The movie/documentary shows the suspense of the known events, but it also portrays the man at the centre of it all. It doesn't aim to be a cold war thriller - merely the idea that the world came close to annihilation creates a grim suspense around the entire work.No, the movie aims to show how an ordinary man can act in extra-ordinary circumstances. There is no more telling moment than when Mr Petrov says he was there at the right time, at the right place. Not "the right man", and, by his own account, not a hero. The wish to portray an ordinary man also explains the lengthy (and really very intimate) coverage of his personal experiences and his exchanges with the filmmakers.It also teaches viewers that ordinary, rational people can come to disastrous outcomes, especially with nuclear weapons on alert. In this respect, it reminded me of "The Fog of War", with Robert McNamara.The beauty of this piece of cinema is also in the intimate yet "fly on the wall" way it is shot, which gives viewers the feeling of being able to come to their own conclusions of the man and the events (though, clearly, the makers had a strong message). At some stage I even believed he just chickened out of deciding on the attack, though I changed my mind when he was seen to actively lie to his superiors so as not to have them launch a counter-strike. Finally, I was left with the realisation that his decision was the only right one, and it was indeed courageous.It is a very powerful and educational piece.

Well... Yes, I lived through the cold war. And yes, war was painfully close a couple of times. And there are some good movies made about the time period. Thirteen Days being one of the best (Cuban Missile Crisis). This has nothing to do with that. This is not even close. So if you are expecting some exciting movie like that, look elsewhere. This is a documentary about a Russian military man that prevented nuclear retaliation based on false intelligence. He 'did not push The Button'. Nothing more, nothing less. It's no small feat, don't get me wrong. But this is no exciting Hollywood thriller either. It's boring basically.

Simply brilliant!!!A master piece!!!This is one of the best and most important films I have ever seen. A film that really should be watched by everyone alive. THE MAN WHO SAVED THE WORLD works as both a gripping tale, an intense thriller, and a true celebration of humanity and mankind.A modern DR STRANGELOVE... but a true story. It really blew the minds of me, my daughter and my wife!!! Thank you so much Peter Anthony for directing this master piece... and thank you Stanislav for saving the world!

A brilliant mixture of a poetic documentary and a tense Cold War thriller. Like something out of DR STRANGELOVE, THE MAN WHO SAVED THE WORLD tells the amazing story of real life Stanislav Petrov who saved our world from nuclear Armageddon on September 26, 1983,.The movie is setting a new standard of story telling. It's filmed with the expertise of a Hollywood thriller, and the performances are simply flawless. The director has simply made a whole new genre in this densely powerful movie.Beautifully told on both a personal and international level, this is one of the most ground breaking piece of film I have seen in years and one of the most important, and most emotional films ever made.You simply have to see this film with your family, your friends. Russian Lt. Colonel Stanislav Petrov is a true hero, that we should all know and respect. Being a former officer in the Danish Army I can only praise this film and the this amazing hero!!!