Summary
- Barefoot Gen, an animated Japanese film, offers a horrifying depiction of the bombing of Hiroshima through the eyes of a young child.
- A Compassionate Spy explores the story of physicist Theodore Hall, a Soviet spy who leaked information on the atomic bombs, presenting a different perspective on the bombings.
- Threads, set in Sheffield, England, depicts the aftermath of a nuclear bombing and provides a shockingly realistic portrayal of the devastating consequences.
Oppenheimer has reignited interest in the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan, and here are 10 other movies about the horrors of these weapons of mass destruction. The atomic bomb has been the subject of all kinds of films since they were dropped in August 1945, with Japanese cinema, in particular, reminiscing on the tragedy. Oppenheimer is arguably one of the most popular films on the topic, but it is far from the first. So, here are 10 other movies that perfectly capture the horrors of the atomic bomb and why they would be perfect viewing after Oppenheimer.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer tells the story of real-world scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, one of the scientists that headed the Los Alamos project as well as the Trinity test bombing. Although Oppenheimer was one of the key figures behind the development of the weapon, Nolan’s Oppenheimer undeniably takes the stand that dropping the bombs was not necessary. Throughout the film, Oppenheimer realizes the horrors that he has unleashed upon the world, with the film delving into the politics surrounding the bomb. Plenty of other movies have also explored this theme, and here are 10 of the best ones to watch after Oppenheimer.
Barefoot Gen is an animated Japanese movie from 1983 directed by Mori Masaki and written by Keiji Nakazawa, one of the survivors of the Hiroshima bombing. The film shows the bombing of Hiroshima through the eyes of a young child, exploring his life before the bomb was dropped as well as during the fallout. Although it is animated, the scene depicting the bombing of Hiroshima is one of the most horrific scenes ever created, with it being sure to shock viewers even now. Nakazawa’s personal experience is what makes Barefoot Gen so special, which is why it’s one of the best movies to show how terrifying the bombings were.
9 A Compassionate Spy
One of the more recent entries on this list, Steve James’ A Compassionate Spy is a 2022 documentary that tells the story of physicist Theodore Hall. Hall was another one of the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project, but unlike Oppenheimer, Hall was actually Soviet spy. Hall leaked information on the development of the bombs to the Soviets, and A Compassionate Spy interestingly takes the stance that this was the correct choice. The film advocates that it would be a mistake for only one world superpower to have atomic weaponry, and since Oppenheimer and A Compassionate Spy are two sides of the same story, they’re a great double feature.
8 Children Of Hiroshima
Children of Hiroshima is one of the earliest films to release that tackled the bombing of Japan, with it releasing in 1952, and it’s still one of the best. Directed by Kaneto Shindo, Children of Hiroshima tells the story of Takako Ishikawa, a teacher who visits Hiroshima shortly after the bombings in order to visit the graves of her parents and younger sister. Once there, Takako explores the city, with the film highlighting the devastating effect that the atomic bomb had on Hiroshima even years after the event.
7 Fat Man & Little Boy
Roland Joffé’s Fat Man and Little Boy is another film about the Los Alamos project, with it following the development of the titular atomic bombs. The 1989 film features many of the same historical figures as Oppenheimer, with it focusing on General Leslie Groves’ interactions with Robert and Kitty Oppenheimer as well as several other physicists. Although Fat Man and Little Boy isn’t as anti-nuclear weaponry as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the film does portray the moral struggle that many of the people involved in the weapon’s creation were faced with.
6 Threads
1984’s Threads isn’t about the bombing of Japan, but it does carry on the theme of guaranteed mutual destruction that is built up at the ending of Oppenheimer. Directed by Mick Jackson, Threads follows a group of characters based in Sheffield, England, who, after the bombing of a nearby NATO base, must deal with the fallout of the bomb. Threads gives a shockingly realistic depiction of the years after a worldwide nuclear bombing, with the film being so unsettling that it wasn’t shown again until 2003 after its initial 1984 release.
5 Hiroshima (1953)
Hiroshima is another early entry in the cinematic landscape of movies that explore the bombings of Japan. Directed by Hideo Sekigawa, Hiroshima focuses on how the fallout of the bombing of the titular city has affected children in particular, exploring the diseases and utter life changes brought about by the bomb. The film is based on the 1951 novel Children Of The A Bomb: Testament Of The Boys And Girls Of Hiroshima, a compilation of writings by children about their experience with the bomb, making the film even more gruesome.
4 The Beginning Or The End
1947’s The Beginning or the End is another one of the earliest films about the bombing of Japan, with the American film releasing less than two years after the bombings. The film is another depiction of the creation of the atomic bomb leading up to the attack on Hiroshima, but the development of the film sets it apart from other films about the same topic. J. Robert Oppenheimer, Leslie Groves, and other famous figures had a hand in the making of the film, and although it isn’t explicitly anti-bomb, this film acts as a time capsule of views on the bombings in the immediate aftermath of the attack.
3 In This Corner Of The World
In This Corner of the World is an animated Japanese film directed by Sunao Katabuchi, with the movie following a young woman who lives in Hiroshima in the years leading up to the bombing. In This Corner of the World shows the effect that World War II had on the region as a whole, with its gorgeous animation making it a unique watch. Although not the most famous film on the atomic bomb, it is a must-see.
2 Black Rain (1989)
Black Rain is a 1989 Japanese film directed by Shōhei Imamura, with it being another profound look at the dropping of the bombs. The film follows Yasuko, a young Japanese woman who is unfortunately in Hiroshima when the United States drops a nuclear bomb. Luckily, Yasuko survives, but she is far from unscathed. Black Rain explores the further life of Yasuko, highlighting many of the struggles that many Japanese survivors faced in the years following the attack.
1 Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb
1964’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is one of director Stanley Kubrick’s most acclaimed movies, with it being a satirical look at the Cold War and the nuclear weapons surrounding it. Dr. Strangelove is oddly enough a comedy, but it is a brilliant takedown of the reactionary and jingoistic ideals that led to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan. Although Dr. Strangelove is tonally distinct from anything else on this list, it is another great film that shows the horrors of the atomic bomb, much like Oppenheimer.
