Review of Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) by Jason M — 14 Nov 2009

Hiroshima Mon Amour is a film of meaningful dichotomies, the pain of love balanced against the numbness of war. The opening sequence paints this portrait beautifully as the film flashes between images of lovemaking, and the horrors of Hiroshima in the days after the bomb dropped. Far from being a protest film, it instead examines the human condition, the effects of single events on the psyche of the individual and nation, and the shock and fear of our ability to grow indifferent to the point of forgetfulness. That forgetfulness takes centre as the 'Nevers' recollects her own history and her shock at having forgotten so much until now, a point reflected in her new fear of forgetting her time spent with 'Hiroshima'.

Shot in black and white, and utilizing long cuts and intricate close ups, Hiroshima Mon Amour says as much with its images as it does its nearly poetic dialogue. A sumptuous piece of film-making that truly embodies the heights of the French New Wave.