Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer, under the vision of its creator, Christopher Nolan, is so compelling. It takes a direction that delves deeply into the profound depths of humanity, the persistent mistakes that repeat through the history of time. These are lingering thoughts left long after the credits stop rolling.

As brilliantly portrayed by the talented Cillian Murphy, Robert J Oppenheimer comes centre stage as the enigmatic leader of the Manhattan project, taking us through the haunting legacy that labeled him the father of the Atomic age.

"Now i am become death, the destroyer of worlds". Like the potent symbol of the poisoned apple shown, we begin to realise that quantum physics at its core poses a duality for man: temptation over betrayal, forbidden knowledge against a quest for better understanding, the sacrifices made to move to a state of redemption and mortality or death. Oppenheimer is no ordinary movie. The work of genius by Christopher Nolan takes us on an emotional odyssey reminding us of our vulnerability and the responsibility we have to shape a future that embraces the best of humanity out of the worst we have experienced and seen. Science only needs to learn that when it takes the hand of humanity it can change the trajectory of death over life. This movie captures the very essence of the human condition, to ponder the type of legacy we want to build and leave behind. It is through Robert Oppenheimers steely blue eyes, that we are thrust into the world of science, experimentation of the power of nuclear fission and the ethical dilemmas' that arise. "they won't fear it until they understand it and they won't understand it until they've used it" As the narrative unfolds, we follow the journey of an ambitious physicist, wanting to solve these mysteries, the man driven to become, his monumental responsibility to create something so powerful that would take away life. Oppenheimer, in its raw form of the work it has produced, is about ethics & our perceptions of humankind. What we can do to each other, the consequences of what we have done and inevitably that which we continue to do. The film exposes the sharp edge of uncomfortable questions that cut like a knife: "What gives anyone the right to decide who should live or die?", "Why us over them?", "Should a weapon of such mass destruction ever be used when fighting an enemy of our time?"

There are times when this pursuit of science keeps revealing the 'descent of man'. We are forced to acknowledge the weight of such actions and their morality that often do go hand in hand.

This powerful film touches on the politics that always move into play, how those carefully positioned can so easily discard an asset when its' usefulness wanes, leaving the best of minds and potential of further genius abandoned/discarded. It is a grave reminder of the value and importance placed on life. A great director will always make you more conscious of your role as a custodian to provoke, inspire & enlighten...... to motivate us all in the change we hope to see.