History Film / Oppenheimer

* 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.]]

* ConversatioCut: When Oppenheimer pitches his idea of making Los Alamos the hub for the Manhattan Project, the conversation cuts from him and Groves in a classroom to them sitting on a train and finally to them standing in the desert while Oppenheimer keeps talking about his plans.

** Oppenheimer's immediate guilt and self-loathing complete with nightmarish visions at Los Alamos upon the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is played up for effective dramatic effect in the film. In reality, his Manhattan Project colleagues remember him walking with a strut and taking to the stage to celebrate clasping his hands together “like a prize-winning boxer” (though the speech he utters in the film is accurate). Most historians agree it was likely seeing the photos of the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that truly triggered Oppenheimer’s famous guilt over his actions.

* BaitAndSwitch: Oppenheimer is rude to David Hill on both occasions where they interact. When Hill testifies before Congress, his opening remarks make it sound like he’ll be one more person to side against Oppenheimer, but he instead criticizes Strauss for being vindictive against Oppenheimer.

* CallBack: Kitty criticizes Oppenheimer for shaking Teller's hand after the man testified against him. Many years later, Teller again shakes Oppenheimer’s hand but receives only a DeathGlare from Kitty.

** Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project consider and dismisses the fact that Los Alamos is a Native American burial ground in a single sentence, though Oppenheimer asks Truman to give it back to the Native Americans after the dropping of the bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

** Similarly, the male scientists strongly object to Lilli Hornig being anywhere near the plutonium used because of how it could affect her uterus, with her shooting back that the male gonads are far more exposed than women’s. She also only gets on the Project due to her husband joining and her becoming a typist, with recognition of her chemistry talents being recognized later on.
** Kitty is [[NoSympathy utterly callous]] to how [[spoiler:Jean’s suicide affected Oppenheimer, pretty much doing everything but [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan slapping him out of it]]]], a reflection of the attitudes towards mental health of the era.

* DisproportionateRetribution: [[spoiler:Oppenheimer gives testimony before Congress that mockingly torpedoes a proposal by Strauss to block the export of isotopes. In return, Strauss engineers the destruction of Oppenheimer’s reputation and public influence (taking his life’s work away from him, basically) through a cruel dredging up of every skeleton in Oppenheimer’s closet.]]

* ForbiddenFruit: Oppenheimer's main love interests are two married women and the daughter of a literature professor he works closely with in a Leftist organization who is at least a decade his junior. Also both husbands of the married women he chases are not only men he knows but colleagues he is on good terms with. It seems as with accolades like the Nobel Prize or recognition, Oppenheimer can’t help but chase what seems off-limits.

** The US Government already knew all the sketchy aspects of Oppenheimer’s life and character that were used against him in the 1954 hearing and still put him in charge of the Manhattan Project despite them (or according to Oppenheimer, ''because'' of them).

** Despite being a strict teacher, Oppenheimer can be encouraging to his students -- gently reassuring one that "you're going to be fine" in his class and encouraging another’s mathematics with a self-depreciating joke at his own expense. He is also surprisingly empathetic to Teller when the latter wants to leave Los Alamos, despite not liking the man; he sounds genuinely apologetic when he can't. Also, despite being an absent parent who dropped his infant son off at the Chevaliers' rather than deal with an infant alone, he is clearly relieved and delighted to see his son again, especially in contrast to Kitty.

* AppleForTeacher: Oppenheimer sees one of his classmates put an apple the desk of his professor, Patrick Blackett. Since he felt angry with Blackett, Oppenheimer decides to inject the apple with cyanide. However, he changes his mind and decides to dispose of the apple, narrowly avoiding poisoning Niels Bohr (whose lecture the previous day Oppenheimer couldn't go to) when ''he'' grabs the apple.

* ChewbaccaDefense: {{Inverted}}; it's the effective prosecution making absurd legal arguments. During the 1954 security clearance hearing, the prosecutors insist that because it's only a hearing and not a trial, hearsay is perfectly admissable evidence and the defense is not entitled to see the evidence. Oppenheimer's lawyer points out the insanity of him not being allowed to see the evidence because it's classified, even as the prosecution reads it into the hearing transcript.

* AppleForTeacher: Oppenheimer gives a ''poisoned'' apple to his professor, Patrick Blackett. However, he changes his mind and decides to take the apple back.

