Radio Bikini(1988)Bikini Atoll is a small, lost paradise in the waters of the South Pacific. In 1946, the island would be the site of the 20th century’s most horrible arsenal on display, sadly procured by our own country. Operation Crossroads was conducted by the U.S. Navy as an experiment to study the repercussions of a nuclear attack. Bikini Atoll was used as the base for the tests, driving the aborigines from their homes while service men and women could reside there during the length of the mission. “Radio Bikini” is a documentary of the events; a compilation of stock footage intertwined with testimonials by Bikini native Kilon Bauno and Navy veteran John Smitherman.
“Radio Bikini ” is perhaps a biased account of the controversial operation, one that places the American government as a self-righteous power that toys with the lives of its soldiers. While historians could debate the consequences or justification for such tests (and the film could be accused of lacking counterpoints), we were disturbed by the surreal nature of career documentarian Robert Stone’s first feature.
