"The Sum of All Fears" is a novel by Tom Clancy, but I'll focus on the plot of the 2002 film adaptation:
Plot Summary:
- Setting: Post-Cold War era.
- Main Characters: Jack Ryan (played by Ben Affleck), a CIA analyst, and President Robert Fowler (James Cromwell).
- Plot:
- Crisis Initiation: A Neo-Nazi group, led by Richard Dressler, discovers an old nuclear bomb from the 1973 Yom Kippur War. They plan to use it to escalate tensions between the U.S. and Russia, hoping to start a war that would weaken both countries.
- The Bomb: The terrorists modify the bomb to increase its yield and disguise it as an American weapon. They detonate it at a football game in Baltimore, framing Russia for the attack.
- Rising Tensions: The attack leads to a rapid escalation of hostilities between the U.S. and Russia. President Fowler, under pressure, considers military action against Russia, believing they attacked U.S. soil.
- Jack Ryan's Role: Ryan, who has been investigating the suspicious circumstances around the bomb, races against time to uncover the real culprits. He finds evidence that the bomb was not of Russian origin but was from an old Israeli stockpile.
- Climax: Ryan manages to convince President Fowler of the truth, leading to a last-minute cancellation of a planned nuclear strike on Russian targets. He also confronts the terrorists in Germany, where he stops them from further manipulating the situation.
- Resolution: The crisis is averted, but not before the world comes very close to nuclear war. Ryan's actions lead to his promotion within the CIA, setting him up for further adventures in Clancy's universe.
The film, while changing some details from the book, maintains the core theme of global brinkmanship and the dangers of nuclear proliferation.
