Oppenheimer, as a movie, is as complicated as the man it is based on. Directed and written by Christopher Nolan, based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, the movie documents the creation of the atomic bomb through the Manhattan Project during World War II and is framed by the Oppenheimer’s 1954 security clearance hearing and the cabinet hearing of Lewis Strauss in 1959. In the lead up to the movie, many were concerned about how it would handle the creation of the bomb itself and the message it would deliver.
In preparation for the film’s release, an open letter from atomic bomb survivors, victims of nuclear testing, and youth campaigners was sent to Nolan’s production company back in March, then released on July 16, as they hadn’t heard back. In the letter (which you can read in its entirety here), the victims, survivors, and campaigners noted that they expected the film to be aligned with their message and asked that it be a little more explicit before the credits would roll: “With this in mind, we kindly request that you include epilogue text (or similar messaging) following the film that underscores the contemporary threat to humanity posed by these weapons as well as the current global efforts to safely disarm and eliminate them. Crucially, this would involve recognizing that nuclear weapons are now illegal under international law thanks to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).”
They have continued to highlight the importance of Oppenheimer driving a positive conversation about the effects of nuclear warheads on the environment, how it has continued to effect New Mexico, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, restorative justice for affected communities, and the real world fear many of us have for the potential of nuclear war in our modern time. While the movie itself does not paint the nuclear bomb as a good thing and leaves the audience with the knowledge of the mess this creation has caused, it is important to note that it seems those behind his letter were right to request a more explicit epilogue message.
There are many who have missed or ignored the film’s message, making the work of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons that much more important—a treaty the United States has not yet signed on to, which would have been good for Nolan’s film to point out.
When I first left Oppenheimer, the message seemed clear to me, especially from its final moments. As the responses to the film trickled in though, it was obvious people managed to leave the movie—which ends with J. Robert Oppenheimer recognizing the weapon he created and the monster that he unleashed with it and saying that he thinks that he destroyed the world—talking about how much they suddenly wanted to study physics.
To me, that’s a terrifying thing about movies right now. You can clearly have a message talking about how bad something was, and instead of people recognizing that and trying to be better people for the world at large, they completely miss the point. Maybe if this message from the Youth for TPNW had been included in the film, we wouldn’t be seeing people, for some reason, being inspired in the wrong way.
I highly suggest taking a look at what the youth in support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has been working on. The letter ends with the following message: “With this film, we feel strongly that you have an opportunity to drive global dialogue regarding nuclear weapons in a manner that respects survivors and affected community members and that educates the general public about current real-world solutions to end the nuclear threat. We are ready to support and applaud this positive contribution to global security and global cinema.”
Everyone is willing to have a positive conversation about the horrific effects of nuclear weapons and why they should be prohibited in the world at large. We just have to actually recognize that that is a conversation we should be having after Oppenheimer. Not what Nolan’s Oscar chances are.
(featured image: Universal Pictures)
