Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer depicts the massive weight of guilt that the father of the atomic bomb felt after his participation in the Manhattan Project during World War II. Nolan’s film is centered on the notion that J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) was consumed by remorse after seeing the effects of his creation on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, taking an incredible emotional toll on the once-celebrated theoretical physicist. This signifies that Murphy’s Oppenheimer was regretful about inventing the bomb in the first place, which is not entirely historically accurate.
Oppenheimer is portrayed as a victim of a nationalistic government at war whose unparalleled brilliance was used for one of the most destructive afflictions between humans in the history of mankind. Nolan’s film repeatedly makes it seem as though J. Robert Oppenheimer regretted creating the atomic bomb all the way until the final line of the film in an exchange between Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein. However, historical evidence and quotes state that the real-life Oppenheimer did not actually regret the invention. If anything, it was the use of his invention that inspired his moral qualms about the atomic bomb.
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Oppenheimer Did Not Regret Making The Atomic Bomb
Oppenheimer was conflicted but not regretful about creating the bomb
The real-life J. Robert Oppenheimer never directly said he regretted creating the atomic bomb, nor did he formally apologize for it even though he was burdened by how it was used once it was out of his control. Oppenheimer reportedly fell into a depression after he saw the immediate impact that his creation had on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, believing that the second bombing was unnecessary and excessive. Oppenheimer expressed his concerns about the use of the bomb once it was out of his hands, but he did not once say he regretted inventing the weapon of mass destruction.
Some of Oppenheimer’s best quotes tap into the perceived guilt that the pivotal figure faced despite deviating from the plain historical truth in Oppenheimer’s sentiments. Oppenheimer didn’t regret creating the atomic bomb itself, noting that it was a crucial development that saved the lives of many Americans in securing the victory of World War II. He said that he wished he and his team of scientists at Los Alamos had invented it fast enough to drop on Hitler’s Germany. It’s evident that while Oppenheimer was attracted to the spotlight of being the American hero, he was just as quick to play the part of a universal peacemaker in the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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Oppenheimer’s Life After The Atomic Bomb Indicates His True Feelings
Oppenheimer was concerned about a future without international nuclear policies
After Oppenheimer left the Manhattan Project, he did express to President Truman that he believed he had blood on his hands because of how the United States used the atomic bomb in Nagasaki. He would then spend much of his time and effort after the end of World War II to implement an international arms control organization that could control and monitor all the planet’s uranium and nuclear energy developments. Oppenheimer was concerned about the potential uses of the bomb if international policies were not in place, fearing the true destruction of the world.
Oppenheimer worked with the Atomic Energy Committee to prevent what he saw as an inevitable nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. He would eventually get his security clearance revoked in 1954 which ultimately ended his career in influencing atomic policy. This left him to his own efforts of campaigning and lecturing against the threat of nuclear weapons. It does appear that Oppenheimer got the main regret of his life correct in that he feared the chain reaction that his invention would inspire, but he did not regret the creation of the bomb itself.
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Oppenheimer’s Trip To Japan Did Not Change His View On The Atomic Bomb
Oppenheimer never fully regretted his invention even while on Japanese soil in 1960
Even after the real-life Oppenheimer visited postwar Japan in September 1960, he still did not regret creating the atomic bomb that was dropped on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. According to Japan Today, Oppenheimer told a group of Japanese reporters, “I do not think coming to Japan changed my sense of anguish about my part in this whole piece of history. Nor has it fully made me regret my responsibility for the technical success of the enterprise. It isn’t that I don’t feel bad. It is that I don’t feel worse tonight than last night.” While the historical figure was guilt-ridden in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the actual man never came to regret his invention.
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer is a film by Christopher Nolan, which follows the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man behind the atomic bomb. Cillian Murphy will play the titular role, with the story based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
- Release Date
- July 21, 2023
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
- Cast
- Cillian Murphy , Emily Blunt , Matt Damon , Robert Downey Jr. , Rami Malek , Florence Pugh
- Runtime
- 150 Minutes
- Writers
- Christopher Nolan
- Budget
- $100 Million
- Studio(s)
- Syncopy Inc. , Atlas Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
