Oppenheimer
Originally published on social media on March 6th, 2024
This film really surprised me for two reasons:
1). It was actually a really good film. Everything about this film was well done — the script was well written, the acting was phenomenal, the cinematography was gorgeous and groundbreaking, and the sound was just right. Typically I’m not a fan of Christopher Nolan’s work because I think the tones are too dark and depressing, but he overcame that fault in his film as the lighting and color scheme were just right.
2). The movie didn’t make me angry (like I was expecting it to). I heard tales of the people of surrounding towns getting health problems (like Leukemia) from exposure to the atomic bomb, and was ready to roll my eyes and get ready at the way they treated minorities (that’s an easy thing to assume for a WW2 story). I still don’t know the entire story of the Manhattan Project, so I can’t verify what discriminatory practices or behaviors occurred on site. One dynamic I was unaware of was the impacts of the Red Scare with the Oppenheimer legacy. The narrative of this film heavily discusses fear of communism, and I genuinely think that is one of the main reasons I like the film so much is because of this complex conversation throughout the script. Also, there is like a HUGE PLOT twist. I’m usually able to predict movies fairly easily, but this one completely shocked me.
Overall, I think any award that this film gets will be well deserved. It’s a long movie, but with the exception of the sex scenes, I think every moment is important. I’m shocked to say that I totally could see myself watching it again.
I’m a pacifist, but this film helped me better understand why the atomic bomb was made. Was it a huge mistake? Yes. Did it kill lots of people, and is that fact not okay? Yes. Was the creation of the bomb a major scientific breakthrough though? Yes. Could you almost emphasize with Oppenheimer after seeing his complex feelings about the whole Manhattan Project? Yes.
I’m holding these contradicting dynamics in the palms of my hands, and I feel good knowing that I can fully appreciate and criticize history and historical contexts with a healthy balance.