Oppenheimer – Film Review
by Frank L.

Director Christopher Nolan
Writers Christopher Nolan, Kai Bird, Martin Sherwin
Stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon

J. Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist. He was born in 1904 in New York to German Jewish immigrants who were to prosper in their new land. Oppenheimer was a gifted individual as a physicist and linguist and a connoisseur of fine art. As a physicist, he was appointed a full professor at Berkeley at the tender age of 32. Apart from his exceptional cerebral activities, he was a man of action who liked to ride over the rough terrain of New Mexico where he owned a ranch.

He was recruited in 1942 to work on the Manhattan Project and in 1943 was appointed to head up its Los Alamos laboratory in New Mexico. He is credited with being the father of the atomic bomb. After the war, he was appointed head of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. In 1947 he was appointed as chair of the General Advisory Committee of the Atomic Energy Commission but fell foul of political, both with a small and large “p”, wranglings and the fevered anti-communist fervour of the McCarthy era in the fifties. The film concentrates on his role in the Manhattan Project and his problems with McCarthyite officialdom. It is a huge story and Nolan has done a masterly job in confining it to three hours.

Cillian Murphy has the daunting task of portraying Oppenheimer in all his complexity. His performance is outstanding as he has to portray Oppenheimer as an unconventional undergraduate, a young academic, an erotic lover and a clear-sighted visionary fully conscious of the challenges to the world that the explosion of the atomic bomb would represent. That portion of his career encompasses approximately two-thirds of the film. The second part of the film deals with his entanglement with officialdom. Here Murphy has him somewhat perplexed as he tries to explain to a tribunal, set up to determine whether he should retain his security clearance, that he is not a communist. A far from simple task as he had had over his life friendships with persons who were members of the communist party.

The supporting cast is impressive, particularly Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss as he runs his campaign to have Oppenheimer’s security clearance revoked. He portrays Strauss as a man of immense guile as he seeks to clip the wings of Oppenheimer. Emily Blunt gives a fine performance as Kitty Oppenheimer, having to put up with Oppenheimer’s philandering even though she was no saint. She is a steely witness when she is called upon to give her evidence on his behalf. Needless to say, Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, one of his early lovers and a committed member of the Communist party, gives an exemplary performance. She balances her ideological puritanism with her need for a meaningful sexual relationship. As a cameo piece, Tom Conti as Albert Einstein is perfection. They are part of a large cast of characters played by prominent actors who populate the screen. There is a surplus of riches on display.

Nolan does not tell the story in a linear manner. There are all sorts of flashbacks which enhance the storyline as some of the complexities of Oppenheimer are gradually revealed. It is a masterful portrayal of two different periods of Oppenheimer’s life which Nolan has chosen to display. Yet Nolan also manages to reference Openheimer’s skills as a linguist, his artistic sensibility and his sexual drive. The only criticism which this reviewer had was that the dialogue in the early part of the film was difficult at times to grasp but that may have been my lack of familiarity with the accents. It is almost churlish to even mention it.

This film is about one of the most momentous events of the 20th century or possibly of all times. Nolan has given it all the respect that such an event deserves. He also reveals the human strengths and weaknesses of those involved in the events which he depicts. It is a triumph for Nolan and Cillian Murphy who was an inspired choice as Oppenheimer. It is a must-see movie -absolutely enthralling.