Oppenheimer Movie Review

Oppenheimer, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, is based on the book American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The film chronicles the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist who was put in charge of the famous Manhattan Project and developed the atomic bombs which devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He’s often cited as the father of the atomic age. Though Oppenheimer initially advocated for the use of atomic weapons and even celebrated the bombing of Japan, he later changed his stance on use of nuclear arsenal after witnessing the large-scale destruction involved. He later dedicated his life towards regulation of atomic weapons and asked for a global system of checks and measures, so that the world might not fall prey to nuclear war. The hawkish American system was hostile to such views coming from a decorated hero. Klaus Fuchs, a brilliant British scientist working on the project, was passing on the nuclear secrets to the Russsians for his own ideological reasons (something that’s only alluded to in the film). After Fuchs deception became known, all scientists having communist sympathies came under the radar of the government once more. His enemies took the opportunity to throw him under the bus, citing his closeness to communist ideals (though he was never a member of the communist party himself) and his promiscuous ways to bring him discredit. The film showcases his journey as a young student working with the top physicists in the world to become a top scientist who made atomic bombs possible. The film culminates in him being hounded by the American system. We see him fight against the false allegations with his dignity intact, trying to keep his sanity alive without compromising his ideals. Like Prometheus, he was punished by the gods for sharing the knowledge of fire with the world.

Director Nolan casts Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) in the mould of a tragic hero from the start. He’s shown to be lost in his own fantasies, dreaming of worlds-within-worlds, seeing visions no one else could see. He’s not a people’s person, something that would cost him dearly later, and is self-assured about his own brilliance to the point of arrogance. He does care about the world at large in his own way, espousing causes like the Spanish Civil War, the unionisation of workers and is shown to be interested in the writing of Karl Marx. He’s a polyglot with a command over several languages, famously learning enough Dutch in just six weeks to lecture about quantum mechanics in it. He reads The Bhagavad Gita as well, and is shown to be influenced by its teachings. He’s also a womaniser, having affairs with his student Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), psychologist Ruth Tolman (Louise Lombard), wife of his good friend Richard Tolman and several other women only hinted at in the film. His wife, biologist Katherine Oppenheimer (Emily Blunt) was earlier married to Dr Richard Harrison at the time when they first met. Their affair led to her getting pregnant and she and her husband decided to amicably part ways, so she could marry Oppenheimer.

The film chronicles his internal struggles, as he grapples with conflicting emotions and beliefs. He is ready to commit mass genocide to stop the way and later shown repenting his actions. He’s open to communist thoughts and yet doesn’t become a bonafide member of the party and while he loves his wife dearly, he can’t commit himself to be truly faithful to her. While he helps unleash the destructive power of science, he also becomes an advocate against the nuclear arms race. It’s alluded that guilt led him to succumb to the trials and tribulations of a security hearing, laying bare his life and soul in the process.

Cillian Murphy is simply brilliant as Oppenheimer. He transforms himself both physically and metaphysically into the character he’s essaying, making you believe you’re watching a living, breathing demigod struggling with the consequences of the power unleashed by him. He makes you root for Oppenheimer, you’re willing to forgive his many faults and want him to come out of his hearing with all the charges dropped. Kudos to the actor for his bravura act. He’d be hard pressed to top it. Robert Downey Jr, playing Oppenheimer’s pet nemesis Lewis Strauss, shows why he’s more than Iron Man here. He starts off slowly, playing an influential man with nothing but American interests in his heart and then later, brings forth his character’s hidden vindictiveness. Emily Blunt too is equally brilliant as Oppenheimer’s wife Katherine. She’s a struggling alcoholic who believes she’s been reduced to being a famous man’s wife despite having a doctorate. She overlooks his many affairs and stands by him throughout. Emily’s most triumphant moment comes at the hearing, where she decimates the opposition with her wit. Apart from these, the who’s who of Hollywood stars, including Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh and more play men and women having an impact on the scientist’s life, and shine in their brief roles.

Christopher Nolan has used a documentary-like approach while making this film. The narration goes back and forth in time. Incidentally, reversing the standard practice, the ‘present’ is shot in black and white, while the ‘past’ is shot in colour. Nolan is used for his creative use of CGI and here too, the intensity of a nuclear explosion is brought forth in its full glory, thanks to computer graphics. But this is perhaps the most seminal of Nolan’s films. He takes a deep dive into Oppenheimer’s mind and shows us both the beauty and the horror, dreams and nightmares, making us form our own conclusions about his flaws and about his genius…

Trailer : Oppenheimer