This fascinating but academically presented documentary uses recently declassified military documents and footage never seen by the public to offer a more detailed chronicle of the history of the atomic bomb. The film was made to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The creation of the technology and the Cold War that followed are all graphically depicted. One particularly unnerving scene shows the Russians defying the ban on nuclear testing and unleashing the largest atomic blast in history. The film also includes interviews with the surviving designers of the bomb and also shows rare footage of interesting devices for launching the bombs and scenes of them being exploded in space. Some of the scenes come from the newest special-effects technology. — Sandra Brennan
