One of the most magical Hollywood counterprogramming moments will happen next summer, when Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer opens on the same day as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie. You might say, “that is the perfect encapsulation of America.” You would be right. Dolls clad in hot-pink spandex, living in perfectly frothy commercial synergy, alongside the story of the most profound weapon of war in history. Did J. Robert Oppenheimer even know how to rollerblade? No, he didn’t. While we probably won’t get a Barbie trailer of months, Nolan is already trying to build some hype for his film. We’ve already gotten a poster, a handful of promotional images and now a teaser trailer.
I don’t know how I feel about Nolan treating Oppenheimer as (what seems like) a reluctant hero. This part of American history is fascinating to me mostly because… Oppenheimer didn’t have a choice. America really didn’t have a choice. We knew that the Nazis were working on nuclear weapons too. It was a race to work out the science, not a real-time moral quandary. The politics of the Manhattan Project were always pretty cut-and-dry: we have to get there before the Nazis. It wasn’t about heroism or one man’s ego or lack thereof – it was always going to happen, with or without Oppenheimer.
In the film, Cillian Murphy plays Oppenheimer. Emily Blunt plays his wife Katherine. The rest of the cast includes: Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, Matthew Modine, Alden Ehrenreich, David Krumholtz, Michael Angarano and Kenneth Branagh. True story: there were Black scientists doing siloed work on the Manhattan Project, but I guess that would have ruined Christopher Nolan’s narrative.
Poster & promotional images, courtesy of Universal.
Oppenheimer was a White Walker?
Who knew?
They are just following the story . They are not juggling the truth
Manhatten Project in New Mexico itself was all white until after the war in 1947 .Oak Ridge ,Hanford and Chicago had Blacks working on it but the film is about Oppy and Los Alamos and his ‘commie’ links
I think ‘North of Boston’ is referring to the movie poster… the eyes are icy blue like the white walkers from GOT.
Don’ t really care .
The last post on this movie was ,Where are all the black people ? or as someone down the thread said Where are all the women ?
2 main women in it with his wife and his ‘maybe girlfriend’ and they are following the actual story of Oppy and Los Alamos where a General ran the facility and it was Black Free till ’47 at which point it was Commie Free from ’47 onwards
Two post below as someone moaning about Dunkirk and how the WAC being missing . They never featured my grandad either who was left behind in France and spent the next 5 years locked up
Not actually all-white. Support staff, who in reality outnumbered the bigshots, were local hires—meaning for the most part Puebloans and Latinx people.
7 people – check Atomic Heritage Foundation they have the list of who woked there during the war and up to today they list all the people who worked there
Lydia Martinez – housekeeper ( she was only 19 in ’45 /worked on staff for 50 yrs)
Frances Quintana – housekeeper for Kitty
Eula Newton – Mail
Zeke Salazar – capenter then deployed to fight the Japanese
Ruben Salazar – Sparky
Antonio Sandoval – janitor also deployed
Popovi Da – macinist
Thats the list – so these 7 people outnumbered the bigshots
Mary is correct.
I was making a joke about the random artwork that has glowy blue eyes like the White Walkers from Game of Thrones.
Whatever else you’re on about doesn’t have anything to do with that as far as I can tell,
Fortuona: I found that website, thank you. I did a search of their database using terms, ‘Pueblo’, and ‘Los Alamos’, resulting in Floy Agnes Lee, a biologist who worked as a technician for the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos. Her father was a member of the Santa Clara Pueblo.
And that’s just one example. I actually visited the Bradbury Science Museum in Los Alamos. Your statements do not jibe with my memories of the exhibit, ‘They Changed the World: The People of Project Y at Los Alamos’. Varying up the search terms I could probably come up with quite a few more names than the seven you mentioned. Perhaps one day they’ll publish the entirety of the oral history project, and maybe that publication will include photos, too, so that the names and faces of ALL who worked there will be known.
LOL. Took me a second.
Check her age . She was 22 when the war finished and finished her degree at UNM
I never put her in because of her age prbably should have as she was hired the last 4 months
Floy was a big thing at Los Alamos after the war .Once again pre war is different with segradation to post war without it
I am a sucker for Nolan movies,one of the few remaining Directors i go to the cinema to watch. Ruin what narrative?i hope he doesnt have any racial scandals ,that would crush me.
I don’t know about Black exclusion in his films, but I do know that his Dunkirk film missed a massive contribution of women radio operators. The beach was considered far from the front line, so almost all the communication ranks were the Women’s Army Corps. The front line came to them, and they were the ones organizing and rallying the boats. As a former infantry radio operator, their story was part of my inspiration. They were simply not present in that film. This shows me that Nolan will only research so hard into the real life events he portrays. He ought to stick to nameless protagonists and superhero’s.
