The movie is based on this Pulitzer Prize winning book:<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Prometheus" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Prometheus</a><p>It doesn’t get mentioned much but is highly rated on Amazon:<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/American-Prometheus-Triumph-Tragedy-Oppenheimer/dp/0375412026" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.amazon.com/American-Prometheus-Triumph-Tragedy-O...</a>
Kind of off-topic but this movie was shot in 70mm IMAX (and similar) film, and some scenes are shot in the first-ever 65mm black and white film, and it has no CGI effects. It's only playing in 70mm IMAX in 30 theatres globally[1], most of them in the US. Normally IMAX feature releases only play for a few weeks, so if you are a film nerd at all it's worth checking if this version is playing near you.
I'd be curious to see a von Neumann portrayal. It seems he's not in the film even though he was a part of the Manhattan Project.<p>Are there any good biopics of him?
I heard recently (on Lex Fridman's podcast with Marc Andreessen) that Oppenheimer was called a "cry-baby scientist" by President Truman, and that his groveling campaign was considered by many to be self-aggrandizing, albeit in a self-deprecating way.<p>Apparently, his involvement was less significant than many others in the Manhattan Project, but his name became one of the most well-known due to his public outcries, and of course his iconic quote.<p>I haven't yet seen the movie and I'm looking forward to it; I wonder how much of this is portrayed.<p>Funny enough, I'm planning a double feature with Oppenheimer and the Barbie movie. Maintaining a healthy relationship involves tradeoffs.
Rumor has it that to ensure realism without CGI, Nolan enriched his own Uranium and used it to detonate an actual fission bomb. Just like Stanley Kubrick faked the moon landings by actually shooting it on the moon for authenticity. /S
> J. Robert Oppenheimer might be the most important physicist to have ever lived<p>What about Maxwell inventing electromagnetic theory, whoever invented the transistor, and Francis Crick co-discovering the structure of DNA?
It's worth checking out the old 1980s TV mini-series: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078037/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078037/</a><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqQAMwWly94&list=PL7TuA9EPF1p8k2Yc6tHYPPQLkylOCyGUq">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqQAMwWly94&list=PL7TuA9EPF1...</a>
To learn more about Oppenheimer, I enjoyed the following book: "The Oppenheimer Alternative", by Robert J. Sawyer.
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/49706374" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/49706374</a><p>The first part is a well-researched retelling of the years leading up to the Manhattan project and the building of the bomb, through the eyes of Oppenheimer and others. The rest is a science fiction extension of what could have happened if the group stayed together and are faced with another big challenge. I enjoyed the first part even more, as an entertaining way of learning more about Oppenheimer and the other scientists involved.
Critical Assembly: A Technical History of Los Alamos during the Oppenheimer Years, 1943-1945<p>Highly recommended for anyone with interest in Project Y and a less "dramatic" account of Oppenheimer's role. It is technical but not insanely so. Also includes brief info on the run up to Los Alamos.<p>If you are patient you can find a copy cheaper, many libraries will be able to borrow out of a college as well. I've heard the softcover is poorly printed fwiw.<p><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/critical-assembly-lillian-hoddeson/1100939048?ean=9780521441322" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/critical-assembly-lillian-h...</a><p>edited to add title of book in text and additional info
I'm excited for the movie but also worried Nolan's worst habits when it comes to forcing non linear narratives are going to be present. It always makes me wonder if he's confident enough in the story when he does gimmicks.
Oppenheimer has had his own movie (and opera and TV series and a ton of books as others here have pointed out).<p>The earlier Hollywood treatment was "Fat Man and Little Boy" with Paul Newman. It's rentable on Amazon Prime. It's not a great movie despite the talented cast and good photography. I expect Nolan to make a better movie, but FM&LB does a decent job telling the story of the relationship of Groves and Oppenheimer and some of Oppie's back story.
There is already an epic tale of him: <a href="https://youtu.be/v1vXC-vKgKg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://youtu.be/v1vXC-vKgKg</a>
I have been fascinated and intrigued by the figure of Oppenheimer ever since I saw him in the TV series Manhattan. It's one of my all-time favourite series, even though it's not very well known.
I recently read "Escape from Earth: A Secret History of the Space Rocket" about Jack Parsons and the birth of JPL — it surprised me how "hip" communism was among the U.S. educated elite in the 1940's.<p>Oppenheimer's very communist brother is mentioned frequently in the book. I was not surprised to see Robert also painted with communist suspicions — it seemed not to be unusual for "thinking people" of that time.<p>There was though a whiff of, "Hey guys, I know <i>we</i> all made it, but we're the thinkers of society so what kind of government can we embrace that will help elevate the average Joe-down-the-street? Communism seems like a logical idea!"<p>Remarkable how suddenly it seemed no one was a Communist beginning in the 1950's. Even the JPL folks scrubbed their own histories — diminished their involvement to "was it a communist party meeting? I was only there for the drinks."
Does it feature the "tickling the dragon's tail" incident ???.
Now that was insane lab method - Marie Curie was at least oblivious about hers.
The quote “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” is reason enough!<p>They could have had Thanos say it as he wipes out half the universe and it’d still wouldn’t sound as cool.
In a slightly different timeline there's a blockbuster film celebrating Höss, while Oppenheimer is the personification of evil for his holocaust of Japanese civilians.