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A fission reaction divides America in two and splits global allies into rival factions, rapidly escalating an explosive arms race. Paranoia radiates the fabric of post-war peace into another great quagmire of the 20th century. Cruising through the nucleus of the old world in the effort to birth the new is the paradoxical Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer—the blind prophet, leftist war hawk, advocate of peace, harbinger of mass destruction. The half-life of the 20th century expires decades early and gives way to an uncertain future, haunted by shadows and screams. Through this edit, maybe my pick for the decade's finest to date, Nolan and Lame crack open the notion of compartmentalization. Memory and testimony assemble the scattered fragments into a single propulsive sequence. For the security of the nation, the US won't cooperate with the Soviets, escalating the apocalyptic tension. For the security of mankind, the nuclear scientists won't level with the politicians about our technological capacity for death. Few can see the bigger picture, because no one will share their piece for fear of what the others might do with it. Except maybe Oppy, but only when it's too late to turn back the doomsday clock. Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.
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