Chernobyl Diaries

Robert's post on the video game whose plot was featured around the Chernobyl disaster reminded me of a movie that came out earlier this year.  The horror movie, Chernobyl Diaries, is about a group of American tourists who visit the site in present day as an adventurous component to their trip to Europe.  While the movie itself received horrid ratings, it did make me think of two things:

One of the reactions from a critical New York Times reviewer, Andy Webster, was, "You could conceivably consider it a warning about nuclear power, but it's really about the dangers of seeking adventure in a foreign country and trusting former Soviets. But please, don't give it that much thought."  The part I found interesting was his mention of 'trusting former Soviets' because it brings up a point that occasionally comes up in American politics, as well as a theme discussed throughout Life Exposed.  When putting Chernobyl into context of its international relations, one of the points that Petryna highlights is how the newly formed Ukraine tried to distance itself from the former Soviet Union via the Chernobyl disaster in an attempt to establish itself as entirely independent from the Soviet Union.  As discussed in class, one of the main ways they accomplished this was by setting a low standard for dangerous levels of radiation exposure, and providing welfare to 'sufferers' who have been exposed to radiation.  As Webster says, its basically pointless to really think too hard about the meanings behind the film, his mention of it in his review does bring up the point of how intertwined feelings about Chernobyl can be so intertwined with the Soviet Union.

Another interesting patterns that I noticed throughout reviews of this movie were people wondering why individuals would venture and linger purposely in the radiation zone.  And while the American tourists in the film were visiting purely for their own entertainment, most of the commenters would probably never guess that actual residents of the area intentionally ventured into the radiation zone, as described by Petryna.  For them, this was a way to gain status as a biological citizen who qualifies for financial assistance.  Most movie-goers would not guess that this was a way for people to establish themselves and try to gain some power from the government, that itself was struggling with power and identity issues.