The Beginning or the End

Feb 19, 1947

1h 52m

★ 6.1

Behind a forbidden door is a terrifying secret!

Overview

The research, development, and deployment of the first atomic bomb, as well as the bombing of Hiroshima, are detailed in this docudrama.

Genres

Drama

Documentary

History

War

Production Companies

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

The Beginning or the End Trailers

Cast

Maj. Gen. Leslie R. Groves

Brian Donlevy

Col. Jeff Nixon

Robert Walker

Matt Cochran

Tom Drake

Anne Cochran

Beverly Tyler

Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer

Hume Cronyn

Jean O'Leary

Audrey Totter

Dr. John Wyatt

Hurd Hatfield

Dr. Enrico Fermi

Joseph Calleia

President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Godfrey Tearle

Dr. Marre

Victor Francen

Dr. Chisholm

Richard Haydn

Dr. Vannevar Bush

Jonathan Hale

In 150 years, twice marked by total destruction —a terrible earthquake in 1923 and incendiary bombings in 1945— followed by a spectacular rebirth, Tokyo, the old city of Edo, has become the largest and most futuristic capital in the world in a transformation process fueled by the exceptional resilience of its inhabitants, and nourished by a unique phenomenon of cultural hybridization.

4.5

Iron Eagle II

Nov 11, 1988

Chappy Sinclair is called to gather together a mixed Soviet/U.S. strike force that will perform a surgical strike on a massively defended nuclear missile site in the Middle East. Chappy finds that getting the Soviet and U.S. Pilots to cooperate is only the most minor of his problems as he discovers someone in the Pentagon is actively sabotaging his mission.

7.0

Thirteen Days

Dec 25, 2000

The story of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962—the nuclear standoff with the USSR sparked by the discovery by the Americans of missile bases established on the Soviet-allied island of Cuba.

6.9

The Heroes of Telemark

Nov 12, 1965

Set in German-occupied Norway, resistance fighter Knut Straud enlists the reluctant physicist Rolf Pedersen in an effort to destroy the German heavy water production plant in rural Telemark.

6.7

Slacker

Jul 5, 1991

Austin, Texas, is an Eden for the young and unambitious, from the enthusiastically eccentric to the dangerously apathetic. Here, the nobly lazy can eschew responsibility in favor of nursing their esoteric obsessions. The locals include a backseat philosopher who passionately expounds on his dream theories to a seemingly comatose cabbie, a young woman who tries to hawk Madonna's Pap test to anyone who will listen and a kindly old anarchist looking for recruits.

7.6

Barefoot Gen

Jul 21, 1983

A story about the effect of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on a boy's life and the lives of the Japanese people.

6.5

Barefoot Gen 2

Jun 14, 1986

Three years after the Hiroshima bombing, a teenager helps a group of orphans to survive and find their new life.

7.5

Empire of the Sun

Dec 9, 1987

Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor, who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile environment, Jamie maintains his dignity and youthful spirit, providing a beacon of hope for the others held captive with him.

6.4

The Sum of All Fears

May 31, 2002

When the president of Russia suddenly dies, a man whose politics are virtually unknown succeeds him. The change in political leaders sparks paranoia among American CIA officials, so CIA director Bill Cabot recruits a young analyst to supply insight and advice on the situation. Then the unthinkable happens: a nuclear bomb explodes in a U.S. city, and America is quick to blame the Russians.

7.7

Hiroshima Mon Amour

Jun 10, 1959

The deep conversation between a Japanese architect and a French actress forms the basis of this celebrated French film, considered one of the vanguard productions of the French New Wave. Set in Hiroshima after the end of World War II, the couple -- lovers turned friends -- recount, over many hours, previous romances and life experiences. The two intertwine their stories about the past with pondering the devastation wrought by the atomic bomb dropped on the city.

7.4

Hiroshima

Oct 7, 1953

Historical fiction about the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on 6 August 1945, and its effects on various civilians, especially children, of that city.

7.3

The Atomic Cafe

Mar 17, 1982

A disturbing collection of 1940s and 1950s United States government-issued propaganda films designed to reassure Americans that the atomic bomb was not a threat to their safety.

8.0

Oppenheimer

Jul 19, 2023

The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.

7.4

Kabei: Our Mother

Jan 26, 2008

Set in Tokyo in 1940, the peaceful life of the Nogami Family suddenly changes when the father, Shigeru, is arrested and accused of being a Communist. His wife Kayo works frantically from morning to night to maintain the household and bring up her two daughters with the support of Shigeru's sister Hisako and Shigeru's ex-student Yamazaki, but her husband does not return. WWII breaks out and casts dark shadows on the entire country, but Kayo still tries to keep her cheerful determination, and sustain the family with her love. This is an emotional drama of a mother and an eternal message for peace.

6.2

Fat Man and Little Boy

Oct 20, 1989

Assigned to oversee the development of the atomic bomb, Gen. Leslie Groves is a stern military man determined to have the project go according to plan. He selects J. Robert Oppenheimer as the key scientist on the top-secret operation, but the two men clash fiercely on a number of issues. Despite their frequent conflicts, Groves and Oppenheimer ultimately push ahead with two bomb designs — the bigger "Fat Man" and the more streamlined "Little Boy."

7.8

Fail Safe

Oct 7, 1964

Because of a technical defect an American bomber team mistakenly orders the destruction of Moscow. The President of the United States has but little time to prevent an atomic catastrophe from occurring.

6.9

Fail Safe

Apr 9, 2000

Cold War tensions climb to a fever pitch when a U.S. bomber is accidentally ordered to drop a nuclear warhead on Moscow.

7.1

Rhapsody in August

May 25, 1991

An elderly Nagasaki hibakusha spends a summer caring for her four grandchildren, whose curiosity about the 1945 bombing stirs buried memories and moral questions. When an American nephew from Hawaii visits, the family confronts grief, guilt, and the possibility of reconciliation across generations.

7.6

White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Aug 6, 2007

Steven Okazaki presents a deeply moving look at the painful legacy of the first -- and hopefully last -- uses of nuclear weapons in war. Featuring interviews with fourteen atomic bomb survivors - many who have never spoken publicly before - and four Americans intimately involved in the bombings, White Light/Black Rain provides a detailed exploration of the bombings and their aftermath.