Retrospective Film Review

Red Dawn (1984) • 40 Years Later — an unfairly maligned Cold War classic

In the west mountains of America, a group of teenagers band together to defend their town, and their country, from invading Soviet forces.

The 1980s were a fascinating time to be alive. Rock bands like Queen and Whitesnake, and singers like Madonna and George Michael, were at their peak. And, of course, the films were iconic. 1984 alone saw the release of multiple classics, including Gremlins, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Sixteen Candles. All of these are being revisited now, 40 years later, with a sense of nostalgia and joy. However, there’s one film that equalled most of these in box office success but is often left out of the discussion when it comes to the ‘Best Films of 1984’: Red Dawn.

Red Dawn plunges audiences without a preamble into a Cold War nightmare scenario. In the opening moments, a high school class in a small Colorado town is unceremoniously interrupted by an axis of Soviet and Cuban invading paratroopers. As the world around them erupts into…