THE LAST TRAIN FROM HIROSHIMA - A Story That Needs To Be Told, Possibly By James Cameron

Jim here. From Monsters and Critics (via our friends over at Ain't It Cool News), is a little update about something James Cameron might be working on in his stable of potential projects: THE LAST TRAIN FROM HIROSHIMA.

As you might guess from the title it involves one of the most horrifying experiences imaginable - a nuclear blast. Make that two. The story revolves around one Tsutomi Yamaguchi (93 years old) who is the only "official" person in the world to be present and survive both of the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan during WWII.

On December 22, James Cameron went to visit Mr. Yamaguchi who recently passed on from his battle with stomach cancer in Nagasaki. With him was the author of THE LAST TRAIN TO HIROSHIMA: THE SURVIVORS LOOK BACK, Charles Pellegrino. The book will be released January 19.

From the AFP: Yamaguchi, then an engineer at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki, was exposed to the first atomic blast in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, when he was there for a work assignment. He was on a street about two kilometres (1.3 miles) from ground zero.

With severe burns to his arms, he returned to Nagasaki two days later to join his family. Yamaguchi was exposed to the second atomic explosion the next day when he was reporting about the Hiroshima holocaust at his work place, about three kilometers (two miles) from the epicentre.

"I thought the mushroom cloud had followed me there," he said later.

The atomic blasts killed an estimated 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 74,000 others in Nagaski, leaving numerous others with ailments linked to radioactive irradiation.

Yamaguchi said: "I think it's Cameron's and Pellegrino's destiny to make a film about nuclear weapons."

Supposedly Cameron asked first hand about what his rare and hellish experiences were like so that he could pass that on to future generations. He also told Tamaguchi that (if the movie goes ahead) it would present an uncompromising view.

That sent chills down my spine. Here is a piece of human history that if told correctly would forever capture the horror of war. We all know it is there. Little did I know about this man and his unique story.

Judging by Cameron's body of work, nuclear explosions certainly play a role. If you think about movies like ALIENS, TRUE LIES and TERMINATOR... You get the picture. This new movie certainly would not trivialize atomic warfare and indeed would be good for the world to reflect on this harsh period. This story needs to be told, 3D or not. But to see it in 3D, prepare yourself, because it will be like you were actually there and that, is not a good place to be at that time as Yamaguchi can attest. The imagery and human suffering that will be present in this movie will move our souls I am sure.

Mr. Cameron... I urge you to make this movie.