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White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On August 6, 1945, the world was changed forever when American forces dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later, another similar bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, and shortly afterward Japan surrendered to the United States. The human cost was tremendous -- 210,000 died in the immediate aftermath of the atomic attacks, and another 160,000 would later die of related illnesses and injuries... (All Movie Guide)
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White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

2007
Documentary
1h 26m
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Avg Percentile 76.22% from 75 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(75)
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Rated 02 Apr 2009
79
56th
Suitably powerful, given the subject matter, but difficult to rate as a "movie" for the same reason. The filmmakers were wise to play it straight, giving us the facts and images of the after effects of the Aug. '45 atomic blasts, and letting them speak for themselves. And if they don't, the interviews with the survivors, and their stories of finding headless babies and parents and siblings with burned-out eyeholes surely will. As the one survivor said, this can never happen again.
Rated 09 Mar 2009
70
83rd
It's hard for me to rate this documentary. Don't know if it is possible to make a documentary about the subject that wouldn't have an emotionally impact on the wiever. The film focuses on the survivors of the bombings. It doesn't point fingers on who's guilty, but reminds of the horrors sensless wars can bring upon us.
Rated 05 Apr 2008
90
90th
One of those very rare works of art that have the potential to change your life, or perhaps your way of thinking, forever, even though you thought you knew the message before you saw the film. How could we have done such a thing? (The answer - "It shortened the war" - becomes completely inadequate in the face of such suffering.)
Rated 07 Aug 2009
90
94th
The horrifying inhuman acts that ended World War 2 are made explicit in terrible detail.
Rated 05 Jan 2010
83
74th
Great documentary on what happened in Japan during the two Nukes of WWII, a must see.
Rated 09 Sep 2010
90
95th
Really upsetting documentary. To see and hear such a detailed description of what happened on those days and beyond is just shocking. "There are now enough nuclear weapons in the world to equal 400,000 Hiroshimas' -- fucking hell...
Rated 06 Oct 2010
85
71st
One of those "required viewing" sort of movies. Jesus, it's depressing.
Rated 02 Dec 2019
90
99th
Must see.
Rated 19 Feb 2024
65
51st
Crafty little thing. Pretensions of objectivity appear to allow the footage and interviews to speak for themselves with next to no audible involvement on the part of the filmmakers, but it still feels manipulated. Particularly liked the inclusion of various cultural happenings: the two piece rock band, improv painting/trumpet piece, and art of the survivors.
Rated 03 Aug 2023
87
95th
Hard to rate because it's not brilliant as a film in of itself, but the survivors' stories are, as you would expect, some of the most nightmarish things you've ever heard.
Rated 06 Feb 2024
80
85th
A very harrowing documentary that includes stories from survivors of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Difficult to understand the comments from the men who'd been involved with the bomb even if I kind of get that for that kind of a thing, you need to numb your mind to it, but over the years you'd expect more insight and regret. Then again, we don't really get more than a few words for them so I felt like we didn't get the full story, but I did find it more important to put focus on the victims.

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