A tale of Olympian Gods and historical Intrigue; a voluntary veil of secrets.
This is not a film review (though it contains a few spoilers). This is a tale of Olympian Gods and historical intrigue. Whenever a Brahmin creates a film about caste, a White man produces a film about nuclear bombs, or a neo-Nazi makes a film about Hitler, you smell a rat for underlying questionable intentions. Likely, this is a comparison between a biographical movie and its real historical event counterpart. Both representations contradict each other, and Christopher Nolan conceals the most significant historical implication.
The Prometheus
Nolan’s Oppenheimer kicks off with a one-liner exposition “PROMETHEUS STOLE FIRE FROM THE GODS AND GAVE IT TO MAN. THEREFORE, HE WAS CHAINED TO A ROCK AND TORTURED FOR ALL ETERNITY.” The film draws inspiration from the 2005 biography “American Prometheus”. This comparison was first made by Scientific American in 1945, as they highlighted the resemblance between Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb tests and the actions of Prometheus. The publication wrote “Modern Prometheans have raided Mount Olympus again and have brought back for man the very thunderbolts of Zeus,” to aid the U.S. in defeating the Nazis. (Denis, 2022)
While spoilers for Nolan’s movies often carry little weight, his genius consistently transcends our comprehension. Here’s an allegorical twist to the film’s plot to avoid revealing too much:
In the midst of the chaos during World War II, the Ark of Scientific Breakthroughs and Quantum Physics emerged from the shadows. The Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard were among the hallowed chambers of the Ark and the most exceptional Titans of science resided in them. Among them were Albert Einstein whose equation E=mc² became the foundation for understanding the immense energy that could be released through nuclear fission; Niels Bohr whose atomic structure contributed to understanding how uranium and plutonium isotopes could sustain a chain reaction in an atomic explosion; and Werner Heisenberg, the architect of the renowned Uncertainty Principle in Germany’s nuclear endeavour. As they sailed through, they were joined by a Promethean called J.Robert Oppenheimer who said, “Now I Am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds.”
Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein were Jews who had to flee Germany to escape the atrocities of Adolf Hitler’s regime. Niels Bohr the Danish Physicist was half Jew and he sympathized with the former. But Heisenberg was a German and involved in the German nuclear program.
Oppenheimer was deeply affected by the rise of Nazi antisemitism and the potential threat of them developing nuclear weapons. Eventually, Manhattan Project was initiated in the United States with the primary goal of developing an atomic bomb. Oppenheimer was recruited and appointed as the scientific director. Bohr left Denmark in 1943 and reached the U.S to join the Manhattan Project.
The entire plot centers around a secret conversation between Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein. Oppenheimer is embroiled in both political and romantic turmoil. His motives come under scrutiny as he faces allegations of being sympathetic to communist ideologies. After years of efforts, along with his dedicated team of scientists, he was about to witness the world’s inaugural nuclear explosion giving rise to The Atomic Age.
Nolan’s directorial prowess shines through as he skillfully weaves together courtroom drama, romantic liaisons, and the relentless pursuit of scientific breakthroughs but voluntarily conceals a historical fraud.
The Epimetheus
The issue with biographical films is that, for creative freedom they often deviate from historical accuracy leaving truth in the dust. For instance, in Nolan’s film the main character is Prometheus whereas in actual history, it was Prometheus’s brother Epimetheus.
This whole fusion between science and weapon of mass destruction occurred between 1914 to 1952. By the end of 1952 Albert Einstein was offered the presidency of Israel. However, Einstein declined the offer stating that he lacked experience for the position.
According to the myth, Epimetheus was given Pandora as a gift from Zeus. Pandora was given a Jar containing all manner of misery and evil. Epimetheus married Pandora and she eventually opened the jar, releasing all the evils into the world. Who was Epimetheus in real historical events? The chronological sequence goes this way:
1914, Britain fought against the Ottoman Empire. This conflict was part of the WW1’s broader scope with eventual issuance of the Balfour Declaration in 1917.
The Churchill White Paper was issued in 1922. It was a British policy statement that proposed limiting Jewish immigration to Palestine. Same year, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg met at Solvay Conference.
In 1921, Einstein’s statement “my Zionism does not preclude cosmopolitan views” reflects his engagement with the fate of Jews. He sought to reconcile his cosmopolitanism and Zionism through his involvement in founding the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1925. The inclusion of ‘Hebrew’ in its name implied a commitment to creating a Jewish home. He asserted in a statement that “Jewish nationalism is today a necessity” (Ezrahi, 2007). However, the recognition of nations based on race or religion was not a common practice in international law during 1925. It was the same period when Oppenheimer graduated with his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Göttingen.
The marriage of pandora
1939 was a significant year with several noteworthy events. Another British White Paper (MacDonald White Paper) imposed restrictions on Jewish immigration and land sales in Palestine. The outbreak of World War II on September 1, 1939, with Germany’s invasion of Poland, lead to a global conflict. Significant developments in nuclear research led to the discovery of uranium piles and the potential for plutonium as a crucial component for atomic bomb. Same year, Albert Einstein and a group of scientists begged to President Franklin Roosevelt by signing letters, requesting the U.S government to build an atomic bomb.
In 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met with U.S. President Roosevelt. The two leaders exchanged approximately 2,000 messages before that. Following the letters from Einstein, The Manhattan Project was initiated in 1942 and Oppenheimer was recruited to lead the project. After the Trinity test, he was often referred to as the “father of the atomic bomb.”
The Pandora Box
World War II officially ended in 1945 after United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
When Pandora opened the box, it released all the evils into the world, causing widespread suffering, unleashing uncontrollable and devastating consequences, unimaginable destructive force causing immense human suffering and ushering in a new era of nuclear warfare.
The series of white papers were no longer being issued. British officially withdrew from the Palestinian mandate on May 14, 1948, which led to the formation of the State of Israel.
In the film, the main lead’s primary motivation was to win the race against the Nazis and overcome the prevalent antisemitism of that time. In reality, their actions inadvertently contributed to the creation of one of the world’s most enduring conflicts, the Israel-Palestine conflict. The film has sparked an absolute frenzy among movie enthusiasts that can only be described as a hyper-craze of epic proportions! Perhaps, not a single history nerd from his audience pointed out this side of historical implications of the story.
Nolan portrayed Oppenheimer in a more pacifist light and offers a form of atonement to him, emphasizing his Titan experienced the trauma caused by the Pandora box. But in his final years, Oppenheimer expressed the sentiment that he would have made the same decisions again and did not regret his contribution to the bomb’s success and he never issued an outright apology for his involvement.
In reality, Oppenheimer perceived himself as Vishnu, a pacifist deity, while the world labels him as Prometheus but in reality, he was Epimetheus, the foolish brother of Prometheus who bargained human blood.
References:
1. Denis, M. (2022, August 5). Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’: Why This Might Be the Most Epic WWII Film Yet.
2. Ezrahi, Y. The atomic peacemaker. Nature 448, 536–537 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/448536a
The writer is a Filmmaker and a journalism graduate. He can be contacted at [email protected]