** Kitty is utterly callous to how [[spoiler:Jean’s suicide affected Oppenheimer, pretty much doing everything but slapping him out of it]], a reflection of the attitudes towards mental health of the era.

* NoSympathy: When Oppenheimer says that he has blood on his hands, Truman sarcastically offers him a hankie and tells him no one gives a shit who built the bomb.

* IronicEcho: Strauss conspires to have Oppenheimer lose his security clearance, and when Oppenheimer's counsel complains about the blatant bias of the proceedings, the judges shoot it down since this isn't a trial: "Not convicting, just denying." When it backfires on Strauss and he loses his chance at a Cabinet post because of it, he bitterly notes "Not convicting, just denying" after not being able to defend himself.

* GenreDeconstruction: Of the "Great Man" biopic. While J. Robert Oppenheimer is depicted as an exceptionally smart individual whose work changed the world, the film goes out of its way to show that he's ultimately a pawn to US government throughout his time on the Manhattan Project. While he's given free reign to create the atomic bomb and put together the team to make his ideas a reality, the second it's completed and successfully tested, it's taken away from him. And when Oppenheimer spends the years after speaking out against the government's decision to move forward with the more powerful hydrogen bomb, thus ramping up tensions with the Soviet Union, the men in power that once gave him control over his work dig up his Communist ties to effectively blacklist him and keep control of their new military weapon out of his hands completely. And unlike most "Great Men" biopics, Oppenheimer's achievement is NOT shown to have changed the world for the better; on the contrary, his work could very well lead to the END of the world.

** [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]] with President Harry Truman: the film portrays him as being [[NoSympathy totally callous]] about the human suffering in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, mocking Oppenheimer for his regrets over the bombings. It is true that Truman insisted that the bombings were necessary and that many historians have questioned his motivations for this viewpoint, but he ''was'' well aware of the terrible weight of this decision, going so far as to suggest that the atom bomb might be responsible for the biblical apocalypse, a stark contrast with the film's depiction of Truman, framed as having nastier ulterior philosophies. With all that said, Truman's behavior towards Oppenheimer in the film is actually ''toned down'' from how the exchange went in real life -- by all accounts, the real Truman was even less tolerant of Oppenheimer's angst, saying to Secretary of State Dean Acheson "Never bring [[PrecisionFStrike that fucking cretin]] in here again. He did not drop the bomb. I did. That kind of weepiness makes me sick."

* HypocriticalHumor: Each time there is a test detonation, Kistiakowsky sternly instructs everyone to keep their heads down and then peeks over the edge so he can watch the explosion.

The story stretches from [[GenteelInterbellumSetting 1926]] to [[UsefulNotes/ColdWar 1963]] and is told with two perspectives, which the movie switches between: "1. Fission", an in-color sequence showing the protagonist's own perspective of his life; and "2. Fusion", a DeliberatelyMonochrome sequence which follows Atomic Energy Commission chairman Lewis Strauss and his interactions with (and personal opinions and actions against) Oppenheimer.

** Similarly, the male scientists strongly object to Lilli being anywhere near the plutonium used because of how it could affect her uterus, with her shooting back that the male gonads are far more exposed than women’s. She also only gets on the Project due to her husband joining and her becoming a typist, with recognition of her physicist talents being recognized later on.

** It's also indicated that UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy swapping his vote at the last minute played a major role in [[spoiler:killing Strauss' chances of being confirmed by the Senate]]. It was actually two Republican senators breaking from their party to vote against it that proved fatal; had they voted along with the rest of the Republicans, [[spoiler:Strauss would have been confirmed by a single vote]].

** A dense, rhythmic, ever-increasing stomping noise recurs throughout the movie without the viewer being shown what it is. It turns out to be the sound of an auditorium full of people stomping their feet for Oppenheimer after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which Oppenheimer associates with the fear and guilt of what he has unleashed.

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Jean Tatlock]] kills [[spoiler:herself]] via barbiturates and alcohol after [[spoiler:Oppenheimer says he can't see her again. Oppenheimer feels deeply guilty about this even though Kitty assures him it isn't his fault. (However, and chillingly, there's a [[FreezeFrameBonus brief shot]] of a gloved hand forcing Jean's head underwater, which could be a nod to the theory that Jean was murdered by intelligence agents of the Manhattan Project; alternatively, since the scene is depicted during a "Fission" part of the film and therefore Oppenheimer's interpretation, it may be a hint that Robert feels personally responsible for Jean's suicide to the point of feeling like he ''personally'' killed her.)]]

