OPPENHEIMER
US, 2023, 180 minutes, Colour.
Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Jason Clarke, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Conti, Alden Ehrenreich, Dane de Haan, Tony Goldwyn, Make on Blair, James D'Arcy, David Krumholz, Matthias Schwieghoffer, Michael Angaarano, Dylan Arnold, Matthew Modine, David Dastmalchian, Josh Peck, Benny Safdie, Gustaf Skarsgaard, James Urbaniak, Christopher Denham, Rami Malek, Olivia Thirlby, Casey Affleck, Harrison Gilbertson, James Remar.
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Oppenheimer confirms once again what a talented filmmaker Christopher Nolan is. And, while he has collaborated with his brother on previous screenplays, this is his solo work.
J.Robert Oppenheimer was a controversial character in his heyday, especially his years, 1942 to 1945, as head of the Manhattan Project, the building of the first atomic bomb, the testing of Los Alamos, and the decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima and, then, on Nagasaki, 1945. As expected, these years are at the centre of this biography/portrait of Oppenheimer.
However, there is a great deal of material in this film before the Manhattan Project and a great deal afterwards. While the film does take a traditional approach to biography, tracing Oppenheimer’s early years and career, sequences are introduced in the first part of the film, into interrogations by members of a select committee, criticisms of Oppenheimer and his alleged communist connections. These sequences are filmed in black and white, as are sequences for a Senate hearing for politician, Lewis Straws, and issues of the development of nuclear weapons.
Cillian Murphy, who has shown talent in a variety of differing roles, brings Oppenheimer to life, resembling him in the various photos of his early years, unruly hair, smoking, then chain-smoking, gaunt. His parents migrated to the US from Germany, Jewish. Oppenheimer did not immediately appear as the genius he was to become, but went to Europe for studies, clashing with a professor in England, moving to Germany, meeting Niels Bohr, and some of the Germans who were to work on atomic developments for the Nazis. In the late 30s, he returned to the US and to Berkely, meetings with Albert Einstein.
At the opening of the film, the words, fusion and fission appear on screen. Most audiences will not be familiar with the mathematics and physics dramatised here, so many blackboards filled with formulae, but, by and large, the screenplay gives enough information for audiences to appreciate the science behind fission and fusion, the discoveries of the 30s, and their applications, especially for weapons in World War II, apprehension that the Germans would make the bomb, decisions concerning the war in the Pacific, the conflict with Japan.
Matt Damon appears as General Groves, responsible for the team to make the atomic bomb, interviewing Oppenheimer to lead the project, Oppenheimer not being the immediately likely head. Then there is the assembling of the range of scientists, experts in their field, some prima donna behaviour at times, moving into the New Mexico desert, familiar to Oppenheimer with his brother, bringing the families. And a whole town is built in the desert. We see the work and studies of the scientists, their life together, the technology as the bomb is built.
On the personal side, there is Oppenheimer’s meeting with Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), an edgy relationship, portrayed quite frankly, her communist associations, her mental state and influence on Oppenheimer. There is also Oppenheimer’s wife, Kitty, a biologist (Emily Blunt) coming to live of Los Alamos, their children, her forthright attitudes. There are scientist friends, as well is Edward Teller (Benny Safdie) who is committed to the hydrogen bomb. The scenes of 1945 are quite powerful, apprehensiveness at the testing of the bomb, finding safety limits to observe it, the lifting of the bomb to the high tower, the moments to countdown, the explosion in the fast fireball, the explosion pervading the sky and the atmosphere.
Then there are the issues of choosing a Japanese city for the dropping of the bomb. There is some footage of destruction in Japan but the film relies on the impact, visually, in sound, seen in the test at Los Alamos. The immediate repercussions are acclaim for Oppenheimer, the applause of his co-workers, featuring on the cover of magazines and papers, a visit to President Truman who dismisses Oppenheimer’s moral and emotional concerns as a “Cry-baby”.
The last section of the film focuses on the investigations, the hostility towards Oppenheimer, the withdrawal of his security clearance, the implications of his communist leanings and affiliations, the select committee interrogating him, with Jason Clarke especially effective as the chief interrogator. Oppenheimer is questioned, so is General Groves, Kitty, and various officials and scientists, some sympathetic to Oppenheimer, others not.
Finally, there is a Senate hearings concerning Lewis Strauss, initially favourable to Oppenheimer, to Einstein (Tom Conti), but growing hawkish after the dropping of the atomic bomb, eager to develop the hydrogen bomb, not against nuclear proliferation. He is played by Robert Downey Jr in one of his best performances, powerful, edgy, ambitious, hostile to Oppenheimer. And, as mentioned, the Senate hearing sequences are all filmed in black and white.
Nolan has drawn on a very large cast of strong character actors.
The film suggests ambiguity in Oppenheimer’s attitudes and stances, father of the atomic bomb, highly involved, but questions in the aftermath, against nuclear proliferation, questions of moral responsibility.
For audiences interested in a more documentary presentation of Oppenheimer himself, his work, the development of the bomb, the dropping of the bomb and its consequences, there is the documentary To End All War: Oppenheimer & The Atomic Bomb, an NBC production released in the same month as Oppenheimer, with Christopher Nolan himself as one of the interviewees. It could serve as a kind of review/discussion source for audiences to appreciate Oppenheimer better.