I love Nolan like I love Sorkin. They put out smart and entertaining films/shows and I keep wondering what they could produce if they knew how to write women (more than one or two at a time) or people of color. Because then they would pay attention to their stories in the first place. Most of their works are sausage fests.
I don’t personally understand the Nolan love.
He writes females as submissive and in need of a man. Or as a strong woman that gets her strength because she has a strong man.
It’s never simply a strong female character. And hopefully he doesn’t over sexualize them.
Aside from that and the claims that came out during MeToo that got buried he seems to only make 1 style of film and they’re not always hits.
That said, this movie has a stellar cast.
Wiglet Watcher
well Emiy Blunt is playing his wife and Flo Pugh is playing his ‘maybe/maybe not girlfiend ‘ who kills herself not to do with him but the Feds were chasing her/maybe killed her
Look at this cast. Nolan as Director. This is a film with serious subject matter, talented cast and a proven Director.
With everything we’ve been thru in the last 3-4 years will a serious film pull box office numbers?
Or, are we all burnt out and just want frothy entertainment to distract us?
IMO, it will draw Oscar nominations certainly.
I’m aware of this film because Cillian Murphy has just been incredible as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders. Peaky Blinders stands with Breaking Bad as some of the best content release on TV ever, iMO.
I love Peaky Blinders, and Cillian Murphy is fantastic in it. I would honestly watch him read a phone book, so I think I might try to see this one.
That’s about where I am. Nolan is whatever for me, partially because his fan boys are obnoxious and pretentious. Cillian, however, I’ll be at the matinee of his phone book performance.
Same Susie.
Peaky Blinders FTW! Cillian Murphy, ooh la la!
There’s an option on the Calm meditation apps to have Cillian Murphy narrate a train trip through Ireland, and it is amazing.
Always looking forward to Mr. Murphy!
I do too! Paired with Emily Blunt, who I consider pretty blah as an actress, I think it’s funny that yet again an American story is told with British actors. I don’t have an issue with that. British actors tend to come through much more rigorous training than their American counterparts who often come up through modeling or network tv where theater training isn’t required. (And yes I realize that British actors often come from posh families who can afford formal training, but I’m just making an observation about how frequently they’re cast in challenging American roles).
I do too! Paired with Emily Blunt, who I consider pretty blah as an actress, I think it’s funny that yet again an American story is told with British actors. I don’t have an issue with that. British actors come through much more rigorous training than their American counterparts who often come up through modeling or network tv where theater training isn’t required. (And yes I realize that British actors often come from posh families who can afford formal training, but I’m just making an observation about how frequently they’re cast in challenging American roles).
@Bettyrose……errrr, Cillian Murphy is Irish, not British! 😉
Oops! I was thinking of Christian Bale, who’s Welsh. They were both in Christopher Nolan’s Batman. *blushes*
Heh. British actors are amazing, but a few still struggle with American accents. 🙃🙃 Especially on British TV, where Americans apparently are all from some flat unaccented version of the Midwest, 30s New York—or every state by way of Texas or Mississippi. 🤣🤣
@Deering24
I’m actually surprised at how bad Cumby’s accent is. Not in the MCU, but in all the movies where he plays a “normal” American. I think he’s a brilliant and very versatile actor, but regional American accents just aren’t his strong suit.
Yeah, poor guy. 🙂 I never saw Power Of The Dog, so I can’t call his accent there. But in The Current War and August: Osage County…yipes. Southern accents are tough anyway because there are different regional ones. Someone from Virginia is going to have less of a drawl than someone from Georgia or Texas. And West Virginia is a mixed bag, depending on where you hail from. BC sounds fine as Dr. Strange, however—that’s a standard Mid-Atlantic accent.
I’m no expert by any means but Oppenheimer fully supported the Manhattan Project, no? Whatever his political leanings were, he was 100% behind it in order to defeat the Nazis. Someone correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t think anything in his biogaphy says reluctant hero.
I love Cillian Murphy and Nolan’s movies (whatever their shorcomings) are so entertaining. It’s only a teaser but I’m excited.
^^ Yeah, I’m not an expert on this part of history either. I recall reading that Oppenheimer wasn’t gung ho about the dangerous implications of the atomic project, or maybe it was Einstein who warned against it? Or they both did? Perhaps the purported moral reluctance of Oppenheimer is an attempt to rewrite history by those wishing to uphold his legacy? Or maybe his true personality was about being selfless and patriotic for the cause, but he had moral reservations? I don’t know.
