This is a terrifically depressing thought but there are at least a few moments of illumination in the darkness. Their love, free from spousal recrimination, is fulfilling and unweighed by ulterior motives - a meeting of equals. The look on their faces as they share a private joke is to be treasured, yet this pleasure is fleeting. A powerful combination of sound and image for sure, although the general effect is nebulous, opaque and inscrutable. It's impossible to attain a concrete feel for the characters because that's the aim of Hiroshima mon amour .
Nothing is easy when metaphors and emotional associations are involved.
The beauty is that Hiroshima mon amour can take these accusations of pretentiousness as easily as unbounded compliments because it is, and always will be, a film which can only be judged personally.