Oppenheimer opened worldwide, one of the most anticipated movies of 20203, putting the spotlight on J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientist who led the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb. The film is directed by Christopher Nolan and stars Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer.
Oppenheimer explores the moral and ethical implications of the development of the atomic bomb. The film is told in a nonlinear fashion, jumping back and forth between different points in Oppenheimer’s life. At first, the events felt a bit slower than I would liked, but once it picked up, well, it’s safe to say that this is early a masterpiece.
Nolan’s direction is masterful, and he creates a visually stunning and immersive experience, coupled with performances that are top-notch all around, with Murphy giving a tour-de-force performance as Oppenheimer, along side standout performances from Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr.
Nolan does a great job of conveying the scientific and technical challenges of developing the atomic bomb, as well as the ethical dilemmas that Oppenheimer and his colleagues faced throughout the journey. The story takes us back to J Robert Oppenheimer student days, to his time as a professor in California in the 1930s, and then to the Manhattan Project to build nuclear weapons in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
In the movie, Oppenheimer embarks on a head-to-head battle Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr), former head of the US Atomic Energy Commission, which stretched throughout government hearings and a panel debating wether his national security clearance be revoked based on accusations that his was a loyal communist.
Overall, Oppenheimer is a powerful and thought-provoking film. It is a must-see for anyone interested in history, science.
