Seven Days in May

1964

Action / Drama / Romance / Thriller

20
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 89% · 25 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 89% · 5K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.8/10 10 18702 18.7K

the white house based on novel or book general kidnapping cold war pentagon

Plot summary

A U.S. Marine Corps colonel alerts the president of a planned military coup against him.

Director

John Frankenheimer Photo
John Frankenheimer

Top cast

Michael Masters Photo
Michael Masters as Minor Role
John Houseman Photo
John Houseman as Vice-Adm. Farley C. Barnswell
William Challee Photo
William Challee as Gen. Riley
Fredric March Photo
Fredric March as President Jordan Lyman
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
959.71 MB
1280*714
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 58 min
Seeds 8
1.84 GB
1920*1072
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 58 min
Seeds 19

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by mermatt

Prophetic warning

An excellent cast, a well-crafted script, and a talented director add up to one of the great films.This movie captures the paranoia of the cold war and how that paranoia tested the strength and definition of a democracy. The importance of civilian control over the military is well illustrated in this chilling story of a plot by the Pentagon to overthrow the US President because the military disagrees with his disarmament policy.Use of black & white gives the film the look of a documentary, emphasizing the sense of realism for the story. If you have the chance, see this movie.
Reviewed by MissSimonetta 9 / 10

Modern screenwriters should study this one

Isn't it beguiling how adult this movie is? Now, when I say adult I don't mean raunchy or explicit-- I mean, it treats the audience like they are intelligent, reasoning adults who can be captivated by a clash of political values with little in the way of chase scenes, sex scenes, or explosions. There's a lot of talking and debate, and if you're the type that thinks "cinema= constant camera movement and fancy editing," SEVEN DAYS IN MAY is an open challenge to such an assumption.Furthermore, it's amazing how this movie treats its central conflict. It's not framed as "this side good, that side bad" the way it undoubtedly would be today, where ideological purity overrules any sense of moral or political inquiry designed to make the audience think. Both Lyman and Scott have fair reasons concerning the treaty: Lyman feels a world dominated by distrust and war will inevitably lead to mass destruction, while Scott feels distrust is reasonable given the character of the Soviets. Both men want what is best for the country. What makes Scott wrong and Lyman right is not their views on war, but their views on the Constitution. Lyman believes in democracy. Scott does not and thinks ditching democracy is reasonable-- the ends justifying the means. This makes him a fascinating antagonist, and a chilling one.While not as bizarre and stylish as THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, SEVEN DAYS IN MAY still showcases director John Frankenheimer in top form. It's definitely one of the great political thrillers of all time, let alone the 1960s.
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