There's a lot of Fanon that Jim knows a lot more about their dire situation than he lets on but isn't revealing as not to worry Hilda.
Are Jim and Hilda genuinely oblivious to the severity of the bombing fallout, or are they being purposefully ignorant in a desperate attempt to stay positive?
Angst Aversion: Applies equally to the graphic novel and film. We basically get to watch an adorably naïve and charming old couple slowly break down physically, mentally and emotionally as they inevitably die in the fallout from an atomic blast. Like other storiesin the same vein, the sheer hopelessness of the situation makes it a hard movie to sit through.
This book gets mistakenly shelved in the children's sections of British public libraries all the time, to the point that many libraries put a massive 'ADULT SECTION ONLY' sticker on the front in an attempt to prevent this.
This book was quite deliberately on the Queensland primary school curriculum at least ten years ago, as part of some vital anvil dropping.note While Australia doesn't even have nuclear power, they export a lot of uranium for other countries to do nuclear stuff that may or may not include bombs. Just imagine their maniacal laughter the next time you play DEFCON - they've made the winning move.
It can even be found in middle school libraries, of all places. War and Peace is too, to the surprise of many.
The Woobie: Having survived the Blitz in the Second World War, the Bloggs take the news of an impending strike lightly, with James wasting no time constructing a crude bomb shelter. When the bomb is dropped onto Sussex, wiping out nearly everything in its path, the Bloggs survive and attempt to rebuild, unknowingly contracting radiation sickness for their efforts. Even as their health began to decline and the rations were becoming scarce, the Bloggs still firmly believed that their government would save them only to then succumb to despair as the acknowledgement of their oncoming deaths became evident. From their unwavering faith in the "Powers that Be" to their tragic ends, the Bloggs stand as a cautionary tale of the consequences a nuclear war has on society.
The opening theme is by David Bowie, for crying out loud!
Roger Waters and his solo band did the remaining soundtrack, and there are two vocal songs on it, "Towers of Faith" and "Folding Flags", both of which are extremely haunting.
When trying to urge Hilda to get into the shelter, Jim frustratedly yells out "Come back, you stupid bitch!".note merely "stupid fool" in the original book This was likely made as a warning sign for the audiences, though still comes off as laughably awkward and ineffectual heard from the gentle and old-fashioned Jim.
As horrifying as the Deranged Animation of the nearby town being eviscerated by the bomb is, it may still be ruined for some by Hilda's "The cake will be burned!" continuing to echo on in the background.
There's a brief moment in the movie where Hilda seems to imagine herself as a fairy with butterfly wings. This wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that she's naked in this sequence.
After the blast, the Bloggs comment on a smell that's like roast meat, implied to be the smell of burned corpses.
What Do You Mean, It's Not for Kids?: Just like the book, parents have mistakenly shown this movie to their kids just because of its harmless-looking art style. With tongue firmly in cheek, Severin Films released the Blu-Ray as part of their Severin Kids label.
