What Did Oppenheimer Really Say When The Atomic Bomb Went Off

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has viewers wondering what the film’s titular character really said when the atomic bomb went off during the Trinity test in 1945. Played by Cillian Murphy, J. Robert Oppenheimer is the theoretical physicist who led the infamous Manhattan Project — the endeavor that culminated in the development of the first-ever atomic bomb. Dubbed the “father of the atomic bomb,” the enigmatic Oppenheimer’s story is underpinned by tragedy. Not only did his work end World War II’s Pacific theater in an unimaginably horrific way, but the scientist experienced a fall from grace during the McCarthy era.

Based on Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s American Prometheus biography, Nolan’s Oppenheimer delves into the fascinating figure’s once-lauded career as well as his all-consuming guilt. Insistent that the Manhattan Project’s discoveries could end the Pacific War, Oppenheimer encouraged President Truman to deploy the two atomic bombs. In the wake of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Oppenheimer was reportedly haunted by his role in the mass destruction of the Japanese cities. Needless to say, this has led to many urban myths surrounding what, exactly, Oppenheimer said upon seeing his life’s work come to fruition.

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Oppenheimer Didn’t Say “I Am Become Death Destroyer Of Worlds” After The Bomb

Much of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer takes place at the Manhattan Project’s Los Alamos Laboratory. The remote New Mexico location not only served as the research and development space, but the nuclear detonation’s testing grounds. On July 16, 1945, the scientists’ three years of work culminated in the Trinity test — the first-ever nuclear detonation that occurred in the hills of the New Mexico desert. Given his fascination with learning Sanskrit, it’s commonly believed that Oppenheimer said, “Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds” in the wake of the Trinity test.

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Forever linked to J. Robert Oppenheimer, the famous quote derives from the Bhagavad Gita, a 700-verse Hindu scripture. However, the story of Oppenheimer reciting the iconic phrase while watching the historic detonation seems to be a more dramatic version of what actually happened. Years later, Oppenheimer explained on a broadcast that he thought of the quote, but didn’t actually say it. While some witnesses laughed or cried, most were silent. Reportedly, Oppenheimer himself actually said, “It worked.” During the broadcast, Oppenheimer admitted, “I suppose we all thought [about the quote], one way or another” (via Smithsonian Magazine).

Oppenheimer Incorporates J. Robert’s Response With A Twist

Earlier in the film, Oppenheimer’s lover, Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), notices the Bhagavad Gita on the scientist’s bookshelf and asks him to translate something. Oppenheimer‘s “Now I am become death” sex scene is an eerie bit of foreshadowing that preempts the haunting, guilt-inducing events that are yet to unfold. A destructive force in Jean’s life, Oppenheimer‘s ending illustrates that he feels as responsible for her death as the atomic bomb’s mass casualties. Nolan’s creative use of the iconic line certainly stays true to the emotional resonance of the quote, underscoring Oppenheimer’s life-altering guilt over his life-ending creation.