Featuring incredible archive footage digitally restored and accompanied by the voices of those who served in WWII, Apocalypse ’45 proves to be one of the ultimate documentaries on the Pacific War, with director Erik Nelson bringing forth the humanity, the horror, and the stakes at play.

Seventy-five years has now passed since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought an abrupt end to World War II. Many a film (feature and documentary) have depicted these events, but none have done so with the sobering, powerful clarity that Apocalypse ’45 achieves. Directed by Erik Nelson (The Cold Blue) this 79 minute feature is an intensely intimate exploration into the battles that led to “The Bomb”, and the men who fought within it.

Digitally restored archive footage that captures American soldiers in battle in the air, sea, and land, as well as the quiet and sober moments in between, is remarkable in presentation and documentation. The footage itself, captured by combat photographers (iconic director John Ford among them), transport us to a “war without mercy”. Whether it be the horrific brutality of the Battle of Iwo Jima, the awe-inspiring spectacle of fighter planes engaged in dogfights, or the devastating aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing, what is presented is war at its most intimate, and even at times at its most dehumanising.

Narrating the footage are still surviving American soldiers from WWII, one of which is 101 years old, along with a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing. Their commentary, both reflective and confessional in nature, further brings forth the humanity of not only WWII, but other wars as well.

Wars are declared by politicians, but they are fought by regular people, in this case men from different parts of the U.S. who gave life, limb, at times their sanity, and for some even compromised their soul while battling against a tenacious and dangerous enemy, whose “fanatical” philosophies towards wat constantly challenged the allies.

Director Erik Nelson has made a truly remarkable documentary that not only reminds of the high-stakes brutality that encompassed the Pacific War, but also the sacrifices that these men made in service to their country.  That they are labelled the “Greatest Generation” is justified.

Apocalypse ’45 can be a distressing watch, but it is also a remarkable and essential movie as well, a reminder of when the world was at the brink of annihilation, and the violent means it took to stop it from being so.