The Beginning of the End

A prelude newsreel frames the film as part of a broader package of information about the development of atomic energy, hinting that a time capsule buried in California will be opened in 2446. A respected scientist in the field of atomic research praises the discovery of atomic energy while also warning of its dangers, setting a balanced, cautious tone that runs through the story.

American scientists, guided by leading figures, have split the atom and have essentially beaten the Germans in the race to create an atomic bomb. With the assistance of these prominent minds, they inform the President that a monumental discovery has been made, and the scale of the achievement is made clear to the country.

In 1941, wartime urgency drives political leadership to authorize up to two billion dollars for a secret program—the Manhattan Project—to develop the weapon. By December 1942, at the University of Chicago, scientists working under the watchful eyes of military observers and international experts achieve the first sustained nuclear chain reaction, a landmark moment that marks the practical feasibility of their dangerous work.

A key military figure is tasked with coordinating the project, uniting scientific, industrial, and defense communities to bring the bomb from concept to reality. As the Pacific War intensifies, political leaders sustain their backing, and the project is moved to the remote laboratories of Los Alamos, New Mexico. Following the death of the president, the new administration maintains support for the project, recognizing the strategic stakes involved.

With the war in the Pacific pressing forward, orders are issued to deploy the weapon when the moment is right. The scientists accompany the crew transporting the device to a Pacific base for deployment in the war effort. During assembly, a researcher is exposed to radioactive material and dies, a sobering reminder of the grave personal risks attached to this groundbreaking work.

The climactic moment arrives on August 6, 1945, when the bomber Enola Gay drops the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, a decision that reverberates across the globe and reshapes the course of history. In the aftermath, the surviving officer returns home to tell Cochran’s wife about her husband’s death, closing a chapter that links extraordinary scientific achievement with devastating human cost.

Last Updated: October 14, 2025 at 04:07