In the King of Prussia

Overview

Emile de Antonio’s In the King of Prussia is an English-language American film about the Plowshares Eight, a group of anti-war activists charged after the destruction of nuclear-warhead nose cones in September 1980. De Antonio wrote and directed the film, which reconstructs the case through a mix of participants playing themselves and actors portraying people involved in the legal proceedings.

The film is listed as a 1982 release, while its description identifies it as a 1983 film. It is classified as both a documentary and a drama. That combination reflects its approach: the events are presented as a reconstruction, rather than solely through conventional documentary narration or archival footage.

Key features

A reconstruction with participants in their own roles

The Plowshares Eight were charged in connection with damage to nose cones intended for nuclear warheads at the Re-Entry Division of the General Electric Space Technology Center in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The film restages those events and the courtroom process around them. Members of the group, including Daniel Berrigan, Philip Berrigan, Anne Montgomery and Molly Rush, appear as themselves.

Actors take the roles of jurors, lawyers and police. Martin Sheen plays the judge. The film was shot on video, a detail that distinguishes its production approach from a conventional film-shot courtroom drama.

Subject and form

Its subject is a specific act of anti-war protest and the criminal case that followed. By placing activists in a reconstruction alongside actors in institutional roles, the film brings the people at the center of the case into its portrayal of the proceedings. The documentary and drama classifications are both useful guides for viewers deciding whether they want a nonfiction account shaped through reenactment.

Platforms

Streaming availability is not specified here, so check current listings before planning a screening.

Who it's for

This film may suit viewers interested in anti-war activism, nuclear weapons, protest and the courtroom treatment of political action. Its subject and reconstruction format also offer material for students and teachers discussing how documentary films represent historical events, or how participants' direct involvement can shape a reenactment.

Fans of Emile de Antonio can place it alongside documentaries by Emile de Antonio, while viewers browsing by period can explore documentaries of the 1980s and classic documentaries.

Pros and cons

• Worth noting: Members of the Plowshares Eight appear as themselves, while actors portray courtroom and police roles.
• Worth noting: Its combination of documentary and drama offers a reconstruction-centered way into the case.
• Keep in mind: The film focuses on one group, one act of protest and the proceedings that followed, rather than offering a broad survey of anti-war activism.
• Keep in mind: The listed release year and the year in the film description differ: 1982 and 1983.

Alternatives

For more work by de Antonio, consider Underground, Painters Painting, Millhouse, In the Year of the Pig and Point of Order.

Verdict

In the King of Prussia is a focused account of the Plowshares Eight case, built around a reconstruction in which several of the activists play themselves. Its blend of real participants and actors makes it particularly relevant to viewers curious about documentary form as well as the history of anti-war protest. The discrepancy between its listed 1982 release and the 1983 year in its description is worth bearing in mind when looking up the film.