After the release of the massive hit biopic Oppenheimer, viewers are more interested in the history and consequences of the atomic bombing. Since 1945, the atomic bomb has been the subject of every kind of film, especially Japanese films. Even though Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer would be the most popular film on the topic, it is not the first one. In this list, we are going to read about 10 other movies that perfectly depicted the horrors of the bombing.
1. Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
This 1964 film is one of Stanley Kubrick’s most popular films. Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb took a satirical approach to the Cold War and nuclear weapons. Based on the genre of comedy, the film revolved around the grim topic of why the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan.
2. Black Rain
The 1989 Japanese film Black Rain, directed by Shōhei Imamura, follows Yasuko, a young Japanese woman who is in Hiroshima when the United States drops a nuclear bomb. Fortunately, Yasuko survives; however, she is far from unscathed. The film depicts the struggles of Japanese survivors following the bombing.
3. Fat Man & Little Boy
Roland Joffe’s Fat Man and Little Boy follows the development of the titular atomic bombs. This 1989 film features General Leslie Groves’ interactions with Robert and Kitty Oppenheimer and other physicists. Even though this film isn’t as anti-nuclear weaponry as Oppenheimer, it still portrays the moral struggle of many people involved in its creation.
4. Hiroshima
The 1953 film Hiroshima, directed by Hideo Sekigawa, is based on the 1951 novel Children of the A Bomb: Testament of the Boys and Girls of Hiroshima. The book is a compilation of writings by children and follows the effect the bombing had on them.
5. In this Corner of the World
Directed by Sunao Katabuchi, In This Corner of the World is an animated Japanese film. The film follows a young woman living in Hiroshima in the years leading up to the attack. It depicts the effect the Second World War had on the region as a whole.
6. Barefoot Gen
The 1983 Japanese animated film Barefoot Gen is written by Keiji Nakazawa and directed by Mori Masaki. The film presents the Hiroshima bombing through a young child’s eyes, exploring the life of the boy before and during the fallout. It is one of the best films on this list, especially because the film is created from Nakazawa’s personal experience.
7. The Beginning or the End
The Beginning or the End is another film following the creation and attack of the bomb on Hiroshima. What makes this film stand out is that Leslie Groves, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and other popular figures had a hand in the making of this movie. Even though the film is not blatantly anti-bomb, it acts as a time capsule of the views right after the attack.
8. Threads
Directed by Mick Jackson, the 1984 film Threads follows a group of characters who, after the bombing of a nearby NATO base, must deal with the fallout of the bomb. The film has a shockingly realistic depiction of the years after the worldwide bombing.
9. A Compassionate Spy
Steve James’ 2022 documentary A Compassionate Spy is the story of Theodore Hall. Like Oppenheimer, Hall was a scientist who worked on the Manhattan Project. However, he was a Soviet spy. The film advocates that it would be wrong for only one world superpower to have atomic weaponry.
10. Children of Hiroshima
One of the earliest films to depict the bombing of Japan, released in 1952 Children of Hiroshima is still one of the best films on this topic. Directed by Kaneto Shindo, the film follows the story of a teacher, Takako Ishikawa, who visits Hiroshima after the bombing to visit the graves of her young sister and parents. The film highlights the effects of the Hiroshima bombing, even years after the event.
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