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The atomic bombing of Hiroshima is inarguably the single most significant act of the twentieth century. This landmark presentation gives, for the first time, a balanced account of those events leading to the cataclysmic decision, which forever changed the course of human destiny. Beginning in the frenzied final months of World War II, rocketing back and forth between Washington and Tokyo, Alamogordo and Tinian, Hiroshima careens along the rapidly escalating course of the war. Reaching behind the headlines, this story examines at close range the enormous pressures facing newly installed President Truman (Kenneth Welsh, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Royal Scandal) and his chiefs of staff as they wrestle with the unprecedented moral question - whether or not to drop the bomb. In Japan,where an entire culture revolves around principles of selfsacrifice and unquestioning allegiance, Hirohito and his proud Samurai generals face the moral dilemma of whether to surrender or fight on to the bitter end. Underscoring the dramatic storyline, Hiroshima features a large international cast selected for their unique acting talents and resemblance to key historical figures. The film is conceived to flow seamlessly between documentary/newsreel footage and dramatizations of actual events as they transpired. Punctuated by real interviews of witnesses recounting their personal experiences of the war, Hiroshima creates a rich and moving dramatic tapestry.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The story is of course documented history, we all know that two bombs were dropped and the Japanese capitulated within days. The film begins at the appointment of Truman after the death of Roosevelt and documents the events leading up to the dropping of the bombs and the subsequent surrender. The film really gets under the skin of the politicians and scientists of the period, working its way through the differing opinions and morality issues that culminated in the use of the bomb.
The film makes extensive use of archive footage, some of it in colour, and blends it in with the story. The director has a habit of washing much of the colour saturation from the modern material which I thought was a little unnecessary once the film was underway. The director also splices in cameos from eyewitnesses, scientists and advisors of the period, very much in the style of Band of Brothers which came after it.
The acting is excellent and Timothy West plays a convincing if brief role as Churchill. The extensive Japanese roles are portrayed in Japanese with English subtitles and the film really does help you to understand the mentality and thought processes of a war weary and somewhat divided Japanese regime.
At 178 minutes it's a long film but sufficiently powerful and fluid to hold your attention. It doesn't seek to justify or place an unbalanced spin on events, the repercussions of which are still taxing the political world today. Instead it portrays history as accurately, comprehensively and truthfully as possible. The film may or may not change your opinions on this first use of nuclear weapons but it certainly does play out all the arguments very well. I would really recommend this film to anyone with an interest in this subject, especially schools wishing to cover the topic -though it is rather long to be shown in its entirety to fidgety pupils.
Why only 4 stars? 178 minutes on one disk has involved compressing the quality a touch. You'd probably never notice on a TV but on a quality computer monitor you do notice a slight grain in the picture, making the film look older than it really is. Perhaps that's partly the point? Don't let it put you off however, I'm a bit spoilt for equipment here. The DVD doesn't have any extras which is a shame as there's plenty of material that could accompany such a film.
Hiroshima is a film that languishes in the bargain bucket of DVDs, a place where it doesn't really belong. I can appreciate why it wasn't a commercial blockbuster, but if you're after an intelligent though provoking film then you wont be disappointed.
The film makes extensive use of archive footage, some of it in colour, and blends it in with the story. The director has a habit of washing much of the colour saturation from the modern material which I thought was a little unnecessary once the film was underway. The director also splices in cameos from eyewitnesses, scientists and advisors of the period, very much in the style of Band of Brothers which came after it.
The acting is excellent and Timothy West plays a convincing if brief role as Churchill. The extensive Japanese roles are portrayed in Japanese with English subtitles and the film really does help you to understand the mentality and thought processes of a war weary and somewhat divided Japanese regime.
At 178 minutes it's a long film but sufficiently powerful and fluid to hold your attention. It doesn't seek to justify or place an unbalanced spin on events, the repercussions of which are still taxing the political world today. Instead it portrays history as accurately, comprehensively and truthfully as possible. The film may or may not change your opinions on this first use of nuclear weapons but it certainly does play out all the arguments very well. I would really recommend this film to anyone with an interest in this subject, especially schools wishing to cover the topic -though it is rather long to be shown in its entirety to fidgety pupils.
Why only 4 stars? 178 minutes on one disk has involved compressing the quality a touch. You'd probably never notice on a TV but on a quality computer monitor you do notice a slight grain in the picture, making the film look older than it really is. Perhaps that's partly the point? Don't let it put you off however, I'm a bit spoilt for equipment here. The DVD doesn't have any extras which is a shame as there's plenty of material that could accompany such a film.
Hiroshima is a film that languishes in the bargain bucket of DVDs, a place where it doesn't really belong. I can appreciate why it wasn't a commercial blockbuster, but if you're after an intelligent though provoking film then you wont be disappointed.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
What a cracking film! I bought the BBC title of the same name and this appeared as a recommendation - I can only assume it's one of those American made-for-TV mini series as it's around 3 hours long but it's a bargain and a superb drama-documentary of this period in history; accurate too if you cross reference with other material on the same subject. The other reviewer mentions picture quality especially when watching on a hi-res monitor but this is on purpose and it was the first thing that impressed me - the way real footage (which I recognise from the 'World at War' and '2nd World War in Colour' series) is blended into the new dramatised footage; dust and scratches have been added so as a viewer you're never quite sure what's original and what's new. This seemless blending carries on into other scenes that appear sepia, desaturated or monochrome - very impressinve film making. The pace is excellent as well and I sat enthralled from start to finish. The action is constantly switching from the hawks and doves in America to their counterparts in Japan; intercut with real footage, dramatised footage and short eye-witness interviews there is a sense of crescendo towards that historic moment when the bomb is actually used and it's a measure of how good a film this is that even though you know what the outcome will be, you find yourself caught up in the drama as to whether or not they're really going to go through with it! And what's more there are no soppy romantic sub-plots getting in the way! Ten out of ten - don't hesitate to buy this film.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
If you want to know how the Hiroshima operation came to pass, this is one of three DVDs that you cannot afford to be without. The BBC docudrama, also called 'Hiroshima' is one. ABC/Peter Jennings 'Why we dropped the bomb' is the other.
This presentation is brilliantly researched and no less convincingly acted. In fact, it is one of that select group of DVDs that sets written history into context rather than the other way around.
In every way, this presentation is as authoritative as it is entertaining.
Highly recommended for both the casual viewer and the more serous minded -- and worth every penny.
This presentation is brilliantly researched and no less convincingly acted. In fact, it is one of that select group of DVDs that sets written history into context rather than the other way around.
In every way, this presentation is as authoritative as it is entertaining.
Highly recommended for both the casual viewer and the more serous minded -- and worth every penny.
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