** How much of [[spoiler:Strauss's persecution of Oppenheimer was typical academia getting butthurt and petty (in this case, blaming him for a snub by Einstein and feeling insulted by Oppenheimer's joke about isotopes at a hearing) and how much of it was genuine hatred of the man's cowardice, hypocrisy, and the fact he was ultimately responsible for unleashing death and destruction on an untold scale while plunging the world into a Cold War? While Strauss's council and the hearing take the former position, the film points out that Oppenheimer was heavily criticised for his deeds, and in real life, Strauss was one of the few US politicians against the bombing of Japan.]]

** The role of the Oppenheimer affair in Strauss' [[spoiler:failure to be confirmed as Secretary of Commerce]] is greatly overstated by the film. In truth, most of the Democrats in the Senate had intended to [[spoiler:block Strauss' appointment]] from the get-go just to screw with UsefulNotes/DwightEisenhower and make the Republicans look weak before the following year's presidential election. And while the Oppenheimer affair certainly didn't help, what really hurt Strauss was his falsely claiming that he had single-handedly persuaded then-President UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman to pursue the development of the H-bomb, causing Truman to (indirectly) release documentation into the public domain that disproved Strauss's claims.

* ChekhovsGunman: Of a sort. One may wonder why Creator/RamiMalek, a fairly recognizable (and Oscar-winning) actor, is in a minor, non-speaking role. [[spoiler:Because he comes back at the end to tank Strauss's Cabinet confirmation, of course.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Strauss does seem to genuinely admire Oppenheimer when the two meet for the first time to discuss a prestigious job Strauss wants to offer the scientist. But even in that initial meeting, when Strauss is desperately trying to make a good impression on Oppenheimer, Strauss's prickly ego flares up a few times. He's insistent on correcting a very minor, almost imperceptible mispronunciation of his name, he's a little defensive of his family background and humble beginnings as a "lowly shoe salesman" (to which Strauss rebutted with "Just a shoe salesman"), and he seems offended when Oppenheimer doesn't immediately take the job. There's also his deeply put-out reaction when Einstein doesn't acknowledge him. These are all signs that this is a man who might respond poorly to any kind of public humiliation, and also can be seen as a downplayed EstablishingCharacterMoment, subtly hinting his true colors later on.

** [[spoiler: When Strauss's nomination is denied, the aide says that one of the holdouts was "a junior senator from Massachusetts trying to make a name for himself." Specifically: UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy.]]

** [[spoiler:A large part of Strauss' grudge towards Oppenheimer is that on the day they met, Einstein completely ignored Strauss after a conversation with Oppenheimer. Strauss is convinced that Oppenheimer turned Einstein against him as part of a grand ploy to eventually ruin Strauss's life. As the aide assigned to him bitterly notes near the end, maybe their conversation had nothing to do with him. It didn't.]]

** [[spoiler:A large part of Strauss's grudge towards Oppenheimer is that on the day they met, Einstein completely ignored Strauss after a conversation with Oppenheimer. Strauss is convinced that Oppenheimer turned Einstein against him as part of a grand ploy to eventually ruin Strauss's life. As the aide assigned to him bitterly notes near the end, maybe their conversation had nothing to do with him. It didn't.]]
** Oppenheimer tends to fall into this, having a tendency to focus more on how the consequences of his actions makes ''him'' feel rather than how his actions affect other people. A good example of this is how he goes on the witness stand to essentially martyr himself to assuage his own guilt despite the fact his wife is publicly humiliated as well. Kitty calls him out for this, literally telling him that he does not get to sin and then expect everyone to feel as sorry for him as he does for himself when the consequences of his actions come back to haunt him.

