K-19 Fact And Fiction

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K-19: The Widowmaker. Fact and Fiction. By: Dillon Youngs English 1002G Dr. Michael Kuo February 21, 2012 Dillon Youngs Michael Kuo English 1002G February 21, 2012 K-19: The Widowmaker. Fact and Fiction Throughout history there have been many incidents that have become exceedingly famous, while others remain hidden from the public until many years in the future. K-19, the name of a Soviet nuclear submarine, was an example of the latter. Information about said nuclear submarine was withheld from the public for nearly 30 years, not being released until 1990. Once this information was released the movie K-19: The Widowmaker, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, was destined to be released as a tale of heroism. Although the basis of K-19 lies in truth, there are inaccuracies that can be found throughout the film, as with all movie adaptations. The first inaccuracy comes from before the film even begins. K-19: The Widowmaker is mostly based on the nuclear meltdown of the submarine's core and the subsequent explosion that is avoided. The misconception with that, however, is that a nuclear meltdown alone will not cause a thermo-nuclear explosion (Kirby, 230). This causes a question to come to mind. What is the necessity for this change? The answer to that is actually quite simple. A movie of this type, without the potential threat of death, just does not earn quite as much. By creating a fabrication to the actual story, or its possible outcome, Bigelow can create an emotional bond between the viewer and the characters in the movie. It is this bond that is built throughout the movie that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat, waiting to see what happens next. This twist, however, has a very large negative consequence as well. This large consequence is the negative light that it shines upon those who are advocates for nuclear energy. Since the plot of K-19:
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