Gorbachev, with just a little splotchy makeup a subtly guttural Slavic growl. Viewers can see the respect growing between them, as well as the frustration. J.K. Simmons gives his snark muscles a rest throughout his fascinating portrayal of Schultz. He makes little effort to faithfully recreate his historical character’s voice and mannerisms, but he fully conveys Schultz’s attitudes—and the sense that even though he was accustomed to being the smartest man in the room, that wasn’t necessarily true when he was advising the frequently underestimated President.

Despite the (literally) stormy prologue, Brink of War should inspire renewed respect for Pres. Reagan. Hopefully, it will also encourage strategic thinking that looks beyond a single summit or news cycle, because that is exactly how it shows Reagan approaching the Reykjavik talks. Unfortunately, that is probably too much to expect from a film, even one as good as Gunn’s. It is an excellent film for thinking viewers—and its mostly about Pres. Reagan, which we should all now admit, was never a contradiction in terms (despite fake media noise to the contrary). Very highly recommended, The Brink of War opens this Friday (8/14) in theaters.