Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) was an American student at the University of Cambridge in 1926. Robert studied quantum physics under the tutelage of Patrick Blackett (James D’Arcy). Blackett and Robert did not get along. In a conversation with Robert’s idol Niels Bohr (Kenneth Branagh), Niels advises the young man to study theoretical physics at the University of Gottingen in Germany. He then goes to Leiden University to work with other physicists and give lectures. There he meets Isidor Isaac Rabi (David Krumholtz) from America. He then meets Werner Heisenberg (Matthias Schweighofer). After that, he goes back to America to teach quantum physics at Berkeley in Los Angeles, California.
At Berkeley he meets other scientists and becomes exposed to the Communist Party. He has a long running affair with Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh). He also meets and marries Katherine “Kitty” Puening (Emily Blunt). Eventually Jean commits suicide. In 1938 the Germans find a way to split the atom. The potential to weaponize this knowledge is not lost on Robert.
During WWII, Robert is tapped by U.S. Army Colonel Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) to head a top-secret project. Called the Manhattan Project, Robert was given free rein to bring in and organize the project as he saw fit. In 1945 Germany surrendered, however, Japan was still fighting. The purpose of the project was to develop the world’s first atomic bomb. A bomb to end all war. The testing of the bomb, code name Trinity, was successful. Two bombs were created. President Harry Truman (Gary Oldman) ordered that the bombs be deployed. One was dropped on Hiroshima and the other Nagasaki. Japan surrenders. The war ends, however, Robert’s private war of guilt from creating his own Frankenstein monster continues.
Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.) was a member of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission during Robert’s time working on the bomb. A rift developed between Strauss and Robert. After the war, due to Strauss’ engineering, Robert became a target for anti-communism zealots even though he was never actually a party member. By then Strauss was nominated by President Eisenhower to the cabinet position of Secretary of Commerce. Called before a kangaroo court, Robert finds himself in a battle for his reputation.
“Oppenheimer” was released in 2023 and was written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It is an American and British epic biographical and historical thriller. The film is noted for being mostly true to events. The film was based on the 2005 biography “American Prometheus” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
It seems that nuclear scientists and Astronomers are becoming rock stars. I had been looking for Robert Downey Jr. in the film. It wasn’t until about a half hour into it that I realized I had been looking at him all the time. Downey did a good job here, as did Murphy and Blunt. The acting was great all around.
The main problems I had with the film were the continuity and the length. There are several parts to the movie; the years Oppenheimer spend in school, the Manhattan Project years and the hearings afterward. Some of the scenes are in black and white, the ones from Strauss’ perspective, and some, the ones from Oppenheimer’s perspective, are in color. Punctuated throughout are very visual images of Oppenheimer’s destructive imaginings, lots of explosions and some rousingly loud music. To add to the cacophony, the timeline of the film is all over the place. The jump cuts and flashbacks are numerous. It helps if you are a little bit familiar with the concepts or the characters involved but only a little. The movie can still be confusing which can make it sometimes boring. In addition, the movie went on forever. I still enjoyed it, but not as much as I hoped I would.