"The impact of the bomb..."
The impact of the bomb through a documentary

The Documentary:
Perspective of Historians
Reflections from main participants
Oppenheimer and his brother, etc.
Clips and descriptions of the effects of the bomb
Death and destruction
Power of the bomb (mushroom cloud)

(cont.)
After Hiroshima
The Hydrogen Bomb
Arms Race
Soviet UnionÕs test of atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb
Up to the point documentary was filmed, 1,200 nuclear bombs tested

Effects of Documentaries vs. Texts
ÒIt treated humans as matterÓ
ÒA Picture is Worth A Thousand WordsÓ
Puts a human face on the tragedy
Allows us to see the destruction while providing us the facts
Emotion of men involved
Visual images supplement words
Evokes sympathy for the Japanese people and American soldiers

The Strength Of Images
What else does a documentary do?
Gives us insight into the thoughts of people involved through personal interviews
Captures the moment whereas texts are reflections
Allows for contrasting images
Cheering American soldiers vs. Devastated Japanese people, esp. CHILDREN

How Texts and Documentaries Complement Each Other
Together, the two combine both intellectual and emotional aspects of historical events
They bring together not only the facts of governmental policies but also the personal consequences of their implementation.
Texts choose quotations for their content whereas documentaries work to capture the emotional appeal.

Discussion Questions
What image was the most evocative to you?
Are there any other differences between documentaries and texts? Similarities?
Do you prefer documentaries to texts? Why or why not?
Did you learn anything new from the documentary?
Do you think the United StatesÕ treatment of Oppenheimer was fair?