The idea of combining film from various sources to make something new is a controversial issue. Some people thinks it's stealing; while other people believe collage films like this, are masterpieces of film novelty. In my opinion, I'm one, for the latter argument since many of these propaganda films, TV programs, army and military training films, advertisements, film strips, newsreels, cartoons, government archival film, documentaries, civil defense films, anti-nuclear footage, public service announcements, educational films, and commercial stock footage are in the public domain. So I really doubt, any of this, is considered as stealing in the modern term. Then, there are those critics that says, that films like this, undermining the original message, in which, the original film footage was trying to tell. While, it's true, I haven't saw, many of these film archives on their own, before in my life; so, I wouldn't know, what their original intention were really about, however, I do love, the way, this movie consistent edit all of those found footage from disparate sources into one film to prove that life in the 'Atomic Age' was somewhat comical, despite the era being ride with paranoia, anxiety and misapprehension. I saw, 'the Atomic Café' as a funny, but also an eerily look into the nostalgia of 1940-1960s Cold War. The film's satire shines best, and most vividly in the clever image splicing of the cheerful 1952's animation film, 'Duck and Cover', with that the misinform 'Army Training Videos', which state out, soldiers and Bikini islanders would be alright to return to destructive bomb sites, without getting much radiation. Its shows, how inexperienced and naïve people still were, after ten to 20 years after the horrors of the nuclear bombing of the Japanese towns of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, during World War 2. I know, it's a bit hypocritical to laugh at people from yesteryear, when we still, repeating some of the same mistakes, in today's world, but some of the examples, I brought up, here, are just too hilarious, not to give a few chuckles. The movie is just way too entertaining. In my opinion, I thought that directors, Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty and Pierce Rafferty and their team of film editors and researchers did a great job. After all, this movie was made in the early 1980s; where old film footages isn't as easy to find, as it is, today's work. There was no internet, back then, to share film files with; every film archive had to be search and noted for similarities. I heard, that makers of The Atomic Cafe sifted through thousands of feet of Army films, newsreels, government propaganda films and old television broadcasts to come up with 86 minutes of material for their movie. That's pretty impressive at the time. It's also remarkable that all of this, is presented without any new talking narration, or talking-head interviews to push the narrative along. Even, the vintage songs match, the era in which this movie, is trying to portray. It was very whimsical and yet so razor-sharp accuracy. No wonder, why this movie took five years to make. I just surprised that this documentary wasn't nominated for Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1982; because it should had. If the movie had any faults; it's the lack of seeing what the views of the Soviet Union was going through, during that same era. I know, Soviet Union film footage and newsreels is hard to come back, at that time; but just think, if this movie had some of those. It would make a more well-rounded film. I would love to see more scenes like the 1959's Kitchen Debate, between Vice President, Richard Nixon & Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev or something similar to that. Another fault of the film is the movie doesn't talk much about the early 1960s Cold War attitudes. I think, those events would still, fit with the nostalgia cold war tone of the film. It would be nice to see them, to cover the U-2 incident, the Berlin Wall Build up, the Cuba Missile Crisis and the Space Age. My only guess, in why this movie, didn't show that, was because, those events were too tense to make fun of. However, in my opinion, it would still work. After all, this film, did showcase, some dark events like the Korea War, the trials of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and others. So, I don't see, no reason, why they couldn't add those 1960s events in. Despite that, the Atomic Café did serves up a revealing, somewhat informative hot cup of Cold War history. Overall: Atomic Café was da-bomb! The film was immensely enjoyable. I recommended watching to anybody who is a Cold-War junkie. It will warm your heart.
Review of The Atomic Cafe
