Atomic Bomb Cinema

by Jerome Shapiro

Unfathomably merciless and powerful, the atomic bomb has left its indelible mark on film. In Atomic Bomb Cinema, Jerome F. Shapiro unearths the unspoken legacy of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and its complex aftermath in American and Japanese cinema.

According to Shapiro, a "Bomb film" is never simply an exercise in ideology or paranoia. He examines hundreds of films like Godzilla, Dr. Strangelove, and The Terminator as a body of work held together by ancient narrative and symbolic traditions that extol survival under devastating conditions. Drawing extensively on both English-language and Japanese-language sources, Shapiro argues that such films not only grapple with our nuclear anxieties, but also offer signs of hope that humanity is capable of repairing a damaged and divided world.

www.atomicbombcinema.com

Genres: Science

404 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 2001

Reviews

[John Traphagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book that raises some important ideas about the influence of the atomic bombings on Japanese film. Worth the read.

[Georg Sagittarius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stimmt gut ein auf den seit über 2000 J. (nach)biblisch PROPHEZEITEN 3.Wk, mE 2026: j-lorber.de! Gerd Gutemann! Kurt Eggenstein Walter Lutz!

[Chris Laskey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shapiro's analysis of Atomic Bomb cinema has some unique and valid examples yet other interpretations are so bizarre as to refute some of his concepts and it struggles oft times to fit. He specifically is looking to shape these movies into a basic theory that was shaped from his own religious/personal background. Certainly it is a valid point to consider the nature of most bomb film as apocalyptic but while the general public considers such a term akin to an holocaustal event the author uses the Judaic biblical reference of Apocalypse as revelatory and restorative. Biblically the Apocalypse is a revelation (personal journey real or dream state or revealed of a Catastrophic ending followed by a new or improved view - perhaps on earth or in heaven) that besides foretelling or showing a crisis resolves itself as beneficial to those who move into this state. This interpretation within certain Christian assemblies is known as the Rapture. A crisis that removes the selected or chosen ones to heaven and the rest left to deal with a cataclysmic and miserable event. So in truth a lot a films do fall into this idea where there are survivals of a brave new world. It just happens though that the old world is a destroyed and a new deadly environment is the result - certainly not the renewed world as in the revelation. One can equate the idea of the bomb as a "Hand of God" but Shapiro is firmly entrenched that the destruction is man made and brought about by man so biblically the thesis starts to weaken. Sure many movies reference some ending phrase to biblical lines but in truth that is to make much of god's punishment (the flood as an example) - and that we have brought this on ourselves.
He never quite moves in this direction - rather he tries, at times not convincingly, to shape some movies into his narrow view and some films such as On the Beach just doesn't fit in (everybody dies). In fact how many films actually present some restorative post apocalyptic view? None of the films he reviews.
Shapiro avoids or detests politically analysis of any of these films (yet it would be quite valid and worthwhile to delve into why these films never deal with the actual victims - The Japanese, and prosecutors the Americans and the blame therein). Besides the Biblical references he likes to further analyze the selected films with Freudian meanings which at times becomes overwhelming and unbelievable. Again there surely exist PyschoSexual allusions, either intended or not, but at other times one can merely say that sometimes the cigar is just a cigar too. He dives pretty deep into these ventures and after pages of almost hubristic conceits the reading becomes a little exhausted. The aspect of most Science Fiction Films - either Atomic Bomb or otherwise is that they are allegorical and almost any kind of interpretation has an element of merit and can all co-exist as well. So one can assign political, apocalyptic/holocaustal or sexual/cultural meanings to any of these films. I would have rather had the author be consistent and not try to mold the films into his set ideas and less time invalidating other critical views.