Atomic Cafe takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the folly of nuclear weapons. I recently saw this movie in conjunction with a special exhibit, Vital Forms, art and design influenced by biomorphic forms, this weekend at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

Coherently pieced together from public service announcements, military training films, and TV programs, this film outlines the rough chronology of the US nuclear weapons program, and lambastes the various arguments made by people supporting it. It is propaganda against nuclear weapons culled from propaganda in support for nuclear weapons.

The film begins quite seriously with clips and interviews of those involved with dropping the A-bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Everyone, FDR, the military commanders, the pilots, scientists, and the American public are shown quite optimistic over their successful drop of the A-bomb on Japan, and their hope of the A-bomb in bringing peace by destroying the enemy from making and waging war. And while America jubilated, and returned to normalcy – by immersing themselves in such things as marriage, shopping, and work -- we see the flip side of the coin with the devastating aftermath of the blast on Japan. There were ghostly nuclear shadows cast by people not there anymore, and medical documentary style film clips of people with severe burns, and hair falling out of their skulls. Quite chilling was a comment made by a military planner who said they might have to drop several A-bombs on Japan before they even take notice.

From this opening sequence, the film takes a more lighthearted approach. The A-bomb is exploded a lot, as if it was a fun, and chic thing to do. There are a plethora of quotes taken from FDR, and from military training films that perversely invoke God as the reason for blessing America the gift of the A-bomb. Elements of pop culture are also shown wholeheartedly embracing the atom as the symbol of the future.

Further on, during the cold war era when the USSR too had the bomb, it becomes quite clear that God cannot be used as an argument for having the bomb. Instead, capitalism, private ownership, and shopping malls are used. Clips of public service announcements, and clips from TV programs focus instead on the hysteria of the American public.

We are shown, quite whimsically, the duck and cover method of protecting oneself. In case of a nuclear attack, one must duck and cover themselves at the first sign of a nuclear blast, i.e., the flash. Of course, people will tell you nowadays that if a flash occurs, you are already dead. But in the old days, it was better than nothing, and besides, it was a way of preventing people from panicking.

I found this scene amusing, Nixon is shown on TV giving a short speech in favor of the proliferation of nuclear weapons, but the scene cuts away to a public service announcement. Nixon is shown again, but this time giving his support for Mental Health Week.

The music for the film was quite interesting, and range from the drama and Bernard Herrmanesque feel of the opening clips, to the various country and folk tunes praising the A-bomb, to a children’s play song teaching one to “duck-and-cover” in case of a nuclear blast.

The film is 88 minutes long, and made in 1982 by Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty (II), and Pierce Rafferty. If you are freethinking individual, and willing to laugh and poke fun at nuclear weapons, and at the government, then give this film a look-see.




Recommended: Yes