Atomic Age Classics, Volume 3: A-Bombs, Fallout & Nuclear War (DVD)

By dropping the atomic bombs to hasten the end of the Second World War, the United States publicly demonstrated the awesome power of atomic energy and ushered in the fearsome Atomic Age. The films in this DVD collection were early attempts to address the public's anxieties concerning this mysterious and frightening new force. They explain the basic concepts of nuclear energy to a science-wary public, expose the hidden dangers of radiation and tout the great potentials of a newly-discovered power source. As the new century renews atomic anxieties, it is interesting and also somewhat disturbing to look back on how earlier generations expressed both the optimistic and pessimistic views of their impending nuclear future.

Living With the Atom (1957; Moody Institute of Science; 26 minutes): The Moody Institute of Science was a film company whose aim was to attract scientific-minded youths to Christianity. This film covers the basics of atomic theory while addressing the moral issues inherent in wielding such godlike power.

Radioactive Fallout and Shelter (1965; U.S. Office of Civil Defense; 28 minutes): Purporting that fallout is nothing more than a minor nuisance, this dry, matter-of-fact film attempts to soothe the viewer into a comforting sense that "the government knows what to do and here's how to beat that nagging fallout problem." While they covered topics like appropriate shelter wall material or how to prepare a fallout-free meal, what such films never really addressed was what it would truly be like to live in a post-nuclear attack world.

The Atom Strikes! (1945; U.S. Army Signal Corps; 31 minutes): Released soon after the atomic attacks on Japan, this film serves as a public documentation of the historic event. It offers official explanations of the reasons that the United States resorted to atomic warfare, and provides a grim visual catalog of the A-bombs' horrific effects on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (if not the victims themselves).

Fallout: When and How to Protect Yourself (1959; U.S. Office of Civil Defense; 15 minutes): This stylized 1950's cartoon addresses one nasty side effect of an atomic blast: radioactive fallout. Civil Defense films like this one tried to reassure the public that this new threat could be surmounted with proper shelter and supplies, but instead they probably did more to instill the fear of all things atomic.

The Atom Goes to Sea (1954; John Sutherland Prod./General Electric; 11 minutes): General Electric was one of the first commercial entities to exploit the potentials of atomic energy. This company created several films to praise the benefits of atomic energy while trying to distance themselves from the well-publicized, devastating power of the A-bomb.

• documentary