"The Atomic Cafe" is an interesting documentary that strings together US government propaganda films and archival footage from atomic era. Starting with the first atomic test through the Cold War, this film weaves these clips together into a history lesson. I appreciate how the clips were not just tossed together willy-nilly but actually were done chronologically and logically. At first, clips tend to talks very naively about the atomic bomb--showing solders watching the test blasts with minimal protection. Then the film focuses on fears in the West about communism and the Soviet Union.
So why is my score relatively low? Well, this film is a great example of too much. At about an hour and a half, the viewer is left numb--overwhelmed by too much. I think the film would have been better had it been shorter as sometimes more is not better. I found my attention drifting after a while and it was tough sticking with this one--even though it was clever.
So why is my score relatively low? Well, this film is a great example of too much. At about an hour and a half, the viewer is left numb--overwhelmed by too much. I think the film would have been better had it been shorter as sometimes more is not better. I found my attention drifting after a while and it was tough sticking with this one--even though it was clever.