Oppenheimer focuses largely on the titular scientist and his relationships, but the film’s portrayal of his connection to Albert Einstein isn’t true to the facts, as Einstein did not like Oppenheimer in real life. In the movie, the bond between Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and Albert Einstein (Tom Conti) serves as the impetus for Oppenheimer’s eventual fall from public grace as well as underlines one of the film’s overarching themes. However, the two had a much different relationship in real life and would never have had the discussion seen in the film.
Christopher Nolan’s movie dramatizes their connection, using this modified bond to make the culturally recognizable Einstein one of Oppenheimer‘s most important characters. Although the two eventually became colleagues and developed a more healthy respect for one another, their actual connection in real life — especially during the timeline of Oppenheimer — was far different from what was portrayed on the big screen.
Oppenheimer’s Ending Explained – Can We Forgive J. Robert Oppenheimer?
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer follows its titular subject — before & after he created the atomic bomb. We break down the biopic’s ending in detail.
Albert Einstein Did Not Like Oppenheimer Because Of His Personality
Oppenheimer places a great deal of importance on the shared scenes between Oppenheimer and Einstein, but in reality, the pair did not get along during the period portrayed in Oppenheimer. In the movie, the two men are acquaintances who respect one another’s work, leading Oppenheimer to approach Einstein for help in cracking a potentially dangerous hypothesis. In reality, Einstein was a committed pacifist who came to regret his role in the Manhattan Project, which was created following a letter he sent to President Roosevelt. Einstein was never approached about joining the program, partly due to his more overt socialist leanings.
Oppenheimer’s willingness to work with the United States government also impacted Einstein’s views on his fellow scientist. A refugee who had fled to America to escape the rise of the Nazi Party in his home nation of Germany, Einstein was far more reluctant to work with the U.S. government and military than Oppenheimer. The book American Prometheus, which served as the inspiration for Oppenheimer, notes Einstein believed Oppenheimer was wasting his talents by working for the government, comparing it to a woman he loved who didn’t reciprocate those feelings. Additionally, Einstein disliked Oppenheimer’s teaching methods, once calling him “too dominant.”
Did Oppenheimer Regret Creating The Atomic Bomb?
The conflicted response of Oppenheimer to his own atomic bomb was full of anxiety for the future but not so much personal regret for his invention.
Einstein & Oppenheimer’s Scientific Beliefs Created More Differences
Beyond personal differences, Einstein and Oppenheimer had very different beliefs. This actually undercuts some of the most important overarching elements of Oppenheimer and Einstein’s role in the film. While discussing the potential for a nuclear bomb, Oppenheimer approaches Einstein for a talk about the theory that a successful nuclear fission could doom the world. In reality, Oppenheimer would never have asked Einstein this, due to their differing scientific fields and beliefs. Einstein didn’t even think quantum physics was real, while Oppenheimer made it central to his research. These elements were among the true facts that changed for Oppenheimer.
In real life, Oppenheimer asked fellow Manhattan Project scientist Arthur Compton for his perspective on the risks of constructing the bomb. Oppenheimer was dismissive of Einstein’s apparent unwillingness to adjust his beliefs to new discoveries, with American Prometheus even noting that he once described Einstein as “cuckoo” to his brother Frank. When Oppenheimer and Einstein became academic colleagues later in life, they developed a much healthier relationship. However, their friendship never matched what is shown on-screen in Oppenheimer.
Oppenheimer
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
- Cast
- Cillian Murphy , Emily Blunt , Matt Damon , Robert Downey Jr. , Rami Malek , Florence Pugh
- Writers
- Christopher Nolan
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
