Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer explores J. Robert Oppenheimer’s involvement in the creation of the hydrogen bomb. The film explores the influences on his actions and the people who shaped his life. The film moves through politics, morality, and scientific theory, but beneath those layers, Oppenheimer is, at its core, the story of a truly complex man.

Oppenheimer, born in New York City in 1904, was a Jewish theoretical physicist best known for his role as scientific director of the Manhattan project, a program to create atomic bombs during World War Two. Centered in Los Alamos, New Mexico, the top secret program was the source of much controversy not only during, but also in the years following the war.

Oppenheimer is three hours long, and with countless characters and multiple timelines designed to disorient the viewer, watching it can at first feel overwhelming. However, this complexity, of both the story and the people in it, is intentional, and ultimately the main points come into focus. The film’s nuanced portrayal of major and minor characters alike is impressive and captivating.

The legacy of Robert Oppenheimer and of the Manhattan project is vast and enduring. Late in the movie, in a post-war conversation, Oppenheimer insists that the bomb will “ensure peace mankind has never seen.” His fellow physicist Edward Teller responds, “until somebody builds a bigger bomb.”

Oppenheimer is one of many historical figures who we look back on at times with great admiration and at other times with great disdain. Being able to show the shades of a man who was not all good or all bad teaches us something about how to look at history, and I appreciated Oppenheimer’s exploration of that lesson.

Article by Aria Lynn-Skov