I found the below link explaining Oppenheimer’s reported reflection after the bombings, on the following quote from the Bhagavad-Gita: “Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.”
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/manhattan-project-robert-oppenheimer
Also apparently, Einstein has said he had no direct connection to the creation of the A-bomb. He just discovered the formula that was used. After the bombings, Einstein reportedly regretted advocating for the bomb project, due to his having feared that Germany would create the bomb first.
I will go for the alien beauty that is Cillian.
This is exactly what I’m feeling 😍
Same, @Lightpurple, same. 🙂
^^ Yep, exactly. Murphy’s eyes and his physical beauty are otherworldly. He has talent to match! 😍💯
I love Christopher Nolan’s work. I’m sure this will be fantastic.
Nobody is talking about the feud of Nolan with WB.
This will be Nolan’s first feature outside the studio that made him. Now he’s paired with universal so of course WB decided to open Barbie on the same date.
I still believe Barbie will do better at the box office, though.
For me, it’ll be a double feature day at the movies.
I’ll catch Barbie first then I’ll go with Oppenheimer
I think Barbie will do better the first weekend. i think if its actually good, it will do okay in the long run. I think Oppenheimer will be more of a slow burn at the box office .
I think this will be good. I don’t care for the subject matter but it’s an incredible cast.
Nolan is super hit or miss for me. I love Interstellar, The Prestige, his Batman films. But I just watched Tenet and it was so overcomplicated and proudly so that I couldn’t help but feel annoyed. I think he gets too wrapped up in his grand ideas sometimes that he forgets to translate it into something viewers can understand.
All this said, I’m more excited to see Barbie, but will definitely watch both.
Nolan is a frustrating case as a filmmaker because he can deliver terrific characterization/narrative basics—but his obsession with providing five million plot twists and staying ninety billion miles ahead of the audience often swamps that talent. Inception is a prime case and Tenet is even more (and worse) of the same. As well, he has yet to solve his POC/women characters problem. Washington’s role in Tenet was ridiculously underwritten—and for every potentially interesting female character Nolan has, he has at least two 1) fridge wives, 2) crazy fatales, 3) no women at all. If ever a director needed more diverse screenwriters, it’s him.
I’m increasingly fed up with Hollywood’s hard-on for the erasure of POC in movies, so this is a hard NOPE from me.
So which POC characters should be in it ?
I’ll watch. It’s sobering subject matter, but my grandfather was security at the New Mexico lab. He never said a word. About anything. He was a tall, thin stoic man who never said a word. When I was little, I could make him laugh. Whatever he did, whatever he saw, well it’s hard to even imagine.
Yes Cillian!!!!!!!!
It is about time the world discovers the the beyond infiniti that is Cillian’s talent, in addition to being gorgeous. He has been trending almost every day since Peaky Blinders Serie 6 began and ended. Now it is Oppenheimer time! Yes! Finally Nolan recognizes his power. Thank you Tommy Shelby! It took you to spread the word around the world in a gangster fashion that Cillian is one of the most gifted actors and again let me add GORGEOUS.😂😂
That photo is scary it gives off massive Slenderman vibes
I’m a sucker for a historical film, so I will likely see it before the Barbie flick.
Cillian Murphy is one of the best actors of his generation. Wonderful that he is getting the recognition he deserves after two decades in the industry. Peaky Blinders is without a doubt one of the best series ever. The fact that Christopher Nolan, one of the greatest living directors and screenwriters frequently works with Murphy is a formidable testimony to the actor’s talent. Cannot wait for this. Looking forward to all the Oscar nominations!
Benny Safdie has been popping up in a lot of projects related to Robert Pattinson collaborators. No conspiracy, I’m just curious if Pattinson simply makes introductions or if he lobbies on Safdie’s behalf at all.
I’m so looking forward to this for a number of reasons. One—as much as I’m marvel’s bitch I love a good big budget serious drama especially with a big name cast and director. I was out in the theater for both House of Gucci and the Last Duel because the appetite is real. Two—the cast in particular is amazing. And I’m glad to see RDJ, even in a supporting role, get back to dramas. This reminds me of his pre-Iron man role in Zodiac. He’s such a good actor.
My uncle applied to work at Los Alamos a few years after the war, but didn’t pass the security screening. He was a vet who had been assigned to a unit that did aerial reconnaissance photography in Europe. My uncle was a machinist, so he wouldn’t have been working on the science. The only thing the family could figure was that his aunt and cousin had been involved in the isolationist movement in the 30s.