* {{Jerkass}}: While President Truman [[JerkassHasAPoint may have a point]] about how [[spoiler:Oppenheimer's guilt is self-serving when he wasn't the one who ordered the bombing and was actually one of the voices pushing to drop it on a civilian target in the first place]], his responding to Oppenheimer's worry that he has "blood on his hands" by ''waving a handkerchief in his face'' goes beyond the pale. He later calls Oppenheimer a "crybaby" for having the sheer, unrestrained gall... to be upset that he was partially responsible for over 100,000 lives being lost.[[note]] This is actually ''toned down'' from the historical account, where Truman allegedly asked "would you like to wipe them?" when he offered his handkerchief, and then called Oppenheimer a 'fucking cretin' after the meeting.[[/note]]

* KickTheDog: Really, Oppenheimer's belittling of Hill and his colleague was uncalled for. He also probably overshot his mockery of Strauss in the congressional hearing even if Strauss’ response was DisproportionateRetribution. The film toned down how cruel and dismissive the real Oppenheimer would be even to his own college students, apparently believing this to be an effective teaching technique.
* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler:Lewis Strauss]] engineered the destruction of [[spoiler:Oppenheimer's government career by using a hearing about Oppenheimer's security clearance to tarnish his reputation, while taking advantage of the fact that as a bureaucratic proceeding, it could be turned into a KangarooCourt where he would not be allowed to mount an effective defense, as he is not technically being tried for anything, he is just being denied something. Years later, Strauss' own Senate confirmation hearing for the post of Secretary of Commerce, usually a rubberstamp proceeding, is turned into a KangarooCourt where Strauss cannot mount an effective defense, as he is not being tried for anything and the Senate is not convicting him of anything.]]

** Despite being a strict teacher, Oppenheimer can be encouraging to his students — gently reassuring one that “you're going to be fine” in his class and encouraging another’s mathematics with a self-depreciating joke at his own expense. He is also surprisingly empathetic to Teller when the latter wants to leave Los Alamos, despite not liking the man, and sounds genuinely apologetic when he can’t. Also, despite being an absent parent who dropped his infant son off at the Chevaliers' rather than deal with an infant alone, he is clearly relieved and delighted to see his son again especially in contrast to Kitty.
** Oppenheimer is also fairly understanding to 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.
** 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-period.

* TookALevelInCynic: Not that Oppenheimer was ever exactly the most upbeat and cheerful person, but he was once naive enough to believe the invention of the atom bomb would make war "unthinkable" and stop wars. He very quickly learns to his horror that is not the case and that the nuclear arms race has just begun, making the invention of a bomb dropped on an enemy that (as he sees it) had already tried to surrender and were essentially defeated[[note]]In reality Japan's Supreme Council for the Direction of the War had ignored the Potsdam Declaration and was only willing to contemplate a ''conditional'' surrender (i.e. no military occupation of Japan, Japan keeping parts of its overseas Empire, and war criminals facing no prosecution except by their own government) which was unacceptable to the United States. Historians debate to this day how large a role the atomic bombs played in the Japanese surrender. In any case, Oppenheimer didn't know about all of this at the time.[[/note]] [[AllForNothing absolutely useless]]. No wonder he seems so drained and defeated in several of the black and white scenes discussing the hydrogen bomb and that he doesn't try to defend himself to his full extent in his hearing.

* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: Strauss loses his cool when David Hill's testimony at the Senate ruins his chances of becoming Secretary of Commerce. He throws furniture to the ground and raises his voice in a way he never did before in the movie all while cursing out Oppenheimer—whom he has been secretly antagonizing for a long time. Similarly to most villains in fiction, this moment comes after his meticulously crafted plans are ruined.]]

* WeUsedToBeFriends: Strauss and Oppenheimer worked together on the Atomic Energy Commission and were seemingly good colleagues but they had fundamental differences on the H-bomb and [[spoiler: Strauss never forgave Oppenheimer for a hearing where he decimated an isotope project Strauss was working on, which inspired Strauss to engineer him losing his security clearance]]. Also happens with Oppenheimer's relationships with both Lawrence and Teller, though in the latter case, Oppenheimer and Teller are presented in the film as occasionally begrudging allies and colleagues more than friends. During the meetings with various people from the Manhattan Project, Teller admits to having changed his opinion of Oppenheimer over the years, citing some of Oppenheimer's questionable behaviors and providing one of the more damnable statements from the scientists' side of things. They professionally shake hands afterward but Kitty is outraged Oppenheimer would be that gracious. Lawrence is also initially reluctant to testify against Oppenheimer but changes his mind after learning of Oppenheimer's affair with the wife of a late colleague of theirs who had previously vouched for Oppenheimer's character to Groves, though Lawrence ends up [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor changing his mind again]] after seeing a broken Oppenheimer in the hallway on the way to his testimony. (The actual relationship between the two men was more complicated. See HistoricalRelationshipOverhaul).

