IMDb > The Day After Trinity (1981)

The Day After Trinity (1981) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   180 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 10% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jon Else
Writers:
Jon Else (writer)
David Webb Peoples (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Day After Trinity on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
20 January 1981 (USA) more
Genre:
Documentary more
Plot:
Scientists and witnesses involved in the creation and testing of the first ever atomic bomb reflect... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins more
User Comments:
Powerful stuff more (5 total)

Cast

  (Credited cast)
Hans Bethe ... Himself
Holm Bursom ... Himself
Haakon Chevalier ... Himself
Stirling Colgate ... Himself
Freeman Dyson ... Himself
Jon Else ... Interviewer
Susan Evans ... Herself
Francis Fergusson ... Himself
Paul Frees ... Narrator (voice)
Leslie Groves ... Himself (archive footage)
Elizabeth Ingram ... Herself
Robert Krohn ... Himself
Dave MacDonald ... Himself
Joseph McCarthy ... Himself (archive footage)
Dorothy McKibben ... Herself
J. Robert Oppenheimer ... Himself (archive footage)
Robert Porton ... Himself
Isidor Isaac Rabi ... Himself (as I. I. Rabi)
Robert Serber ... Himself
Harry S. Truman ... Himself (archive footage)
Francoise Ulam ... Herself
Stanislaw Ulam ... Himself (as Stan Ulam)
Jane Wilson ... Herself
Robert Wilson ... Himself
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
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Runtime:
88 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
USA:Not Rated
Company:
KTEH more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful.
Powerful stuff, 5 June 2000
7/10
Author: lemmy caution from Toronto, Ontario

Often gripping documentary detailing the father of the American atomic bomb. Two interesting themes emerged throughout the film. The first is the tension between the delight of scientific discovery and the social responsibility for its results. The second was the story of how the American government co-opted the scientific brilliance of a generation of progressive/left-wing scientists (who were rallied by anti-fascist fervour) to ignite a so-called Cold War with Communist Russia.

In both cases the hubris of the scientists (that nuclear weapons can be controlled, that politicians will act selflessly and share the knowledge, and enter into an international stewardship of the Bomb) reminds us of the gulf between technical skill and political savvy.

All of this is well presented well in the film, focused through the lens of the story of Robert Oppenheimer, and his triumphs and failings - his genius and short-sightedness - are laid bare. It does falter a bit after detailing the use of atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki - seeing anything after the presentation of this destruction leaves us emotionally exhausted - but Oppenheimer's fall from grace does feel like an anti-climax, and seems a little rushed.

Rating 7 out of 10 (quite good).

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