As we approach another anniversary of August 9, those who participated in “the decision” are all but gone.
But the reminders are with us, thanks to a new book by Evan Thomas, “Road to Surrender,” the forward for which reads “To save lives, it was necessary to take lives — possibly hundreds of thousands of them.” And, of course, Christopher Nolan’s epic portrait of the man who was never allowed to forget, Robert Oppenheimer.
We can’t hide under our desks anymore, but we can view ten other works that scared the hell out of us.
“On the Beach” (1959)
As a little girl in 1959, I found my parents watching this black and white film on TV. Excited, I asked if it was the latest with Annette and Frankie Avalon. Uh, no. They allowed me to stay, and two hours later, I was shaken to the core. Gregory Peck, Fred Astaire (no tapping here) and Ava Gardner were the stars of this drama, which introduced many to the idea of radioactive climate change.
“Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964)
Maybe the best-known of the group, this 1964 dark comedy featured Peter Sellers in a series of roles. While it may be difficult to laugh at the idea of a person pushing the wrong button by mistake, screenwriter Terry Southern and director Stanley Kubrick made it work.
“Paul Jacobs and the Nuclear Gang” (1979)
This amazing documentary from 1979 was produced by Jack Willis and Saul Landau with Haskell Wexler as cinematographer. Jacobs was a political activist and journalist who was among the first to expose this country’s cover-up of the dangers of all things nuclear.
“The China Syndrome” (1979)
Never has a film so met a moment. This 1979 thriller, featuring Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon and Michael Douglas, received little buzz until Three Mile Island emerged as the country’s top story. Suddenly, the idea that this form of energy could be destructive if used the wrong way became a concern. Fonda’s producing partner, Bruce Gilbert, said, “The net effect of ‘The China Syndrome’ and Three Mile Island: construction of new nuclear power plants essentially ceased in the United States, and have not recovered since.”
“The Day After Trinity” (1981)
Apparently, many fans of Christopher Nolan’s film are rediscovering this one. Made by Jon Else, “The Day After Trinity” is a 1981 documentary about the Manhattan Project. Else is still involved with the University of California at Berkeley, which continues to operate the Lawrence Berkeley Lab, despite opposition through the years, originally led by former Gov. Jerry Brown.
“If You Love This Planet” (1982)
This was a 1982 documentary about a famous lecture given by Australian doctor Helen Caldicott. I was part of a group that would show the film to Hollywood folks at the complex run by actor-director Tony Bill. We silently watched one woman simply stating the facts about the dangers of all things nuclear. It won the Academy Award that year for Best Short Doc.
“The Day After” (1983)
This 1983 TV movie, directed by Nicholas Meyer, was viewed by 100 million people. Jason Robards, John Lithgow, and Steve Guttenberg portrayed Kansas residents awaiting the outcome of a bomb blast.
“Testament” (1983)
This 1983 feature, made by Lynn Littman and starring Oscar-nominated Jane Alexander, also dealt with the after-effects of the dropping of nuclear bombs. Again, by focusing on a small town, forced to deal with a big issue.
“Special Bulletin” (1983)
Director Ed Zwick once told me how NBC sports exec Don Ohlmeyer ended up as his executive producer on “Special Bulletin,” a 1983 TV movie about nuclear war. It seemed the network needed to employ someone who had made a previous producer deal there. One option was Ohlmeyer and the other eas Gary Coleman. The idea of the child star of “Different Strokes” putting his name on such a harrowing tale is LOL now, but the movie was no laughing matter: dealing with terrorists threatening to detonate an H-bomb off the coast of South Carolina. It spooked a lot of viewers and earned large ratings. (Even without Gary Coleman attached)
“Fat Man and Little Boy” (1989)
This 1989 drama is the closest in story-telling elements to the current film. Instead of Matt Damon as Gen. Leslie Groves, it offered Paul Newman in the role of the man assigned to oversee Oppenheimer and company. While the movie did not fare well with box office or critics, it is interesting to return to take a second look. Newman, in real life, was a major anti-nuclear crusader, including being a delegate to the U.N Special Session on Disarmament.
And let’s not forget a guy named Godzilla, who has generated countless interpretations — mostly metaphorical — related to the atom bomb. All these films, and more, continue to ask what Robert Oppenheimer ultimately asked himself: Who was the true monster here?