** Teller also asks Oppenheimer a piercing one that foreshadows Teller testifying against Oppenheimer in the security clearance hearing: "I do not know ''what'' you believe...do ''you''?" Oppenheimer has no answer.

* GreaterScopeVillain: While [[BigBad Lewis Strauss]] is arguably the most personal enemy to Oppenheimer himself, Oppenheimer's motive to lead the Manhattan Project is so that the Americans can beat the Nazis in the nuclear arms race, the latter of which is heavily mentioned and stressed upon. As a matter of fact, the entire events of the movie would have never happened had the Nazis not pushed the Americans past their limit of creating the atomic bomb. In addition, [[spoiler:Harry S. Truman ignores all of Oppenheimer's warnings, ejects him from the White House, and is framed in the film as the one who starts an incredibly hardline arms race of brinksmanship with the Soviets - and thus, the Cold War that Oppenheimer agonises over in the years that come.]]

** Oppenheimer's extremely complicated relationship with Lawrence is not explored in the film in depth. The two of them were best friends in real life for well over a decade, but that relationship soured due to a combination of deep political differences over nuclear weapons and the [[UsefulNotes/JosephMcCarthy McCarthy era]] and a history of petty slights and personal conflict. During their friendship, they were nearly inseparable with Lawrence in particular always lauding Oppenheimer's character in public even as he criticized Oppenheimer's political activity to Oppenheimer alone in private, but as their relationship deteriorated, the two men knew each other well enough to know exactly how to twist the knife to hurt the other one. Though the two of them deeply cared about the other -- with Lawrence deeply hurt by the end of their friendship and reluctant to testify against Oppenheimer and Oppenheimer grieving Lawrence's death -- the two never quite recovered from their slow, painful fallout that culminated in Lawrence testifying against Oppenheimer during his security hearing. In the movie, Lawrence is unable to bring himself to testify against Oppenheimer at the last minute and they appear friendly with one another when Oppenheimer is awarded the Fermi Award. Additionally, in the film, Lawrence's grievance with Oppenheimer seems to be based in Oppenheimer's affair with their late colleague's wife. While Lawrence was indeed disgusted with Oppenheimer's womanizing ways in general, his actual reason for testifying against his former closest friend was based in Lawrence's support of increased nuclear armament and opposition to Oppenheimer's leftist political views (as well as possibly a certain sense of jealousy and resentment of Oppenheimer's influence and fame, depending on whose account you believe).[[note]] The two men did at least have a brief conversation with some closure shortly before Lawrence's death, according to Oppenheimer, but second-hand accounts of people who knew both men stated they never entirely got over the end of their friendship. In the movie, they seem to have reconciled after Lawrence refuses to testify against Oppenheimer. [[/note]].

** Edward Teller's idea of protection during the Trinity test is a thick pair of sunglasses and an even thicker coat of sunscreen on his face. He sits outside in a folding chair, facing the blast, which he watches with [[AdmiringTheAbomination wild-eyed glee]] in contrast to everyone else's mixed awe and dread. The combined effect makes him look unsettlingly comedic and more than a little like a dark-haired version of [[Film/DrStrangelove Dr. Strangelove]]- a character that he was the chief inspiration for, along with Werhner von Braun.

* WeUsedToBeFriends: Strauss and Oppenheimer worked together on the Atomic Energy Commission and were seemingly good colleagues but they had fundamental differences on the H bomb and [[spoiler: Strauss never forgave Oppenheimer for a hearing where he decimated an isotope project Strauss was working on, which inspired Strauss to engineer him losing his security clearance]]. Also happens with Oppenheimer's relationships with both Lawrence and Teller, though in the latter case, Oppenheimer and Teller are presented in the film as occasionally begrudging allies and colleagues more than friends. During the meetings with various people from the Manhattan Project, Teller admits to having changed his opinion of Oppenheimer over the years, citing some of Oppenheimer's questionable behaviors and providing one of the more damnable statements from the scientists' side of things. They professionally shake hands afterward but Kitty is outraged Oppenheimer would be that gracious. Lawrence is also initially reluctant to testify against Oppenheimer but changes his mind after learning of Oppenheimer's affair with the wife of a late colleague of theirs who had previously vouched for Oppenheimer's character to Groves, though Lawrence ends up [[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor changing his mind again]] after seeing a broken Oppenheimer in the hallway on the way to his testimony. (The actual relationship between the two men was more complicated. See HistoricalRelationshipOverhaul).

* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: Strauss loses his cool when David Hill's testimony at the Senate ruins his chances of becoming Secretary of Commerce. He throws furniture to the ground and raises his voice in a way he never did before in the movie all while cursing out Oppenheimer- whom he has been secretly antagonizing for a long time. Similarly to most villains in fiction, this moment comes after his meticulously crafted plans are ruined.]]

* AnachronicOrder: As typical for a Creator/ChristopherNolan film, though slightly more traditional via the use of a FramingDevice involving multiple hearings and closed-doors interrogations set in the 50's when Oppenheimers' security clearance was being reviewed. The film is largely linear outside of that, but many facts are presented in passing before shown in detail. The DeliberatelyMonochrome scenes largely center around Strauss and his team discussing their interactions with Oppenheimer and presented objectively (meaning the audience is to interpret what is seen and heard at face value) and largely take place after 1945, while the color scenes represent the films' subjective viewpoint (meaning the audience is to infer the layers of thoughts and emotions Oppenheimer is feeling) and is mostly chronological, though sometimes [[OnceMoreWithClarity revisits scenes already viewed in black and white]].

* RedScare: The movie covers Oppenheimers' academic interest in communism in the 1930's and how it lands him in political trouble in the 1950's. Part of Oppenheimer's problems both before and [[UsefulNotes/JosephMcCarthy especially after]] (and to an extent during) the Manhattan Project is that fact that his brother, his brother's wife, his mistress, and several of his friends were active Party members and his wife was a former member, while the US government viewed all communists as DirtyCommies. Oppenheimer himself is intellectually interested in Communism and passionate about causes that had him working with Communists (such as trying to start a union of the faculty at Cal Tech and raising money to support Republican forces during the UsefulNotes/SpanishCivilWar), but doesn't consider ''himself'' Communist, instead preferring to say he is a "New Deal Democrat", and also not being a fan of communism as a dogma.

** The US Government already knew all the sketchy aspects of Oppenheimer’s life and character that where used against him in the 1954 hearing and still put him in charge of the Manhattan Project despite them (or according to Oppenheimer, ''because'' of them).

--->'''Senate Aide''': [[spoiler:You did, but you know, sir, since nobody really knows what they [Oppenheimer and Einstein] said to each other that day, is it possible they didn't talk about you at all? Is it possible that they spoke about something, uh, more important?]]

** Downplayed. An overarching fear by Oppenheimer, other scientists and the military throughout the movie leading up to Trinity is that the bomb could ignite the atmosphere and end all life on Earth in nuclear fire. In actuality, by the time the Manhattan Project had been formed Oppenheimer and his colleagues had safely calculated and concluded such a possibility was impossible and weren't fearful of that outcome, at least for ''their'' bomb (the Tsar Bomb created later by the Russians was a different story). In the film they ''do'' say that they've calculated that there's a near zero chance of such a thing happening, but still have that tiny margin of error to add dramatic tension that wasn't there in real life.
** The role of the Oppenheimer affair in Strauss' [[spoiler:failure to be confirmed as Secretary of Commerce]] is greatly overstated by the film. In truth, most of the Democrats in the Senate had intended to [[spoiler:block Strauss' appointment]] from the get-go just to screw with UsefulNotes/DwightEisenhower and make the Republicans look weak before the following year's presidential election. And while the Oppenheimer affair certainly didn't help, what really hurt Strauss was his falsely claiming that he had single-handedly persuaded then-President UsefulNotes/HarrySTruman to pursue the development of the H-bomb, causing Truman to (indirectly) release documentation disproving his claims into the public domain.

* [[SadistTeacher Bullying Teacher]]: Patrick Blackett to Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer hated him so much he attempted to poison him by injecting cyanide into an apple left on his desk by one of the other students.