Drew’s review published on Letterboxd:
This specific portrayal of Albert Einstein is the cutest character ever, like not Paddington or Perrito from puss in boots. Its steiny. Einy if you will.
Opp round two was a real blast. I took the opportunity to be way more locked into how Nolan chose to portray Oppenheimer as a man whose indecision, ego, and brilliance plunged the world into a race to destroy itself. What might be the most impressive element of Nolan’s approach is the absence of contempt for Oppenheimer while still making his judgements toward the character perfectly clear. We are presented with a man who helped usher in the golden era of theoretical physics and, single handedly brought the field to the United States, was plagued by the arrogance to believe that his genius meant knowing what’s best for people. This, paired with the overly competitive nature of scientific academia, helped Oppenheimer develop into an S tier opportunist, who would do whatever it took to raise his social, professional, and political standing.
Nolan depicts the development of cracks Oppenheimer’s ego as the Manhattan project progresses and he realizes the power that he is handing over to the US government. The cracks give way to guilt and remorse as Nolan shifts the critical focus from Oppenheimer’s ego to the collective narcissism of the American political machine. Between Strauss, Truman, and Pash, we’re shown a government and military comprised of narcissistic warmongers who couldn’t give less of a shit about the hundreds of thousands of civilians killed by the atomic bombs in Japan. They will do anything, go to any lengths, to save face and preserve the superficial façade of goodwill. I think this is best demonstrated through Einstein’s prediction that the establishment will tear Oppenheimer down and cast him off when it serves them, only to welcome him back when he’s old and grey after they’ve realized history has reflected negatively toward their actions. Nolan asserts that, despite what Oppenheimer, Strauss and the gang thought, this was never a game. These decisions, made by the powerful few, have left a legacy of death, destruction, and rot. They have made the world a worse place.
I did think the film was a bit goofier this time around. Some of the “hero moments” were super corny. Opp changing out his military uniform for his suit, top hat, and pipe was like Jordan coming out of retirement, and the tidbit about some young senator from Massachusetts trying to make a name for himself… “whats his name?” “kennedy. John f. kennedy” and then the dad sitting behind me let out an enthusiastic “yessss” lmao. It worked though. Got people riled up.
