Very intriguing film to watch. One must consider it was made during the era of the Cold War to begin with so the situation implied probably didn't seem as implausible in its time. One of the earliest films to portray a secret government organization up to no-good unawares to ordinary citizens. Would have benefitted if more time had been given to the children involved here as then their plight might affect us as and audience even more. Still it's a nice if not fully successful effort to put a thoughtful science fiction tale on film. Teen Gang side-story works mostly to take away the focus from the kids and was probably a mistake although it did give Oliver Reed a good role.

I saw this recently on a late night "British Film Celebration" series, showing various odds and sods of yester-year. In some ways I wished I had videoed it now, as thinking about it afterwards (and thinking about it is certainly something you'll do)there's clearly something going on with the characterisation that was far more important than lets on at first. A second viewing was perhaps needed, certainly the characters don't seem quite fleshed out and when thinking about it I was wondering if that was the point. But here's what I mean by the characters:

• The spiritually hurt "old/young" man played (and in fairness, perhaps miscast) by MacDonald Carey, desperate in some way to "complete" himself; the numerous old English establishment/power figures, feeling out of time and place, as if powerless to deal with the worlds changes, still "in" power but somehow no longer; the devout artist, passionate about her work, which in itself is a little dehumanising (there is a great, heart rending scene, where she cries in agony as Oliver Reed destroys some of her art work, that will stay with me for a while); the young girl unable to "become" what she wants, perhaps of her "possessive" brother, who really genuinely wants to protect her from the evils of the world; the emotionless children, full of potential but ultimately radioactive and poison, and most of all the "angry young men" lead masterfully by Oliver Reed, They represent the irrational human, simply wanting to "be" and nothing more.

Director Joseph Losey brilliantly combines a story of adolescent thugs (led by Oliver Reed) mugging American MacDonald Carey with a disturbing science fiction story about the government raising radioactive children to populate the earth after the bomb drops. Beautifully shot, very well-written and well-acted by all concerned, this little-seen film is a classic of its kind.