Though I had heard about The Atomic Cafe for years, I didn't see it until recently. And it's great. The film is a documentary that exclusively uses old film clips to tell the story of the first few decades of the Cold War. That means that initially, the film feels like an old movie.
As it progresses, however, it becomes apparent that the filmmakers have juxtaposed the film clips in such a way as to bring out a darkly humorous critique of the Cold War. It's funny and alarming, all at once. (It also makes me sad that I'll probably never teach a course on film juxtaposition, as this film would be perfect for such a class.) Ultimately, The Atomic Cafe, which was made in 1982, is a little bit like a documentary version of Dr. Strangelove. It's entertaining, informative, and well worth a watch.
As an added bonus, you can actually watch the entire movie online, here.
Or, just check out this clip:
Monday, March 29, 2010
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I think I was too young when I watched it the first time to notice what the subtext of it all was. It was eye candy and I loved it, but I think I'll give it another watch, now that i know it's on youtube.
ReplyDeleteyeah, it actually took me a few minutes to figure out if it was old and serious, or relatively new and ironic. But either way, it's pretty fascinating.
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