Oppenheimer’s 20 Best Quotes

With the movie now a Best Picture frontrunner, the best Oppenheimer quotes highlight the movie’s brilliance. The impressive biopic utilizes a mix of original dialogue, real-life quotations, and philosophical statements to highlight the themes, anxieties, and overall significance of the Manhattan Project and the creation of the atomic bomb. Much of the best lines in Oppenheimer center on the moral dilemmas and oftentimes nationalistic justifications for the creation of the weapon of mass destruction while also emphasizing its dystopian implications and dark impact.

Oppenheimer does so well in just about every department, from performances to the soundtrack and practical visual effects, that it comes as no surprise that Nolan’s screenplay is full of rich and poignant language. The best Oppenheimer quotes come together as a medley that depicts both the internal and external chaos of the theoretical physicist’s tense reality during that crucial period in time. The most gripping statements in Oppenheimer touch on every level of his experience in Los Alamos and the resounding effect that his remarkable yet terrifying contribution to the world left on him throughout his life.

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20 “Can You Hear The Music, Robert?”

Niels Bohr (Kenneth Branagh)

In one of the earlier scenes of Oppenheimer, Danish physicist Niels Bohr questioned a young Oppenheimer on whether he could “hear the music” regarding his understanding and mastery of his field. It presents Oppenheimer, Bohr, and the purist of scientific knowledge at large through an artistic lens, comparable to a famous composer such as Beethoven or Mozart “hearing the music” in their minds and pulling it down from an ethereal realm into the practical and symbolic human world. The movie has a great deal of respect for scientific minds while also speaking to the burden their knowledge carries.

19 “Power Stays In The Shadows.”

Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.)

Late in Oppenheimer when Strauss’ corruption has been revealed, he attempts to justify his shady activity as the source of his political success. He tells an associate that “amateurs chase the sun and get burned. Power stays in the shadows” and is met with the stark reality that he can no longer hide in the darkness if he wants to become a U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

Robert Downey Jr.’s performance in Oppenheimer brilliantly uses the likeability of the actor to showcase Strauss as a deeply unlikable and petty villain. Interestingly, this movie helped bring Strauss and his actions out of the shadows after being an overlooked figure in this history.

18 “Hiroshima Isn’t About You.”

President Harry S. Truman (Gary Oldman)

Gary Oldman plays Oppenheimer‘s President Harry S. Truman and makes an impact with only one memorable scene. Oppenheimer is brought to the White House to meet with Truman to discuss his concerns about a potential arms race over the atomic bomb with Russia. Truman loses patience with Oppenheimer’s sense of remorse and anxiety and tells him bluntly “You didn’t drop the bomb, I did.” He reminds Oppenheimer that the victims of the bombings in Japan don’t care about who invented the bomb before quietly kicking him out of the Oval Office.

In a certain sense, Truman is right and Oppenheimer’s self-pity is too late. However, it also shows the former president in a villainous light as he is uncaring about what the scientists might have created, now considering the invention something that belongs to him and he can use as he sees fit.

17 “Oppie, You Owe Me $10!”

George Kistiakowsky (Trond Fausa)

Moments before testing the atomic bomb at Los Alamos, the torrential rain and thunderstorms risked the success of the trial. Oppenheimer contemplated calling off the test but was reassured by his associate George Kistiakowskey’s confidence that the bomb would still go off, betting a month of his salary against $10.

Oppenheimer shakes on it, the bomb goes off, and Kistiakowskey runs over to celebrate with Oppie, shouting “you owe me $10!”. It is a humorous line to end the intense and incredible bomb sequence, but it also highlights the turmoil faced by Oppenheimer as he is filled with doubt surrounding the bomb and does not feel as celebratory as others.

16 “It Won’t Be For You, It Would Be For Them.”

Albert Einstein (Tom Conti)

“When they’ve punished you enough, they’ll serve you salmon and potato salad, make speeches, give you a medal, and pat you on the back telling you all is forgiven. Just remember, it won’t be for you… it would be for them.”

Albert Einstein offers a word of advice to Oppenheimer as he can relate to being mistreated and used by his own government and country despite his groundbreaking achievements. Much of the themes of the movie deal with that very fact. Regardless of Oppenheimer’s service to his country, he was later vilified only for them to later praise him for his innovative work. Einstein lays it all out for Oppenheimer just as it will happen, but reminds him that these are empty gestures from people who do not really care about him.

