The Theme of Cynical Criticism Included in the Movie

The movie, “Atomic café” is a documentary movie about the nuclear weapon. The movie is constructed by the real images and the voice from news and radio broadcasted in the time, which includes the images of victims of Atomic bomb. Unlike the serious and gloomy atmosphere of the images, the back music used in this movie is all concerned of the nuclear weapon in the United States at the time. From the rhythmical and cheerful tone of the music, we can see the positive image to the nuclear weapon at the United States at the time. The tragic symptom appeared on the body of the victims of the A-bombs, the soldiers rushing toward the mushroom cloud, and the pop music disagree with those images tells us the actual condition of the nuclear weapon and the public opinion about it in the United States at the time ironically.

Officially, the movie is an anti- nuclear weapon movie satirized the politic system of the United States at the time, but another theme included in this film is the fear of the political propaganda carried out by the American government.

Mr. and Mrs. Rosenberg who were doubted to be the spy from the Soviet Union and carried out the death sentence although there were no enough evidence to it, soldiers who were thrown into the nuclear weapon test site without any protection, and students who hide under the desk as a way of the protection from the A-bomb, although we all know that they are ridiculous actions to mention the danger of nuclear weapon, they were actually carried out under the propaganda at the time. What we can see through it is the large influence the political propaganda gives to the public, and people’s ignorance about the nuclear weapon.

The movie is only constructed by the images that are originally existed as the record of the test, or the news. Because of the difficult process, the movie is said to be took about five years to be completed. However, the vivid description of the time was sharply represented in this film under the method, and that is why the movie is very persuasive and outshines even today.