The Ultimate Wish: Ending the Nuclear Age

Gr 10 Up—If the nuclear age began with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II, some wonder if the Fukushima power plant explosion following Japan's 2011 earthquake might signal the beginning of the end of the atomic era. The documentary centers on an elderly survivor of the Nagasaki bombing who has made it her life's work to educate audiences on the ghastly effects of nuclear weapons; her reminiscences and accompanying visuals certainly have an impact on her audiences of primarily high school groups. With a rich mix of vintage stills and film, news accounts, and actual radio addresses from during and after the war, this film seeks to expand that audience. Some of the images of radiation's effects on the body may be disturbing to some viewers. There is also commentary from other witnesses and those active in the antinuclear movement as well as from a Fukushima neighbor anxious about the future. Curiously, the Nagasaki survivor talks with a man about his French family's extinction during the Holocaust; the relationship between the two events needs explication. Student audiences might need some assistance in making the connection between the obvious menace of nuclear warfare and the not-so-clear argument against atomic power plants as an option for our energy-starved planet. English-language subtitles are utilized for the Japanese and French commentary, Chapter selection and supplemental information options were not included on the review version. This program might be most useful as a reminiscence of a Nagasaki survivor rather than as an anti-nuclear energy gospel.—Dwain Thomas, formerly Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL