Hiroshima (1995): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1995, Hiroshima is a drama film directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara, running about 190 minutes. “The grisly events leading to the first attack with a nuclear weapon.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Hiroshima is a 1995 Japanese / Canadian film directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara and Roger Spottiswoode about the decision-making processes that led to the dropping of the atomic bombs by the United States on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki toward the end of World War II. Except as actors, no Americans took part in the production. The three-hour film was made for television and evidently had no theatrical release, but is available on DVD for home viewing. A combination of dramatisation, historical footage, and eyewitness interviews, the film alternates between documentary footage and the dramatic recreations. Both the dramatisations and most of the original footage are presented as sepia-toned images, serving to blur the distinction between them. The languages are English and Japanese, with subtitles, and the actors are largely Canadian and Japanese.

Who’s in it. Hiroshima stars Wesley Addy as Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, Kenneth Welsh as President Harry S Truman, Tatsuo Matsumura as Prime Minister Kantaro Suzuki and J. Winston Carroll as Chief Justice Stone (as J.W. Carroll).

How it landed. With an audience score of 8.0/10, Hiroshima sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Hiroshima page.

If you liked it. Fans of Hiroshima tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.