ThiefHott Too much of everything

Nonureva Really Surprised!

SteinMo What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Tiko Marcs "I really liked this movie, I like documentaries about - would it be politics? Or is it not politics? I don't think it's politics but I don't like politics. I liked the whole warfare idea, and I don't know a lot about it, and I feel like people should be educated about it. I had no idea about any of this, and it's an important part of history. It's heart breaking. It's heartbreaking to see all of the lives that can't return to their homeland. I've seen it twice. I had to watch it in history class. The very end, when one of the interviewed people was zoomed out on and the full effect of his radiation was revealed was my favourite part. Watching the bomb go off was my favourite. I didn't like the political montage, but I liked every other part of it. I'd love to watch it again, so maybe 4/5. I like the music too." - Sophia4/5 - Thomas

MartinHafer This is just the second episode of PBS's "The American Experience"--and the series is still going strong in its 24th season! That's because the shows are so freaking good--exceptionally well made and often telling stories about American history that would otherwise never be known or doing in-depth biographies that are about as good as you can find.For those familiar with "The American Experience", you'll no doubt notice that the style of this particular episode is different. It is NOT narrated but consists of film footage and radio commentary from the day.In 1946, the US detonated a test atomic bomb at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific--it was the fourth atomic bomb detonated. Near the island were various obsolete ships from the war and on the decks of the ships were various animals to be used to determine the effects of the blast. Twenty miles away, ships with US sailors and various international dignitaries were stationed to view the detonation and examine the aftereffects. And, back in the States, this experiment was broadcast to the nation.Watching the film footage is pretty strange. While I'd seen much of this before, seeing sailors sitting on the decks of ship covering their heads as their only protection seemed pretty insane--as did watching some of the big-wigs actually watching the blast with goggles!! Even weirder were interviews where folks expressed disappointment in the blast and one of them wishing they'd been stationed much closer!! Clearly they had no idea of the effects of nuclear fallout! I assume the show is called "Radio Bikini" because portions of the show are rebroadcasts of the original radio program. It's interesting that some of the broadcast is very patronizing when it discussed the natives of the island--like they are simple-minded children.All in all, a very freaky documentary--one that manages to hit you like a baseball bat even though it is very unconventional in style--especially when one of the observers is shown decades later and you see the bomb's effects on him! This ending is just like the one in the horrifying documentary "Radium City". You can't help but watch--it's just so awful and amazing from start to finish--and a bit sad when you hear the natives talking about how they cannot return home decades following the blast.

Jordan_Haelend I'll give this one a 10; I wish I'd seen this years ago. The film documents the decision to make the tests, the deportation of the Bikini Islanders to a much smaller island that couldn't support them, the tests themselves, and the aftermath. The latter is poignantly shown by the interview with a naval veteran, Mr. John Smitherman, who witnessed the tests and was poisoned with radiation and lived out his later years suffering horrendously. His injuries are the stuff of some nightmare science-fiction film. Unfortunately, they weren't fictional.There is some footage of Admiral William Blandy, USN, who carried out the tests. I've been told that he became contaminated at the Baker test as well. He died only 8 years later.The naive stupidity of the Navy is paraded for all to see. For me, the most haunting moment is at the end, where we hear Mr. Smitherman's voice-- we see sailors sitting and talking, and some look at the camera while grinning, while over all of this plays haunting, dirge-like music that brings home the truth of Mr. Smitherman's remarks: Crossroads was undoubtedly the beginning of a hideous slow death for many of these people.

Irving Warner This documentary is the best of its kind. Stone uses tons (literally) of military and other film footage from the year 1946. He then carefully puts it all together with contemporary (1987) footage of Marshall Islanders, i.e. former residents of Bikina Atoll and a navy veteran/observer of both 1946 atomic bomb tests on Bikini. It all comes together in one of the strangest and most powerful testimonies to military stupidity, especially during those early years of atomic tests. Throughout, we see with profound irony--using the military's own footage of the tests (June/July of that year)--how catastrophically stupid responsible parties (Navy Dept.) were. But, in the end, it was the Marshall Islanders--moved en masse from their native Bikini Atoll--who are the central victims, along with many of the Navy veterans. This latter point is communicated to us, the viewer, in one of the most forceful "pullback" shots in the history of cinema. "Radio Bikini" documents a historic event that should never, never be forgotten. But sadly, it on the main, is.