Apocalyptic Urban Future:  Atomic Cities and Cinema

Kimmo Ahonen; Simo Laakkonen; William M.  Tsutsui

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-17439-2_13

Apocalyptic Urban Future: Atomic Cities and Cinema

Kimmo Ahonen
, Simo Laakkonen
, William M. Tsutsui

Computing Sciences

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

In August 1945, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused the death of about 200,000 people. Atomic warfare, if anything, made the warfare an urban phenomenon. The long-lasting lack of documentary footage of the atomic bombings opened the way for apocalyptic imagination. Cities were constantly attacked by radiation-born monsters, such as giant ants, as a sign of mutilated nature’s revenge. American science fiction films of the 1950s addressed contradictions of modern science by transforming the abstract scenarios of total annihilation into cinematic images of destroyed cities, hideous aliens, and post-apocalyptic survival. The “nuclear monster” movies started a completely new genre in the history of film, eco-horror, which opened the eyes of the general public to the possible futures of Western civilization.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	The Resilient City in World War II
Subtitle of host publication	Palgrave Studies in World Environmental History
Editors	Simo Laakkonen, J. R. McNeill, Richard P. Tucker , Timo Vuorisalo
Publisher	Palgrave Macmillan
Pages	259-278
Number of pages	20
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-030-17439-2
ISBN (Print)	978-3-030-17438-5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17439-2_13
Publication status	Published - 29 May 2019
Publication type	A3 Book chapter

Publication series

Name	Palgrave Studies in World Environmental History

Publication forum classification

Publication forum level 3

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-030-17439-2_13

Cite this

Ahonen, K., Laakkonen, S., & Tsutsui, W. M. (2019). Apocalyptic Urban Future: Atomic Cities and Cinema. In S. Laakkonen, J. R. McNeill, R. P. Tucker , & T. Vuorisalo (Eds.), The Resilient City in World War II: Palgrave Studies in World Environmental History (pp. 259-278). (Palgrave Studies in World Environmental History). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17439-2_13

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Apocalyptic Urban Future: Atomic Cities and Cinema. / Ahonen, Kimmo; Laakkonen, Simo; Tsutsui, William M. .
The Resilient City in World War II: Palgrave Studies in World Environmental History. ed. / Simo Laakkonen; J. R. McNeill; Richard P. Tucker ; Timo Vuorisalo. Palgrave Macmillan, 2019. p. 259-278 (Palgrave Studies in World Environmental History).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

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AB - In August 1945, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused the death of about 200,000 people. Atomic warfare, if anything, made the warfare an urban phenomenon. The long-lasting lack of documentary footage of the atomic bombings opened the way for apocalyptic imagination. Cities were constantly attacked by radiation-born monsters, such as giant ants, as a sign of mutilated nature’s revenge. American science fiction films of the 1950s addressed contradictions of modern science by transforming the abstract scenarios of total annihilation into cinematic images of destroyed cities, hideous aliens, and post-apocalyptic survival. The “nuclear monster” movies started a completely new genre in the history of film, eco-horror, which opened the eyes of the general public to the possible futures of Western civilization.

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