The full-length trailer for Christopher Nolan’s next film “Oppenheimer” is now available for viewing. It’s pretty fantastic.
The film focuses on Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant physicist often called the “father of the atomic bomb.” The film draws from the book “American Prometheus” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
In the early 1940s, World War II was raging, and the US government had just launched the top-secret Manhattan Project. Its goal? To create the first atomic bomb. Enter Robert Oppenheimer, a genius with deep knowledge of theoretical physics. He was tasked with leading the scientific team at Los Alamos, New Mexico, to develop this deadly weapon.
Oppenheimer was known for his charisma and ability to bring together some of the brightest minds, like Enrico Fermi and Richard Feynman, to collaborate on this massive undertaking. The pressure was immense, as the project was a race against time and other countries to harness the power of nuclear fission.
Despite the challenges, Oppenheimer’s team succeeded, and on July 16, 1945, they witnessed the first atomic explosion in history – the Trinity Test. This changed everything; it was a game-changer in warfare, but it also weighed heavily on Oppenheimer’s conscience. He famously quoted from the Bhagavad Gita, saying, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
Not long after, the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II. But the ethical implications of these bombings were profound, and Oppenheimer struggled with the guilt of having played a key role in their development.
“American Prometheus” dives deep into the life and inner turmoil of Robert Oppenheimer, showing his brilliance, patriotism, and the painful consequences of his work. It’s a compelling story that makes us question the responsibility of scientists and governments in the pursuit of knowledge and power.
I’ve been looking forward to this one for quite a while because I find the story fascinating. The actions portrayed here still affect us today. Some lines I caught in the trailer speak to the haunting memory of these events…
“Our work here will ensure a peace mankind has never seen.”
“Until someone builds a bigger bomb.”
“You are the man who gave them the power to destroy themselves, and the world is not prepared.”
Oppenheimer releases on 21 July 2023.