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15 “Batter My Heart, Three-Person’d God. Trinity.”

J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy)

When tasked with coming up with a name for his atomic experiment, Oppenheimer calls it the Trinity Test after reciting a line from a famous poem “Holy Sonnet XIV” written by John Donne. The “Three-Person’d God” refers to the Holy Trinity in Christian belief, referring to the notion of God being the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

“Batter My Heart” is a request for God’s forcible intervention to be remade and seek salvation. Oppenheimer drew parallels to this concept that the bomb would ultimately destroy to build anew. However, it may be a moment of him trying to convince himself his work is being used for the greater good.

14 “You Don’t Get to Commit To Sin And Then Ask All of Us To Feel Sorry For You When There Are Consequences.”

Kitty Oppenheimer (Emily Blunt)

One of Kitty Oppenheimer’s most memorable lines in the movie is when she tries to get her husband to pull himself together after he learns of the fate of Oppenheimer’s former lover Jean Tatlock. He appears to have spent all day outside in the cold when Kitty finds him and grabs him by his lapels, saying “You don’t get to commit to sin and then ask all of us to feel sorry for you when there are consequences.”

She is filled with anger over her husband’s betrayal and laments that he is now making himself the victim she needs to feel sorry for. It is a critical moment for the husband and wife, but it also brings up the question of how Oppenheimer should be viewed in the aftermath of the Manhattan Project. He is filled with remorse, but he is also the one who made the decision to build the bomb.

13 “Alfred Nobel Invented Dynamite.”

J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy)

In his first exchange with the formidable General Groves, Oppenheimer is asked why he doesn’t have a Nobel Prize, pointing out that the man whom the prestigious award was named after was the inventor of dynamite. This alludes to how Oppenheimer could have earned a Nobel Prize for being the father of the atomic bomb, but due to controversy, he was not. While Groves speaks to Oppenheimer’s accomplishments, it is another way of highlighting the theme of science being used for destructive means.

12 “Until They Don’t.”

Luis Alvarez (Alex Wolff)

When Oppenheimer was recruiting scientists and physicists for his Los Alamos team, he explained the desperation of the United States’ political situation and the urgency of their swift action by saying “They need us.” One of the physicists, Luis Alvarez, tried to reason with Oppenheimer, pointing out that the United States government needed them now but would likely discard them once the mission is accomplished, a foreshadowing of events to come and how quickly they turn against Oppenheimer himself once his work has serves them well.

11 “These Things Are Hard On Your Heart.”

J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy)

Moments before the Trinity Test, Oppenheimer says to himself “These things are hard on your heart,” which is a direct contrast to the concept of a hardened heart in Christian theology. In this sense, the traditional concept of ‘sin’ is viewed as something that makes your heart become hardened, hinting that Oppenheimer was viewing his efforts with the atomic bomb as a form of sin through the lens of an omnipresent God.

10 “Is It Possible They Talked About Something More… Important?”

Senate Aide (Alden Ehrenreich)

One of the lines with the biggest punch in Oppenheimer arrives in the final moments of the film, in which Strauss must face the music of a swarming press after he is rejected as a member of the United States Cabinet. The Senate Aide who had supported Strauss’ candidacy throughout the film explains that Einstein and Oppenheimer were likely not talking about Strauss at all during a pivotal scene that shaped Strauss’ twisted sentiments about scientists and fuels his vindictiveness towards Oppenheimer.

Strauss’ wounded ego made him assume Oppenheimer was bad-mouthing him to Einstein. However, the Senate Aide deflates that ego in one biting remark that reminds Strauss he is insignificant regarding the troubles these brilliant men face.

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9 “Tell Her To Bring In The Sheets!”

J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy)

Following the success of the Trinity Test, Oppenheimer rejoices with his associates, telling one of them to call his wife Kitty and “tell her to bring in the sheets.” This was a cryptic message to inform Kitty that the atomic test had been successful, which she realized as soon as she received the information at home through a phone call. Oppenheimer also cleverly tells Kitty to not take in the sheets once his security clearance is officially revoked later in the film, a juxtaposition of Oppenheimer’s most triumphant and tragic moments.

