Most films based on true events, especially ones covering such a grand subject as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, take creative liberties, reworking real-life details to better fit the structure of a film. Nolan’s movie pulls from Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s 2005 biography American Prometheus, which details the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer and how he became known as the “father of the atomic bomb” through his work on the Manhattan Project. Just as many films based on polarizing figures do, Oppenheimer dramatizes a bit of historical facts. Fortunately, such choices are made with a great amount of purpose.
Regardless of the changes and omissions made in Oppenheimer, the film performed well with audiences and critics alike. Oppenheimer is among the highest-grossing biographical films, and it took home seven of the thirteen Academy Awards it was nominated for, including Best Picture and Best Director. Nolan triumphantly presented audiences with a detailed, but digestible account of a fascinating time in history. While historians have pointed out several technical inaccuracies in Oppenheimer, it’s understood that these changes only enhance the movie viewing experience, and it doesn’t present audiences with an entirely false account of events.
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer Makes “Understandable” Changes To Real-Life History
Oppenheimer Puts A Reasonable Artistic Spin On Real-Life Events
Historian Chris Griffith, in an article posted on the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, acknowledges the various liberties taken in Oppenheimer and clears up a few instances that may have appeared to be fabricated by those unfamiliar with Oppenheimer’s life. According to Griffith, the scene in which Oppenheimer poisons the apple of Patrick Blackett, his tutor at the University of Cambridge, did happen. The only questionable detail from the instance is the poison Oppenheimer used.
Griffith says it’s unknown what exact poison was used, but Nolan likely wrote that it was potᴀssium cyanide in the script as “a clear indicator of what was occurring,” since it’s a name most audiences are familiar with. Griffith acknowledges that these added details, and those changed throughout the film, were made for “understandable artistic reasons,” and are otherwise “close enough” to real-life events. In Griffith’s opinion, many of Oppenheimer‘s alterations of real-life details come from the tendency to either over-dramatize or undermine the severity of the Manhattan Project, including the choice to overlook other notable sites from the program.
With regard to Oppenheimer‘s depiction of the Trinity test, Griffith praises the visual accuracy.
An example of Oppenheimer diminishing the real-life tragedy revolves around how little the film highlights the impact of the atomic bombs being dropped. Griffith says, “The closest we get to seeing the reality of the atomic bombings is when… Oppenheimer steps into a charred corpse during a nightmarish sequence.” Although Griffith does acknowledge that the strict focus on Oppenheimer’s reaction to the horrific images is in line with the film’s narrative. Additionally, with regard to Oppenheimer‘s depiction of the Trinity test, Griffith praises the visual accuracy and Nolan’s attention to detail, as well as the choice to eschew the use of CGI.
Christopher Nolan’s Next Movie Will Be Another Test Of The Director’s Historical Accuracy
The Odyssey Will Likely See The Director Prioritize Artistic Choices Over Accuracy
Nolan’s next movie, The Odyssey, will be a similar challenge for the director in terms of its accuracy. The film is an adaptation of the epic poem by Homer, which details Greek hero Odysseus’ journey home following the Trojan War. First-look images of The Odyssey, released earlier this year, show Matt Damon as Odysseus, dressed in clothing that isn’t entirely accurate. Damon’s armor mirrors what’s depicted in most movies about Ancient Greece, but it isn’t aligned with what real Mycenaean armor looked like at the time.
As he did with Oppenheimer, it’s expected Nolan will take a handful of creative liberties with The Odyssey. The grand scale of The Odyssey‘s story, while it’ll likely be as ambitious as audiences are anticipating, will inevitably be altered to fit within a reasonable runtime. Damon’s armor, inaccuracies aside, provides a fun preview of what can be expected of Nolan’s take on the famous piece of literature. The Odyssey differs significantly from Nolan’s other work, challenging the director in exciting ways, and only time will tell how Nolan’s creative liberties will impact the final result and the film’s reception.
Source: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
