REVIEW: ‘The Atomic Cafe’

Photo: The Atomic Cafe is a 1982 documentary that pieces together TV and cinematic footage, all focused on the development and deployment of the atomic bomb. Photo courtesy of Kino Lorber / Provided from press site.

The 1982 documentary The Atomic Cafe pulls together footage from TV and film to rediscover the age of the atomic bomb. Through clever edits and montages, the filmmaking team of Kevin Rafferty, Jayne Loader and Pierce Rafferty offer a biting commentary on the ridiculousness of mutual assured destruction and its simultaneous, and horrifying, reality. Somehow the film couples devastating images with satire and offers the audience a unique perspective on mid-20th century history.

The film, which was recently released in theaters in a 4K restoration, uses many different sources for its content. There are old military films and educational videos — some of which will generate chuckles in hindsight, especially the ones with children ducking under desks to save themselves from a nuclear blast. Other sequences, especially those showing the victims of the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan, are distressing and humbling.

Too often the human loss of life is missing from examinations of World War II and how the Pacific Theatre conflict ended. The Atomic Cafe takes much of its duration and focuses on the real people impacted by this new technology, whether they are local communities living on an island where the U.S. military is testing the devices or people residing within the blast radius of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan.

Side by side with the many shots of atomic bomb explosions and preparation videos are glimpses of the United States in the middle of the 20th century. In particular, The Atomic Cafe offers a look into the materialism of the post-war years and how everything seemed to glimmer and shine, all while science was running amok and marching steadily toward conflict and dismay.

The Atomic Cafe is a necessary trip down memory lane, and it teaches modern-day audiences about not only how the atomic bomb was developed and deployed, but how it was sold to the masses. The film explores the impact of this new technology in the media realm, and the images and symbols that come from this found footage are remarkably prescient, sad and telling.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

The Atomic Cafe (1982) is directed by Kevin Rafferty, Jayne Loader and Pierce Rafferty. Running time: 85 minutes. Rating: Recently played New York City’s Film Forum in a new 4K restoration by IndieCollect.