source: The Bomb

Wonderful ambient soundtrack contrasted by images of humanity's atomic chaos. Abstract, avant-garde and haunting, this film possibly says just as much through its evocative silences than adding narration could, leaving the viewer alone to ponder and soul search over many themes and ideas. Thoroughly gripping and enjoyable, refreshingly unique and experimental, "The Bomb" deserves much more acclaim than it seems to receive online. In a world where opinions are incessantly voiced, this work of art was a breath of fresh air.

I understand art can be controversial but this piece was overly repetitive and relied too much on the idea of trying to make mushroom clouds look beautiful. Not really educational or interesting at all. Music was good though.

I should have expected this from PBS. The left controls the education system and have been re-writing history to suit their agenda...hence their claim that President Truman (Democrat) did not order the use of the bomb. No wonder anyone under the age of 45 is so confused and knows nothing about this nations true history.

Enthralling and entrancing, The Bomb combines archival nuclear test footage and Cold War propaganda films, set to modern electronic trip-hop by The Acid. The narration of traditional documentary is eschewed as the images are allowed to speak for themselves, unfiltered. The result strikes an awesome and terrifying emotional nerve, one that we have grown numb to in the wake of the Cold War, as one realizes the still present risk of a nuclear apocalypse through accident, proliferation, and escalation.

I would've added at the end imagery of extremophile life: bacteria, tardigrades, insects, deep-sea volcanic vents. Then moved on to abandoned human places that nature has taken over, like the Pripyat region (Chernobyl incident). Why? To show that life will go on even if humanity is stupid enough to erase itself from existence. We do not matter on such a scale, and nothing will cry for us after we are gone. Also, would've liked to see death/injury rate on the animal testing.

Its a nuclear bomb documentry made in perfect way with some perfect musics. Its a documentry but the narrator is video itself. Its harmony is so relaxing and so fearfull at the same time. Sometimes I just listen to it while I play games or just surfing on the internet. "for if we believe that the spread of nuclear weapons is inevitable, then in some way we are admitting to ourselves that the use of nuclear weapons is" -Barack Obama

On the same page as the Qatsi trilogy, Baraka and similar impressionistic documentaries, "The Bomb" is somewhat less challenging as a piece of film. With a far more lenient 55-minute run-time and something that more closely resembles a plot/central theme in atomic/nuclear weapons, their history and dangers than those other films' more hazy themes, "The Bomb"'s ultimate purpose and effect is less scattershot. The usual suspects of footage used practically whenever nuclear weapons are discussed (Oppenheimer's "I am become Death" line) do make their necessary appearances here, but the great soundtrack and editing do re-contextualize them somewhat. Ultimately, what could've been a boring, pretentious experimental film is significantly less so than expected thanks to its clear aim, the importance of what it has to say and the cinematic tools of its clever soundtrack and relatively fast-paced editing.

What is it supposed to be? Admittedly, I only lasted ten minutes; but in those ten minutes is an endless parade of parades and exploding rockets all to the soundtrack of the most annoying games arcade you have ever been in. Over the top are some '60s PSAs clipped together into an incoherent mess that is as irksome as the games arcade soundtrack. Avoid if you value your sanity...

This is a great compilation of visual depictions of the power of the nuclear bomb, the outcomes of when it used to destroy life and archival footage about its use and destructiveness. Lest we forget the power of this weapon, this film serves as a cinematic reminder of the need to be responsible for what can destroy mankind in an instant should be it used carelessly, or if there is the need to ever use it all.

Scoring: .5-Plot. .5-Characters. 0-Acting. .5-Writing. .5-Cinematography. .5-Direction. .5-Pace/Tone 1-Score. 1-Special Effects. .5-Cultural Impact/Influence. 5.5 Total. Rounded total to 5