Showtime - Hiroshima Complete Miniseries (1995)

This riveting account of the days leading up to and immediately following the atom bombing of two Japanese cities is a joint Canadian/Japanese production for the Showtime TV network. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima is inarguably the single most significant act of the twentieth century. This landmark presentation gives, for the first time, a balanced account of those events leading to the cataclysmic decision, which forever changed the course of human destiny. Beginning in the frenzied final months of World War II, rocketing back and forth between Washington and Tokyo, Alamogordo and Tinian, Hiroshima careens along the rapidly escalating course of the war. Reaching behind the headlines, this story examines at close range the enormous pressures facing newly installed President Truman and his chiefs of staff as they wrestle with the unprecedented moral question–whether or not to drop the bomb. In Japan, where an entire culture revolves around principles of self-sacrifice and unquestioning allegiance, Hirohito and his proud Samurai generals face the moral dilemma of whether to surrender or fight on to the bitter end. Underscoring the dramatic storyline, Hiroshima features a large international cast selected for their unique acting talents and resemblance to key historical figures. The film is conceived to flow seamlessly between documentary/newsreel footage and dramatizations of actual events as they transpired. Punctuated by real interviews of witnesses recounting their personal experiences of the war, Hiroshima creates a rich and moving dramatic tapestry. This powerful three-hour miniseries from directors Roger Spottiswoode and Koreyoshi Kurahara takes a balanced view of the events, dramatizing the agonizingly difficult decisions faced by both President Truman (Kenneth Walsh) and Emperor Hirohito (Naohiko Umewaka). Interviews with real politicians, soldiers, and witnesses are also included here, adding to the program's sharp sense of history and realism.

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