Hiroshima: Out of the Ashes

This film is commendable for those who are barely literate about some of the Japanese-American tensions and attractions that make the Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombing such a controversial matter more than 60 years later with no end in sight. For such young people the "English-friendly" aspects of this production will be appealing; the special effects and "gross-out" scenes are far enough from original documentary footage and the eyewitness narratives that most sensitive viewers should not have to turn away when victims and injured citizens are in view. The use of "name" actors helps to make some of the August 6 events seem accessible while avoiding the history-by-leaders/ Presidents/ aggressive warriors "trap." A U.S. serviceman's death (character played by Judd Nelson) is somewhat melodramatic but again illustrates some worthy points (the two cultures involved in a "struggle to the death" war while still sharing common values on high technology and fascination with "wins/losses"). I haven't heard if a project like this is slated for the 60th anniversary (2005) of the War-ending bombing but it wouldn't surprise me. My rating 10 *'s for those older than 12 who can sit and discuss this with adults (grandparents who lived at or around that era); and positive value for young and middle-aged adults.

This is a partially historically accurate account of the Hiroshima bombing. The only flaw was it was a bit slanted against America, making the bombing out to be a war crime, and yet under the circumstances it was certainly less so than, for example, the rape of Nanking.

Had America not dropped the bombs and instead invaded Japan, many more people would have died, probably over 500,000 including at least 100,000 Americans.

The direction was a bit sloppy by times with too many repetitive scenes. There could have been some better character development, or if there was not enough time leave out one of the sub-plots and pay more attention to the others.

Overall it was a fairly good history lesson, with some talented actors such as Max von Sydow and Tamlyn Tomita.

This film concentrates more on the character development of several key figures, rather than on the actual bombing itself. That is the strength of the movie. The moral dilemma of whether to drop a bomb on a city that would kill at least 100,000 people, or but not doing so, initiate a conventional invasion of the Japanese mainland that would have taken several MILLION lives (both American and Japanese seems to logically point to less damaging alternative. However, some naive individuals, including one reviewer, believe losing the millions of lives would not have been an atrocity. All war is an atrocity.

The film is well-directed and the players produce non-hysterical performances in a narrative that covers several key characters simultaneously. One is a doctor with thousands of victims, no hospital supplies and no other doctors around, another is a student at a boys school, one is a Japanese woman who admires American culture, and others include a priest and American POWS. Max Van Syndow gives a moving performance. This movie makes The Day After and others in the genre look like trips to Disneyland.

I thought this movie was completely missconceived. First of all, the Japanaes residents of Hiroshima speaking english makes no sense... Then the American POWs running around town after the explosion... Please, give me a break! The characters in general where all very shallow, we never get to feel anything for anybody. Some characters are downright ridiculous, like the catholic priest played by Max von Sydow and his (comical) assistants. Scenes featuring the latter are almost farsical. All in all, this motion picture comes together as a garbled mess, one that is boring and emotionless (for a film on such a topic, hard to believe). And the ending.... No comment.

This film gives a very good description of what it might have been to be in a city a see it being completely destroyed. It shows the anguish of searching for your loved ones and the despair of finding them dead. It's a good movie to show what war should not be like, that is, attacking innocent people instead of having an army versus army battle.