Oppenheimer explores J. Robert Oppenheimer's scientific contributions to the atomic bomb, leadership in the Manhattan Project, and the moral dilemmas he faces as the brain behind such a powerful but devastating weapon. The story delves deep into the personal struggles of the characters involved and, of course, the lasting impact that his innovation has had on the world.
Universal Pictures
After seeing Barbie it felt only right to complete the viewing experience by seeing its disparate sister blockbuster film, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. I think it is safe to say that this was the wrong way around to view these movies. It is without a doubt that Nolan's masterpiece encapsulates much more than just the devastation of this terrible act in our history, it is a story of jealousy, paranoia, love, hunger, and gnawing guilt. Due to Oppenheimer having such hard-hitting themes, it would have made more sense to use Barbie as light-hearted comedic relief to revive a more positive and encouraging outlook on the world.
Nolan describes Oppenheimer, according to his biography written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin published in 2005, as the "American Prometheus". Prometheus, in Greek mythology, is best known for defying the Olympian gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, and knowledge. Much like Oppenheimer, he is a figure that brings new destructive power but also is condemned to a punishment of eternal torture as a result. As we see in the film, Oppenheimer is tormented by the gravitas of his actions and the devastation the atomic bomb caused.
Nolan shows this tragically brilliant genius as a scientist that always sees beyond the natural world through the sporadic artful images that appear to be super-imposed upon reality through only his eyes. This shows just how aggravated Oppenheimer was by his ingenious brain and also foreshadows that his scientifically-driven brain is destined for big things.
Throughout the film, the plot shifts between time frames creating a dynamic and exciting viewing. The story flicks between a colourful narrative of Oppenheimer's view and a black-and-white portrayal mainly showing Lewis Strauss' perspective. Both men seem to be in a head-to-head battle from the start. The contrasting colours work to show a harsh and unshifting perspective on Strauss' behalf which is depicted with less clarity in monochrome adding to the tension of the conflict.
Overall, this film left me thinking about the state of our world as it is today and who gets given the power to, figuratively and literally, push all of the buttons. The powerful men presented in the film are shown to be fatally flawed by hunger or paranoia, leaving an uneasy feeling knowing that these are the figures that have the ultimate power to destroy civilizations as they did with Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I think, even though it was, at times, an uncomfortable watch, it is an important story that needs to be told in order to understand the challenges and lasting effects that come with contributing to such a powerful decision.