The scope of this film is huge. I watched on an IMAX screen which together with a stunning soundtrack made for a completely immersive experience. Often the camera is pulled back offering a wide vista but each frame is packed tight with so much detail. My eyes were kept busy for the entire 3 hours which flew by. This is one of the best films I have ever seen.
This film is not a documentary, neither is exclusively a biopic about Oppenheimer. Essentially this is about people having to make difficult decisions, often with only partial knowledge, in difficult and often time-pressured times. There is no doubt that Christopher Nolan's screenplay depicts Oppenheimer as a conflicted genius with a high moral code and unwavering allegiance to the USA. The way the story is told shows that others saw him differently. My reflections below are not intended to spoil the plot as that has long been in the public domain. As I left the cinema I immediately wanted to go back in and view it again simply because there is so much going on in the film and I wanted to check out my understanding of some of the roles of some characters in the stories.
The story of this film is non-linear as there are three intertwined threads which are edited together as the narrative progresses in each of them - a trademark of Nolan's film-making:
- Oppenheimer's journey from Cambridge in 1929 to Los Alamos in 1945.
- Oppenheimer's security clearance hearing in 1954.
- Admiral Lewis Strauss' congressional clearance hearing in 1959.
Each of the threads has its own different pace which is a very clever device - the 1954 security hearing being shot in black and white - a first for IMAX. This works very well but seeing many of the same characters simultaneously in three different time-frames takes a lot of concentration.
In addition to Cillian Murphy in the title role, the film contains many of the great names of scientific advancement made in the twentieth century. Tom Conti delivers an endearing characterisation of Albert Einstein, Kenneth Branagh as Niels Bohr, Matthias Schweighöfer as Werner Heisenberg and Benny Safdie as Edward Teller. There are very strong acting performances from Robert Downey Junior, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. A stellar cast.
The film clearly depicts Oppenheimer as a driven man but it also shows him as being impulsive, at times petulant, able to show high degrees of empathy and understanding of people and always highly principled. Once appointed to lead the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, Oppenheimer shows a deft touch in recruiting the right scientists to work on the different aspects of the project and in resolving the inevitable clashes of personality and ego. His clashes with Lt General Groves (Matt Damon) over the project's progress being slowed by the need for security-driven compartmentalisation brought energy and passion from both characters. His sexual liaisons with the Communist Jean Tatlock (Pugh) who herself was psychologically unstable, added intrigue and the masterfully shot sex fantasy scene during the security clearance hearing was pure artistry from Nolan.
Oppenheimer's continued association with known Communists and the fact that his brother was one, served to undermine Federal confidence in his allegiance. His oral and financial support for Spanish Republicans was also seen as a possible indication of a lack of patriotism as the monies were channelled through Spanish Communists. Oppenheimer's wife Kitty (Blunt) was also a former Communist which added further ammunition to those seeking to question Oppenheimer's allegiance. The weight of circumstantial evidence was growing.
From early on, the film sketched out the ethical considerations of turning the theory of atomic fission into reality and the possible consequences of that in military hands. Einstein cautions Oppenheimer who is throughout the film exercised by doubt about the human and political cost of detonating such a weapon of mass destruction. He was not in a hurry to divert resources to developing the even more powerful Hydrogen Bomb and in a later meeting with Truman urged the President to exercise restraint and caution which was seen as a sign of Oppenheimer's weakness. It is clear that Oppenheimer was haunted by the destructive power of what he had created and showed remorse for the thousands of innocent civilians killed in the two Japanese cities. He is portrayed as regretting not having completed the project in time for the bomb to be deployed against Hitler to end the Holocaust whilst noting that the majority of top German scientists working on the project were also Jewish.
The race was on between the Germans, Russians and Americans to develop the technology first and therein lies the intermingling of politics and militarised science. As soon as the experimental Trinity detonation was successful, the project was completely taken over by the military and symbolically the bombs were driven away from Los Alamos for deployment to Japan. As the trucks drove across the New Mexico desert, the chains on the cases clanked as though to symbolise that humanity was now in bondage to the deadly potential of this technology.
An area of contrast that ran throughout the story was that of morality and ethical standards. This was explored in a number of ways from Oppenheimer's support for a wide range of social causes to the politicians using whatever means to advance their own position. In the end, this became focussed in the persons of Oppenheimer and Strauss and their respective hearings. One side was shown to be shallow, manipulative and completely narcissistic, whilst the other was principled and did things for the greater good at considerable personal cost. The politicians came out this very poorly whilst the scientists gave me faith that they had acted in the best of the majority's interest. Whether this was a construct of Nolan's screenplay or close to the truth I don't know - but I like to believe it.
As I said this was so good I wanted to back in to watch it again - one of the best films I have ever seen. I cannot give it anything other than 10/10!
