Disturbing collection of 1940s and 1950s United States government issued propaganda films designed to reassure Americans that the atomic bomb was not a threat to their safety.
"The Atomic Cafe" was released at the height of nostalgia and cynicism in America. By 1982, Americans lost much of their faith in their government following the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, and the seemingly never-ending arms race with the Soviet Union. "The Atomic Cafe" reflects and reinforces this idea as it exposes how the atomic bomb's dangers were downplayed (President Truman calls the atomic bomb a gift from God) and how the government used films to shape public opinion.
Even today (2016) the film holds up as a startling example of how the government kept the American people ignorant, and may possibly have been themselves ignorant. The way the Army handled radiation seems dangerous and foolish today. What I would like to see is this: if the film is ever put on blu-ray (and maybe it already is for all I know), go back to the sources and clean them up. Obviously not all could be, but if you were able to improve the picture quality, this film could stay relevant and interesting for decades to come.
"The Atomic Cafe" was released at the height of nostalgia and cynicism in America. By 1982, Americans lost much of their faith in their government following the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, and the seemingly never-ending arms race with the Soviet Union. "The Atomic Cafe" reflects and reinforces this idea as it exposes how the atomic bomb's dangers were downplayed (President Truman calls the atomic bomb a gift from God) and how the government used films to shape public opinion.
Even today (2016) the film holds up as a startling example of how the government kept the American people ignorant, and may possibly have been themselves ignorant. The way the Army handled radiation seems dangerous and foolish today. What I would like to see is this: if the film is ever put on blu-ray (and maybe it already is for all I know), go back to the sources and clean them up. Obviously not all could be, but if you were able to improve the picture quality, this film could stay relevant and interesting for decades to come.