By: JWBM
From the ordinary and mundane, to instant destruction and calamity— flames, death, and horrifying imagary to those still alive—these are the accounts of the fateful days in August 1945 when two atomic bombs were systematically dropped and detonated on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan during the tail end of World War II.
One could argue using the bombs was a culmination of events leading up to it: from possible payback for Pearl Harbor, or even what the Japanese military did to Nanking, with senseless rape, destruction, and death tolls estimated to be 200,000. Though, without getting too political—if that's possible for a depiction of war—this HBO documentary hones in on the regular Joes and Janes of Japan and the US, then examines how it impacted them then and in the time since.
"Little Boy" and "Fat Man"—as the bombs were called—caused near obliteration. It was a miracle that anyone survived; many didn't leave in one piece: in body or mind. All that they knew at that time vanished in an instant, like a colony of oblivious ants devastated by a stick of TNT. Except these people had names, personalities, families, and lives to look forward to. The ones that moved on and lived a full life, despite the obstacles, were able to share their thoughts and how it affected them. Some describe it point blank, while others have trouble repeating the words that come with an inseparable feeling of trauma, or with permanent imprinted images in their heads. Many have extensive injuries, such as missing appendages, unexplainable medical issues, and deep scars. The amount of will power and endurance some of these survivors went through—and are still going through—during their recovery period is commendable.
"White Light, Black Rain" is clear, concise, and moving. It gives room to breathe over other documentaries that were held back by time constraints, available resources, adequate budget, or a lack of focus. It sticks to a dedicated purpose to those who survived without attempting to take on other aspects that can't be changed or that would steer the tone into another direction. There are whys and hows talked about here, though its sights aren't on military history or to dissect blame. It's going for an intimate and compassionate look at these peoples' lives that were blessed enough to have another purpose after something so nightmarishly chaotic. My favorite interview was with Katsuji Yoshida of Nagasaki who goes on to talk about his mother's support and love, along with his gotta-move-on outlook, and ability to smile wide despite people's unfavorable looks and treatment. Others, due to plastic surgery, may look fine from the outside, but may be sole survivors from an extensive family, haven't been able to have children of their own, or seek constant treatment from something that has baffled doctors throughout the years since.
Some of the imagery and spoken descriptions are intense with detailing the aftermath. This isn't a feature to put on for a happy Saturday afternoon, though if you're looking for another perspective to these events at the end of World War II that comes with a message, then this does an excellent job at giving viewpoints with enough emotion to affect one for days.
Director: Steven Okazaki (Living on Tokyo Time; The Lisa Theory)
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link
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