Oppenheimer (2023)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Plot Synopsis[]
The story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.
Male Deaths[]
- Tom Jenkins [Richard Tolman]
Female Deaths[]
- Florence Pugh [Jean Tatlock]
Trivia[]
- For the first time ever, black and white film will be used in an IMAX film camera to shoot certain scenes.
- J. Robert Oppenheimer was mentioned by name in Nolan's previous film "Tenet (2020)" during a conversation between Priya Singh (Dimple Kapadia) and The Protagonist (John David Washington), seemingly indicating that Nolan already had the idea of what his next film was going to be about.
- Matt Damon was on a break from acting as a promise to his wife, with one condition: it would go on hold if Christopher Nolan called. As luck would have it, Nolan offered Damon the role of Leslie Groves, and the break went on hold.
- The casting of Josh Hartnett marks an interesting "full circle" moment as Hartnett was one of the three finalists to play Batman in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins (2005) but respectfully declined the role, later going on to say he regretted the decision as he is a huge admirer of Nolan's work as a filmmaker and wished to build a creative relationship with him.
- This is the sixth collaboration between Cillian Murphy and Christopher Nolan following Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), Inception (2010), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and Dunkirk (2017), but it is the first time that Cillian Murphy plays the lead role.
- When in the bunker, Oppenheimer says that they'll know if the bomb is successful in 1 hour and 58 minutes. Though the bomb goes off at the 1 hour and 56-minute mark, right at the 1 hour and 58-minute mark, someone can be heard saying "It worked".
- The Trinity detonation scene uses a combination of practical effects and digital compositing. Multiple explosions were performed practically, with a hybrid of gasoline, propane, aluminium, and magnesium substances involving big miniatures. These were filmed at high speeds from multiple angles, and then layered using digital effects to create the iconic "mushroom cloud".
- The line by Harry S. Truman "Don't you ever bring that crybaby back here ever again" is historically factual. Truman did say that to his staff after meeting Oppenheimer, and he also mockingly handed him a handkerchief, as portrayed in the film. Reportedly, he added, "blood on his hands? Damn it, I have twice as much on mine!".