The War Game (1965) - Censorship

The War Game is a black and white BBC television documentary style drama directed and written by Peter Watkins in 1965, starring; Michael Aspel and Peter Graham. It shows the effects that the nuclear war had on Britain. The War Game was removed from television broadcast because it had caused concern with the BBC and the government. “The effect of the film has been judged by the BBC to be too horrifying for the medium of broadcasting” – The Corporation. This film was not shown on full British television until 1985. The War Game also won an Academy Award for the Best Documentary Feature.

The War Game is a fictional film made about a docu-drama about the nuclear war and the effect of it all. This film shows realism of the world with a low budget. During the film, we see a nuclear war, which erupts between the West and the East as the missiles strike Britain.

The War Game is a black and white documentary set in London and that won the Oscar for the first documentary, which has been banned for 20 years. There are many reasons why the film had been banned; one of the reasons is the brutally graphic scenes. 

We hear voice over speech as well as a voiceover with information that connects with the images, which are shown. There are also single boxpox interviews with the public and their opinions. The film also includes interviews with the adults and children who have survived the nuclear war. Ofcom had to step in to protect the public from harmful material.