Shake Hands with Danger

Shake Hands with Danger is a 1980 safety film directed by Herk Harvey and produced by Centron Corporation. Set amidst the backdrop of industrial construction and machines, this educational and cautionary film features Cliff Bemis and Charles Oldfather in lead roles. The film is remarkable not just for its unusual genre but also for its striking message on workplace safety and a meticulous portrayal of working-class dynamics in the industrialized machinery business.

Produced specifically for the Caterpillar machinery company, illusory expectations of a typical movie should be precluded. Instead of regular Hollywood tropes, this film targets an important goal - an attempt to hammer home the importance of safety regulations in a high-risk industrial environment.

At the heart of the movie is the skilled actor Cliff Bemis, who plays the protagonist. He isn't a dashing hero or an intriguing villain, but a sophisticated and astute machinery operator. Bemis excellently portrays the character who delves into the discipline, caution, and potential dangers that encapsulate the lives of those who operate Cataerpillar machinery.

Co-star Charles Oldfather, on the other hand, plays an equipment maintenance supervisor who stresses the importance of safety on the worksite. The interaction between these two characters forms the crux of the film. Through them, the film underscores the deadly risks of disregarding safety precautions and the alarming consequences that can ensue due to carelessness or lack of knowledge.

A large chunk of the movie revolves around dramatized but unassuming accounts of real-life incidents, presenting striking narratives that portray the hazards lurking in an apparent machinery environment. These accounts help to underline both the obvious and the subtle threats that machine operators can encounter daily and subtly incorporate safety tips and protocols that could prevent these mishaps.

The ingenious filmmaking by Herk Harvey burrows into the nitty-gritty of these real-life scenarios, carefully bringing out the facts and inevitabilities intertwined with human error and mechanical unpredictability. The film splendidly extrapolates these situations into powerful lessons that are likely to reverberate long after the film ends.

Woven cleverly into these narratives is a ubiquitous theme - respect for the unpredictability of machines and the inherent duty to adopt safe practices. It iterates the penalties of ignoring these mantras through horrific, albeit compelling storytelling.

The stop-motion animations interspersed within the film provide an interesting break from the live-action sequences, effortlessly creating a poignant and gloomy atmosphere that resonates with the tone of the film. They form an evocative narrative element that adds a touch of surrealism to the stark, industrial world of machinery.

Shake Hands with Danger also host's a title track with the same name. Added by the bluegrass musician Jim Stringer, this song does a commendable job in reinforcing the film's central theme. The song suffuses the film with a quasi-documentary feel, making it not only informative but marginally entertaining as well.

The film certainly packs an unexpected blend of entertainment and information. Some might categorize the film as a dose of 'horrific reality' for machinery operators, but therein lies the beauty of Shake Hands with Danger. It takes an unflinching look at an aspect of the working world often overlooked by mainstream Hollywood and builds a surprising classic out of it.

Shake Hands with Danger isn’t your typical film. It’s a tangible, hard-hitting, and subtly dramatic portrayal of workplace hazards. It's undoubtedly worth a watch for anyone interested in understanding the behind-the-scenes workings and potential threats within the industrialized machinery sector, or those who are intrigued by the more unconventional outputs of cinema.