WarGames is an American motion picture, directed by John Badham and released in 1983. It stars Matthew Broderick as David, Ally Sheedy as Jennifer, John Wood as Doctor Falken, Dabney Coleman as Doctor McKittrick and Barry Corbin as General Beringer. WarGames is the story of a young computer genius from Seattle, whose actions initiate an automated program designed to simulate nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. As the program runs, it begins delivering false reports and increasing the chances of an American nuclear strike. The events in WarGames have often been likened to an incident in September 1983, just weeks after the film’s release, when a false alarm in Soviet defence systems almost triggered a nuclear war.
David Lightman (Broderick) is a bright but unmotivated student who spends his time hacking into computer networks. He begins by breaking into his school’s computer system and changing his grades, then going in search of an unreleased computer game. Dialling random numbers, Lightman gains access to a system which, unbeknownst to him, is operated by the United States military. Delving further into this unknown computer he uncovers a program called “Global Thermonuclear War”. Believing the program to be a game, Lightman cracks its password and runs the program, initiating a ‘game’ as the Soviet Union. But “Global Thermonuclear War” is not a game but a complex computer simulation, designed to test the readiness of American defence systems. It begins by firing off warnings to US military personnel about incoming Soviet missiles, planes and nuclear submarines. As they receive these warnings and try to ascertain what is real and what is not, David is arrested and accused of espionage. He is taken to NORAD in Colorado, where military personnel struggle to avoid the outbreak of war with the USSR.
WarGames was both a critical and commercial success. It received Academy Award nominations for writing, cinematography and sound while making more than $US65 million profit at the box office. Critics praised its intelligent script and its use of humour and tension, despite being aimed at teenaged viewers. WarGames tapped into a genuine Cold War fear: that a computer glitch or human error might accidentally trigger World War III and nuclear holocaust. Its central premise is not dissimilar to earlier Cold War films like Fail Safe or Doctor Strangelove. WarGames reportedly had an impact on Ronald Reagan, who later ordered a review of security on defence computers. It also fuelled a growing interest in dial-up modems and computer networking, contributing to what later became the Internet.
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