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

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.

6.7

Slacker

Jul 27, 1990

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.

10.0

The Neutron Bomb

Oct 6, 2022

We've all heard of the atomic bomb, but in the late 1950s, an idea was conceived of a bomb which would maximize damage to people, but minimize damage to buildings and vital infrastructure: perfect for an occupying army. This is the story of a man and his bomb: a melding of world events and scientific discovery inspire the neutron bomb, one of the most hated nuclear weapons ever invented.

7.7

Oppenheimer After Trinity

Apr 22, 2023

This captivating documentary on J. Robert Oppenheimer, the architect of the atomic bomb, explores his journey before the historic test and reveals the burden he carried after. De-classified documents, rare film footage and exclusive interviews, including Oppenheimer's grandson, show an intimate exploration of the burden Oppenheimer carried and the profound global impact still being debated today.

7.0

The World's Biggest Bomb Revealed

Jul 12, 2011

National Geographic 2011 Documentary on the World's Biggest Bomb (UK).

6.5

Inside Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer

Jul 15, 2023

A look behind the scenes of Christopher Nolan's film "Oppenheimer" about an American scientist and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.

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.

4.0

Barefoot Gen's Hiroshima

Aug 6, 2011

With the passing of Nakazawa Keiji in December 2012, Barefoot Gen’s Hiroshima now stands as the manga artist’s last message of peace to the world. Mr. Nakazawa recounts his life, from the aftermath of the atomic bombing up until the days he created his acclaimed manga series Barefoot Gen (Hadashi no Gen), by exploring sites of painful memories in Hiroshima. Through Mr. Nakazawa’s story, and his original art work, Barefoot Gen’s Hiroshima illuminates the nature of war and nuclear weapons, urging us not to repeat the past.

7.2

Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie

Sep 29, 1995

"Trinity and Beyond" is an unsettling yet visually fascinating documentary presenting the history of nuclear weapons development and testing between 1945-1963. Narrated by William Shatner and featuring an original score performed by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, this award-winning documentary reveals previously unreleased and classified government footage from several countries.

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.

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.

6.4

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.

6.2

Infinity

Oct 4, 1996

Story of the early life of genius and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman.

7.3

Battles Without Honor and Humanity

Jan 13, 1973

In the teeming black markets of postwar Japan, Shozo Hirono and his buddies find themselves in a new war between factious and ambitious yakuza.

6.6

Hiroshima and Nagasaki: 75 Years Later

Aug 2, 2020

Hiroshima and Nagasaki: 75 Years Later is told entirely from the first-person perspective of leaders, physicists, soldiers and survivors.

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.

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9.0

Hiroshima Revealed

Aug 4, 2015

Pulitzer Prize -- winning journalist John Hersey caused a sensation when he published "Hiroshima", the first account for American readers of the horror experienced by victims of the 1945 Hiroshima atomic bomb attack. "Hiroshima" stunned readers with its descriptions of the terrible aftermath of the bombing, yet Hersey never spoke about his experience in Hiroshima.

7.7

To End All War: Oppenheimer & the Atomic Bomb

Jul 9, 2023

Explore how one man's relentless drive and invention of the atomic bomb changed the nature of war forever, led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and unleashed mass hysteria.

0.0

La bomba atómica, 70 años - 2015

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No overview available.

4.4

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.