The Atomic Cafe (1982)

One of the best documentary films of the cold war

Anyone over the age of 45 will laugh nervously through this film at the "devil may care" attitude of "Early Cold War America." Between the blissfully ignorant man-on-the-street interviews of everyday citizens to the brutally honest footage of the military test film footage, the viewer gets a clear picture of what was happening to our nuclear arms buildup as opposed to how much the public really understood. Classic clips from interviews, training films, educational television programs and civil defense propoganda is stitched together to create a clear timeline of nuclear anxiety and naiveté without a word of narrated voice-over. This film also includes quite possibly the worlds worst actor: an army chaplain who is trying to ease the anxieties of his fellow soldiers with dialogue that took probably ten seconds to write, but what I'm sure took this poor guy days to rehearse and memorize. Worth the price alone (but you'll enjoy the rest, too.) May 5, 2008

Atomic Cloud

Viewing this generally well composed archival footage was not as much humorous as ironic nor as horrific as graphic, leaving a sense of nebulousness from which to further contemplate the human experience. Worth watching, from time to time. March 5, 2008

THIS FILM is total propaganda.

I am going to echo the other couple of people who have pointed out that this proto-Michael Moore splice-fest is a none too subtle piece of shamelessly disingenuous and overweening revisionism. As you probably know, it specializes in taking the most superficial and very often awkward and embarassing elements of the Cold War and using them to undermine the entirety the United States' attempt to defend itself against an EXTREMELY hostile enemy, Soviet Russia. There can be no doubt about the sad ironies of this war, and I would direct you to Richard Rhodes's most recent book for an in-depth discussion. However, poking fun at this very serious issue is not only rude and disrespectful but in many ways dangerous.

Let's just take a couple of things in the film. The "hysteria" created from the Alger Hiss case for example. It has now been proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Hiss and Chambers were in fact involved in espionage against the United States. It is no joke, and nothing to make light of. The Soviets placed thousands of expert personnel in Cuba during the early 60s. There was nothing bush-league about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Oh right, but let's just make some fun of MOST SUPERFICIAL films of that era. Eisenhower tried to give American people a sense of courage and conviction: how "gullible" those poor saps were... this is really annoying stuff. There is nothing subtle about having old footage say the things that you are saying yourself through the footage, or use of music...it's in fact quite juvenile and propaganda 101. But I do give the producers credit for their creative yet facile Bill Maher-esque convictions.

If there is any strength in the film it is the quality of so much of the footage that was shot by these same mocked people. Some of it is amazing to watch. January 23, 2008

we're gonna live, live LIVE---IN MY FALLOUT SHELTER !!!

The Atomic Cafe gives us an excellent look at the development of the atomic bomb, the H bomb and the repercussions it had on the world, including America. Although some parts provide black humor, I saw things like the "duck and cover" scenes as being symptomatic of a time when people truly thought America could at any time come under nuclear attack by its arch enemy, the former Soviet Union.

The film begins with the test detonation of an atom bomb in the desert of New Mexico and proceeds roughly chronologically to tell the story of how the atom bomb helped to end World War II. We get footage of the bomb's mushroom cloud after it was dropped on Hiroshima; and there is a plethora of footage and film clips from the era regarding how government taught Americans to think about the bomb as the tool to destroy all our enemies. We also see much paranoia fueling these government films which are often little more than poorly disguised propaganda films of the day.

However, a closer look reveals the absolute obsession Americans experienced about the threat of the Soviet Union to rob them of their "American dream." Communism was fought against vigorously--not just in Congress but in the form of protest marches, films churned out by the American government and radio and TV talk shows of the day. I could not help but feel sympathy for people who genuinely believed that at any moment an enemy like the Soviet Union could destroy almost all of Los Angeles, Minneapolis or New York. I remember how I myself had those fears at times when I was a young boy.

Overall, the footage and the pace of the documentary provide us with excellent insight about how Americans thought and dealt with the newborn atomic age during tough times; and this film held my attention well.

The DVD comes with few extras. We get scene selections and credits but little else. Oh, well.

The Atomic Cafe is indeed a cult classic; and it also makes for a rather interesting look at the abject fear and dread Americans truly experienced at a time when the "cold, cold war" between America and the Soviets was full blown. I highly recommend it for people studying this period in time. People who want a better understanding of the American experience in the aftermath of the atomic bomb will do well to watch this movie. November 10, 2007

A new perspective

This is a completely new way of looking at the atomic era. It brings into argument both media, and government in a way that documentaries could never accomplish. By weaving actual footage together without commentary, this movie manages to remain nonpartisan, and yet still, somehow, encourages us to compare today with yesterday. August 20, 2007

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