Watched the film with my daughter Sabila and her son Kazim in the Epic Theatre at Ocala, Florida; much after its release due to pressing considerations.
Nearly a three hour long movie reveals Oppenheimer’s childhood, his academic pursuis. his social and marital affairs, his association in the earler years with the Communist oraganization and later the “hearings” where he loses his security clearance although he had never participated or indulged in any anti Government activities. Frankly, though interesting but as per Kazim this period of the story is too stretched and complicated as the events shown are nonlinear and disorienting, requiring the viewer to put together the chronolgy of events. In the comfort of our seats, we stretched our legs and were tempted to take a nap!
The movie offers a thought provoking exploration of Oppenheimer’s personal and professional journey, painting a complex potrait of a man torn between scientific ambition and moral dilemmas. However, digressing a bit, I personally do not buy this contradiction in his quagmire. Let us examine the scientific reason for creating the bomb. I will not go into the details of the scientific achievements of the Manhattan Project but touch them broadly. Design and control fission chain reaction that would release a large amount of energy within a short time. Determine the critical mass required to sustain a chain reaction. Uranium -235 enrichment. Inaddition to Uranium the Mahattan Project pursued the production of Plotonium 239, which can also sustain a chain reaction. The utilization of the implosion dezign. Implemention of safety measures and control mechanism to prevent premature detonation. The Manhattan Project successfully achieved these scietific break throughs in the utilization of nuclear energy thus opening the flood gate for future nuclear race amongst few developed countries. However, at a very heavy cost, endagering the lives of humans and causing tremoundous devastation.
Physicist Joseph Rotblat, a colleague of Oppenheimer left the Manhattan Project on moral grounds after learning that the bomb was to be dropped on Japan. His decision was driven by his ethical concerns about the devastaing consequences using atomic bomb and targetting civillian populations. He dedicated his life for promoting peaceful use of nuclear energy and was awarded the Nobel Prize.
Oppeheimer’s internal struggle, torn between scientific pursuits and the ethical implications of his work, is potrayed with great sensitivty, provoking introspection and leaving the audience with much to ponder.
Due to Oppeneimer’s “Little Bomb” dropped on Hiroshima, approximately 140,000 people died by end of 1945. While the hydrogen bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed 70,000.
It is a brilliantly directed movie, and the entire cast have done full justice to their respective roles.
Must watch.
Kazim – 7/10 (He did not find any climax in the movie)
Sabila and self – 8/10
Impressions, Perceptions and Views. 