I’ve loved this man’s work since Batman Begins. I loved that he was never just another villain who was killed by the end of the first movie. Before Marvel (I’m not a fan of the MCU, to put it mildly, but credit where it’s due, they out a stop to the annoying ‘one film then done’ formula) this was incredibly unusual, and Nolan made sure Cillian’s fun cameos were never wasted. Their film friendship produced great work.
I would complain at least once a year that neither of them had the most coveted of film prizes – the Academy Award.
Finally, this year, I got my wish. Oppenheimer isn’t just another Oscar bait film either. It makes it clear that J. Robert Oppenheimer let his ego blind him to the obvious truth – the US government had no intention of using the bomb as a last resort. And when understandable anger and horror rained down on America from the rest of the world, they predictably made Oppenheimer a scapegoat and ruined his reputation.
The film is an amazing condemnation of the US government’s predictable misuse of inventions and blaming the inventor for their fuck ups.
But while Oppenheimer may well be a victim in his own right, the film rightly refuses to exonerate him. As Emily Blunt’s Kitty harshly puts it “you don’t get to commit the sin, then cry that you are a victim too and expect us all to feel sorry for you.” After all, thousands of Japanese died in one of the most horrific ways imaginable. I do noy believe he intended that, but I do believe he allowed his ego to blind him to the obvious.
It’s a powerful work of art that is not afraid to ask difficult questions. And those are my favourite movies.
Bloody Roses 