History Film / Oppenheimer

* Creator/HarryGroener: Senator Gale [=McGee=].

* Creator/HarryGroener: Senator [=McGee=].
* Creator/GregoryJbara as Chairman Magnuson.

* AsYouKnow: [[Spoiler: When Strauss reveals to Oppenheimer that Karl Fuchs was a spy at Los Alamos, Strauss over-explains that Fuchs was the British scientist hired by Oppenheimer, complete with a flashback cutaway, to remind the audience who Fuchs was.]]

* UnknownRival: [[spoiler:Oppenheimer appears to have no idea that Strauss was the one who engineered his downfall. Later scenes indicate he is aware the entire thing is a setup, but he still goes through with it anyway.]]

* IconicItem: Oppenheimer's porkpie hat and pipe are both prominently featured in a scene after Los Alamos is set up, as though reminding audiences that this is where the man stepped into legend.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: For the most part, ''Oppenheimer'' [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppenheimer_(film)#Accuracy_and_omissions maintained a keen eye towards historical accuracy]], with very few actual ''mistakes'' in portraying events as documented. Nevertheless, artistic license was still exercised for the sake of the narrative, either by adding small embellishments for dramatic effect, compositing certain historical events to make the storytelling flow more efficiently and/or to avoid confusing audiences who may be unaware of the context.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: For the most part, ''Oppenheimer'' [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppenheimer_(film)#Accuracy_and_omissions maintained a keen eye towards historical accuracy]], with very few actual ''mistakes'' in portraying events as documented. Nevertheless, artistic license was still exercised for the sake of the narrative, either by adding small embellishments for dramatic effect, or compositing certain historical events to make the storytelling flow more efficiently.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: Largely averted. Uncommon for a major Hollywood film, ''Oppenheimer'' [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oppenheimer_(film)#Accuracy_and_omissions has been noted for its historical accuracy]]. Nonetheless, there are points in the film where this trope still applies:

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Practically every character is a real historical figure, even relatively minor scientists and politicians. The only exception is the unnamed senate aide played by Alden Ehrenreich.

** US Secretary of War Stimson recommending they do not bomb Kyoto due to the cultural significance and vacationing there with his wife — the latter is a persistent urban legend that in the film helps sell the cold-blooded horror of what the U.S. is planning. Stimson in reality actually lobbied to spare the city completely for respectful reasons, knowing how culturally significant it was the Japanese and having visited the city several times as Governor of the Philippines. There's no account of him honeymooning with his wife there, either.

** Oppenheimer is also fairly understanding of a fellow Jewish leftist graduate student hesitant to join the Manhattan Project, asking Groves if he can speak to this "fellow traveler" alone. Admitting to being a "fellow traveler" was risky in this antisemitic, anti-communist time, so Oppie was taking a risk relating to the student.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:With emphasis on the "bitter" part. [[ForegoneConclusion World War II ends]] without the Axis getting the bomb or the Allies having to launch the extremely mutually costly invasion of Japan, but only after strategic bombing (including the atomic bombs) that kill hundreds of thousands of people, and the atomic weapons program has given birth to UsefulNotes/TheColdWar with the USSR and the consequent nuclear arms race. Oppenheimer is eventually deemed to be a loyal citizen to the United States instead of a threat, thus vindicating his personal reputation; but in the interim and because of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the consequences that he was not aware his creation would have, he loses his security clearance and by extension his qualifications as an atomic energy expert, effectively ending his career with the United States government. His mistress killed herself and his relationship with his wife is also possibly strained as a result of the trial and interrogations over her ties to the Communist party of America, though the last scene of them together has them walking home with their hands intertwined, showing that their love remains strong.[[note]]And indeed, Robert and Kitty would remain closely married until Robert's death in 1967; when Kitty died in 1972, her ashes were scattered [[TogetherInDeath in the same place Robert's ashes had been scattered]].[[/note]] And most importantly, he is going to have to live with the fact that he created something that could, in the wrong hands, potentially ''destroy the world'', and that more atrocities can, and will, happen as result of the atomic bomb. On the bright side, the role Strauss played in Oppenheimer's downfall is exposed in the middle of his confirmation hearing to the Cabinet, torpedoing his chances and leading to a rehabilitation of Oppenheimer's reputation. And as of this writing, the world has not yet been destroyed by nuclear power, even if it's because of the threat of Mutually-Assured Destruction.]]

* PrecisionFStrike: Kitty Oppenheimer gets the most effective F-Bomb when she curses Robert out during the trial: [[spoiler:"You shook his FUCKING hand?!"]]

** It is not pointed out, but while Oppenheimer is known as a strict teacher, he is not a bigot and accepts women and students of all races into his classes. At one point, he gets annoyed at Lawrence for not supporting desegregation as passionately as Robert thinks he should. He also pretty quickly accepts Lilli Hornig into the Manhattan Project, despite initially mistaking her for a secretary. He may be a chauvinist towards the women he dates and is far from an ideal husband or boyfriend, but when it comes to science, he cares more about results than the identity of the scientist. That being said, he is still very much a PoliticallyIncorrectHero despite arguably being [[FairForItsDay comparatively open-minded]] for a white man at his time.