Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer depicts 8 dark, grisly shades of human lives

Christopher Nolan's new movie Oppenheimer, in which he chronicles the life of J Robert Oppenheimer, has taken the centre-stage in discussions surrounding the nuclear bomb and the life of the man who created such a destructive weapon. While the movie talks about a lot of things, it's peppered with baffling human emotions, mental disarray and repentance. It's about a success served cold and grisly. Here are the 8 dark shades of human lives depicted in the movie.

1. Fallacy of human mind

Mind is a mysterious world, full of waves of emotions and ideas all of which one may not be able to gather at once. To lose oneself to the atrocities unleashed by one's mind is only natural. But Nolan has shown how Oppenheimer lives through the pursuit of ultimate scientific glory in his initial days in Cambridge and Germany, only to fall into its fallacy of creating the most lethal weapon for deterrence among nations and for the world to find its peace. It's the mind of a scientist who is excited at the invention and is seeking happiness from the creation of something affirmative which may build the future of the world, unable to see its dark side.

2. 'To sin is a human business, but to justify sins is a devilish business'

This statement by Russian author Leo Tolstoy underlines the intense nuclear proliferation by Washington and Moscow that brought humanity closest to its prospect of annihilation. The statement also sits aptly for a few instances which the film depicts from the life of the scientist as well as that of former US president Harry S Truman. Oppenheimer is seen encountering a moment when rage takes over his sensibilities and he ends up poisoning an apple which he hopes his professor will eat.

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This is a perfect example of how people sin and how Oppenheimer's character hints at the destructiveness it may unleash in future. But the devil is seen residing in Truman too, who in a chilling scene, nonchalantly hands over a white handkerchief to the scientist to wipe his hands, when the latter, filled with guilt and remorse, says "I have blood on my hand".

3. Even the most decorated people can go nude with loose morals

While going through the pre-decided hearing, Oppenheimer is shown standing at the conjunction of realism and hyperrealism, driven by shame and fear of societal defamation when he is forced to reveal his meetings with Jean Tatlock, as his wife sits behind and stares at his revelation. It's a perfect depiction of how the scientist, who was once "the man of the moment", is now being stripped naked because of some of his wrongdoings in his personal life.

4. Excitement to reach the finishing line fades once the line is crossed

There is hustle and bustle and speed as America races against time to create the deadliest weapon humankind has ever seen. Shallow breath, hard deadlines which seem impossible to be met and curious eyes that stare blankly at the future – this is what defines the environment of Los Alamos hours before the Trinity test. However, once the test is successful and the success is celebrated, there is an eerie lull that stands behind the back of Oppenheimer as he looks at trucks filled with bombs he created going away to show the world the magic he brought to existence.

5. Most magnificent magic may hide death in its heart

'Magic' is the word that Oppenheimer utters when he talks about the most anticipated Trinity test. There is a thirst of a magician to show the world the most perfect trick ever mastered. He seems to be willing to give away everything to make it happen. However, hours before the test, he seemed to be hounded by the thoughts of what if the fire he is about to ignite may burn the whole world. It is the gory truth that the soul is aware of and the human mind refuses to accept.

6. Evil awakens the devil

If we look at World War II, we may find the scale of balance faltering, failing to choose who is more atrocious. The persecution of Jews by Nazi Germany is seen as one of the darkest phases of mankind. Even when the world was witnessing it, the defined monstrosity of Nazi Germany must have left weaker Jews horrified and afraid and the stronger ones filled with rage to avenge the cruelty.

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Science doesn't remain confined to labs and experimental sites; it unfolds itself in the growing, burgeoning society. That's what happened with Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion - "For every action in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction". It was the horrors committed by Nazis that somewhere seems to have led Oppenheimer, himself a Jew, to think about creating something which can eradicate them completely.

7. What is once gained is always meant to be lost

Oppenheimer, who became the greatest scientist of his time and earned the title of the "father of the atomic bomb" and was featured in TIME magazine as the "man of the moment", suddenly saw his life falling apart with his security clearance getting revoked and him being branded as a "Russian spy". It is a full circle as life seems to complete its ecstatic dance, full of highs and lows, losing everything that once was earned through ideation, hard work and seldom through magic.

8. Humans don't ride on future, they get consumed by it

The future is a far-fetched dream that humans, like Oppenheimer, try to construct with their own efforts, only to find themselves stuck in its chaos and noise. As Oppenheimer takes the stage to address the roaring crowds after the success of the Trinity test, he seems to be troubled and lost in the future in which he had constructed himself. He is grieving and filled with sorrow and his vision is haunted by visuals of humans wailing and hurt after the bombing. Humans tend to believe they know it all, but what lies in future is just another magic that time reveals, eventually consuming us mere humans wholly.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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