“Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. For this, he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity.”
– Oppenheimer, 2023
You’ve heard of dark matter, right? We can’t see it, but its presence is felt when it moves things around. The way gravity or wind works.
Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” plays on a similar theme, but with human actions and decisions. Let me explain.
I’ve been waiting two years to watch “Oppenheimer”, and last Wednesday, my family and I finally did – twice! It was worth the wait.
“Oppenheimer” paints a vivid picture of Julius Robert Oppenheimer, the brain behind the first atomic bomb. But it’s not just about the bomb. It dives into the unseen aspects of human choices that paved the way for such a deadly creation. And like dark matter’s gravitational pull, you feel roped into its narrative only if you truly lean into the story.
My wife left the cinema deeply moved by the film, particularly the ending. It wasn’t the terror of nuclear warfare, which is well known, but something deeper. It’s the realisation that sometimes our very convictions, when unchecked, can lead us astray.
The film starts off predictably. It takes you on a roller-coaster, from Oppenheimer’s early, awkward days, his rise to genius, to being the US military’s choice to counter the Nazis. All seems well until it doesn’t. As events unfold, questions arise: Why press on with the bomb even after the Nazis’ fall? Why drop it on Japan, not once, but twice?
Usually, in most films, the hero’s job is to disarm a bomb. We’re all used to that. But “Oppenheimer” flips it around. The hero doesn’t defuse the bomb; he sets it off! After that, we see all the trouble that comes from making that choice.
In the end, the bomb is detonated. Twice. First in Hiroshima, then in Nagasaki. This triggers an arms race among countries and creates a never-ending domino effect.
Life isn’t about clear-cut villains and heroes. The film captures this ambiguity brilliantly. How one “good” decision after another can lead to disastrous outcomes. People, even geniuses like Oppenheimer, sometimes make bad choices because they’re caught in a system that guides them that way. If you don’t recognise these underlying forces at play, it’s a pity, because you miss the whole picture.
For instance, corruption isn’t just about dishonest people and honest whistle-blowers. It’s a ripple effect. As more people become corrupt, honesty loses value, and everyone starts bending the rules just to keep up.
The same applies to dishonest acts like cheating in school or lying to gain advantage. Once it becomes commonplace, it’s challenging to play fair. You may feel pressured to cheat or lie as well to level the playing field. “Oppenheimer” mirrors this in the context of global issues.
Those who resist the corrupt system get ousted. It’s like seeing everyone in class pick the wrong answer because they’re afraid to stand out. You might do the same just to blend in.
In “Oppenheimer”, scientists compete against each other, vying for attention, forgetting the broader perspective. The film unfolds in two parts running side by side, “Fission” and “Fusion”, illustrating Oppenheimer’s life and the story of a bureaucrat, Lewis Strauss, in 1959. At first, you might wonder how these two connect. But when I think about it: fusion is what makes big bombs super strong, and it starts with a fission bomb. It’s like a hint in the titles!
As the film goes on, we see that Strauss tried to ruin Oppenheimer’s reputation because of some disagreements. But then, other scientists got mad at Strauss. It’s like one thing led to another (just like how fission triggers fusion in bombs), and in the end, no one came out unscathed.
Breaking such cycles is possible, but it comes with a heavy price. The book “Beautiful Souls” by Eyal Press discusses how individuals who stand against wrongdoings often face rejection and punishment, even when they’re in the right, while the wrongdoing continues.
Once, during an economic lecture, Press shared a thought that has stayed with me. Luckily I wrote it down: “The real truth of the book is that we like to celebrate these brave people from afar and only after everything has happened. But when they are actually telling us that something is wrong, in the moment, we hardly ever listen. We don’t even need to celebrate them, just hearing them out when they’re pointing out our mistakes or problems in our own groups is really, really rare.”
You’d think that with something as threatening as nuclear weapons, people would tread carefully. However, “Oppenheimer” reveals that’s not always the case. Even when the stakes are high, mistakes can be made.
So, if you watch “Oppenheimer”, you’ll witness more than a history lesson. The unseen forces, like dark matter, that steer our choices and actions are everywhere.
“Oppenheimer” certainly helps make these influences slightly more visible. It’s a film that sticks with you and makes you wonder, “What would I have done?” and understand that the world’s problems aren’t always someone else’s doing.