1. The impact of the film? The personality of J.Robert Oppenheim are, science background, the Manhattan Project, the testing of the atomic bomb, Hiroshima, the aftermath, interactions with anti-Communist investigators?
2. The work of the director, writing, directing, the large cast, the scope of the project, the impact for the 21st-century audience?
3. The structure of the film, the introduction to Oppenheimer, audience awareness of him and the Manhattan Project, the atomic bomb and the consequences, the nuclear era? The background of his studies in Europe? The scenes of the investigation, interrogations, black-and-white photography, their being intercut with his earlier life? The transition to the Manhattan Project? The detail? The test and the consequences? The aftermath, Pres Truman, official interrogations, the consequences for Oppenheimer?
4. The strength of Cillian Murphy’s presence and performance, resembling the photos of Oppenheimer, and the cigarette? The age range, younger, studying, in Europe, antagonism towards the professor, the injected apple, the encounter with Niels Bohr? With the German scientists? The range of his education? Theoretical rather than applied? The influence of Einstein?
5. Oppenheimer’s personal life, relationships, Jean Tadlock, Communist affiliations, the 1930s, the relationship with her, her behaviour, erratic, the meetings and discussions, the impact of the nude sequences? His meeting Kitty, marriage, children, the relationship, her strength of character and determination, attitude towards Jean? Life at Los Alamos, the family, her sense of betrayal? A sitting in on the interrogations, her urging Oppenheimer to be aggressive, the interviews and her challenge to the interrogators? Oppenheimer, women, Jean and the further meetings, her death? Kitty, the children, afterlife?
6. The European education, Oppenheimer as young, experimenting, going to meetings, asking questions, the antagonism and the attempted poisoning, the further education, the influences? His return to the United States?
7. Gen Groves, promotion, commission, Los Alamos, approaching Oppenheimer, the discussions, Oppenheimer weighing it up? Accepting? His work with Groves, collaboration, antagonism, clashing personalities, yet working together? The setting up of the town, Oppenheimer and the requirements, the logistics, the desert, Oppenheimer and the connection with his brother, New Mexico, his love for New Mexico, his brother under suspicion, Communist connections? The development of the town, the military, the scientists, the families, life in the town?
8. Physics theories, Einstein and relativity, other theoretical scientists, fission and fusion, the scientists gathering, moral stances and ethics, and atomic bomb, the Germans and their progress, the issue of Russian intelligence? The variety of personalities, collaboration, clashes, Edward Teller and his contribution, Isadore Rabi and the moral questions, the possible consequences and aftermath, yet the issue of the war, Nazi aggression, the Japanese? The progress of the developments, the bowls with the marbles indicating treatment of uranium? The audience following the physics, the development of the bomb?
9. 1944-1945, the strategies of the war, German surrender, the Japanese in the war in the Pacific, American involvement, the decision about the bomb, the discussions about the city’s, Kyoto excluded, decision for Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Oppenheimer and his participation and later interrogations?
10. The buildup to the testing of the bomb, whether it was ready, whether it would succeed? Frank Oppenheimer and he is skills in positioning the observers, the countdown, the tension, the blast itself, the special effects to communicate the blast to the audience? The fireball, fire, wind, the observers, the dangers, the effect? And the transition then to information about the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
11. The final hour of the film, colour and black-and-white, prepared in the earlier part of the film, the special committee, prejudice against Oppenheimer, the personality of Roger Robb, his questions, manner, insinuations, concealing sources, aggressive? Gordon Gray residing, his stances? The member of the board and his interventions, his descent? The details of the questioning, the various personalities, General Groves, Isadore Rabi, Nichols, Kitty Oppenheimer…? The building up of the picture, the framing of Oppenheimer?
12. Post-war, the Soviet Union, the beginnings of the Cold War, the anti-communists atmosphere of the US, house un-American activities, the coming of Sen McCarthy, suspicions, linking guilt, persecutions? The perspective of communism in the 1930s, social unrest, the status of Stalin?
13. Lewis straws, the importance of his presence in terms of American defence? His relationship with Oppenheimer, initial collaboration, during the war, the sequence of watching Oppenheimer and Einstein talking (and the later flashback of what their subject was)? Straws, his young assistant, the interviews, the Senate hearing, straws and his ambitions, the war, after the war, his attitudes towards weapons, nuclear proliferation, the background of explaining the H bomb, Teller and his attitudes, American Arsenal – and the danger of nuclear proliferation?
14. The personality of straws, Robert Downey Jr’s performance, political, self-seeking, his assistant, his assistant becoming disillusioned, the information, given to the senators, the buildup to the vote, his not being appointed? The focus of the film on the bomb explosions, and the explosions between the conflict between Oppenheimer and straws?
15. Oppenheimer, questions about the making of the bomb, his moral stances, regrets or not, his self blaming, his being against nuclear proliferation, his subsequent career, the issue of his security clearance, the 1960s, the scene was Pres Truman dismissing him as soft, the mention of Kennedy voting against straws, and the finale with the medal, presented by Lyndon Johnson?
16. The overall impact of the film in terms of war, weapons, nuclear war, consequences? Moral issues? Relevance in the 2020s?
