Christopher Nolan’s latest epic hit theaters on July 21st. Oppenheimer gives audiences a glimpse into the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer. He was a theoretical physicist that is most well known as the father of the atomic bomb. The film clocks in at three hours long but keeps viewers engaged the entire time with solid storytelling and excellent acting.
Cillian Murphy plays the titular J. Robert Oppenheimer and Emily Blunt plays his complex wife, Kitty. Matt Damon is a major character, Lt. Gen Leslie Groves, that shaped how the Manhattan Project (development of the atomic bomb) worked. A big surprise was Robert Downey Jr. as we have never seen him before, playing Oppenheimer’s ally/antagonist Lewis Strauss. With all the talent in the movie, people might forget that the amazing actress Florence Pugh also plays an important role in Oppenheimer.
Who is Florence Pugh in Oppenheimer?
In Oppenheimer, Florence Pugh (Black Widow, Don’t Worry Darling) plays Jean Tatlock. Robert Oppenheimer dated Tatlock long before his work on the atom bomb or his marriage to Kitty. Yet Tatlock and he remained connected for the rest of her life through correspondence and mutual friends. Some believe (as depicted in the film) the two carried on an affair while Oppenheimer was on the Manhattan Project.
Tatlock was a psychiatrist who also was heavily involved with the Communist Party of America. She also struggled with depression and may have been a closeted lesbian. Sadly, Tatlock died at the age of 29, which was ruled a suicide. The movie suggests that the government might have murdered her and made it look like a suicide to keep Oppenheimer’s confidential work a secret. Although this is largely considered a conspiracy theory, Tatlock was on the watchlist with the FBI because of her ties to the Communist Party and Oppenheimer.
Pugh’s scenes in Oppenheimer may have been few, but they left a lasting impression. Oppenheimer‘s “scenes of prolonged nudity” focus on Pugh and Murphy. Oppenheimer depicts Oppenheimer and Tatlock having sex multiple times. There is also a long, fully nude conversation between Tatlock and Oppenheimer. Some countries have edited out Pugh’s nude scenes by adding a strange CGI black dress. It’s almost as weird of a reaction as people had to Pugh’s real-world fashion choices (which are flawless). My biggest complaint about the movie was Pugh wasn’t in it more. Christopher Nolan should have fleshed out Tatlock more and let Pugh really shine.
(featured image: Universal Pictures)