8 “Robert, This Is Not Mine, It’s Yours.”

Albert Einstein (Tom Conti)

Oppenheimer seeks the professional advice of Einstein after Teller introduces the possibility that their atomic bomb could set off a chain reaction that could ignite the atmosphere and destroy the world. Einstein reviews the calculations on a piece of paper and confirms the risk, handing the note back to Oppenheimer to demonstrate that he wants no part of it and that the consequences, good or bad, will fall on Oppenheimer in the end. It also hints that Oppenheimer was already having reservations and wanted the burden shared with someone else.

7 “Prometheus Stole Fire from the Gods and Gave It to Man. For This, He Was Chained to a Rock and Tortured for Eternity.”

Opening Caption

In the first glimpse of the film, a quotation is projected reading, “Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. For this, he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity.” In the context of the film, Oppenheimer is essentially Prometheus, who showed the world that incredible power can be harnessed and utilized. Oppenheimer was punished for his guilt in the creation of the bomb but also by his government and country for speaking out against it.

6 “Theory Will Take You Only So Far.”

J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy)

The risk involved in the Trinity Test and the creation of the atomic bomb was based on the notion that at the time it was entirely theoretical. Due to Oppenheimer’s genius, he was able to construct a bomb based on theory alone, which he admits “will only take you so far.” Ernest Lawrence understands this too and agrees with Oppenheimer’s ambitions despite knowing the slim chance that the plan could end the world because it is based on theory instead of fact.

5 “Zero Would Be Nice!”

Gen. Leslie Groves (Matt Damon)

In the same vein as “Theory will only take you so far,” is the inverse reaction to that sentiment presented by General Groves. Groves asks for clarification from Oppenheimer about the level of risk involved in the Trinity Test which Oppenheimer explains is “near zero.” Groves questions the ‘near’ part of Oppenheimer’s response, to which Oppenheimer asks “What do you want from theory alone?” Groves exclaims, “Zero would be nice!” It is a funny line that highlights the dangers of the Manhattan Project. However, it also shows how the military minds don’t quite understand what they are dealing with.

4 “This Isn’t A New Weapon, It’s A New World.”

Niels Bohr (Kenneth Branagh)

Niels Bohr breaks down the impact of the creation of the bomb on Oppenheimer by explaining that building the atomic bomb won’t just change the military capabilities of the United States but it will actually permanently change the world. This helps Oppenheimer realize the scope of his efforts amid all the nationalistic urgency and scientific achievement and ignites his campaign to urge politicians to use the technology responsibly.

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3 “They Won’t Fear It Until They Understand It. And They Won’t Understand It Until They’ve Used It”

J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy)

Oppenheimer grows to comprehend the impact of the atomic bomb on the rest of the world, specifically everyday people who don’t have access to such threatening innovations, He says “They won’t fear it until they understand it. And they won’t understand it until they’ve used it”, also commenting on how governments and politicians did not even grasp the power they wielded when Oppenehimer first completed his creation. Oppenheimer has a sense that there is an inevitability to using the bomb as the world needs to see the power that it is capable of so they know not to use it.

2 “Now I Am Become Death, The Destroyer Of Worlds.”

J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy)

The most iconic line from Oppenheimer is a quotation from the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Vita that Oppenheimer recites to allude to his role as essentially Death itself. While Oppenheimer might have embodied much of the guilt for the atomic bomb’s creation, he unfairly attributed all of the destruction it caused to himself individually, as evidenced by this line that suggests he was the embodiment of death and destruction.

1 “I Believe We Did.”

J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy)

In the final moments of the film, Oppenheimer’s conversation with Einstein by the pond is revealed, indicating that the two scientists were not, in fact, speaking about Strauss at that moment. Oppenheimer asks Einstein if he remembered their previous conversation about setting off a chain reaction that will destroy the world.

When Einstein responds with a yes, Oppenheimer says “I believe we did,” pointing to the chain reaction of the imminent Russian arms race and the United States’ possession of the atomic bomb that would only lead to bigger bombs and more destruction. This quote signifies the immense moral plight that the renowned physicist faced after the birth of the atomic bomb in Oppenheimer.