Apocalypse 45: Terror and Glory

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2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, a war that concluded on the deck of the U.S.S Missouri on September 2nd. A few weeks earlier, Hiroshima and Nagasaki had been obliterated, creating another grim 75th anniversary. This last year of the war, 1945, was marked by incredible acts of heroism and sacrifice, as well as ruthless technological carnage, as the United States prosecuted a war whose outcome in 1945 was never in doubt. Apocalypse '45 recounts the end of World War II in the Pacific, the last few months of combat from Manila to Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and the fire- and atomic-bombing of Japan. Utilizing restored, previously unseen, and stunningly graphic color footage culled from over 700 reels in the National Archives-then combining it with audio effects and sobering narration from two dozen surviving World War II veterans-the final six months of combat in the Pacific, as well as the respective aftermaths of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima, are presented in an unprecedentedly immersive and unforgettably haunting fashion. With never-before-seen restored footage and the voices of 24 men who lived through these events, this timely documentary highlights the experiences of the last of the Greatest Generation. Directed by Erik Nelson ; Creative Differences and Discovery Communications Production -- Part 2 is a bonus short "Ford at Pearl" (23 min), a new featurette created for the Blu-ray release that looks at the recently discovered fascinating behind the scenes footage shot by the legendary Hollywood director John Ford at Pearl Harbor in 1942 while filming his popular World War II documentaries December 7th and The Battle of Midway. Produced and Directed by Erik Nelson (2021) --