In ‘Oppenheimer,’ Judaism lends a stable nucleus to moral conflict of atomic genius
Now in theaters, Christopher Nolan’s movie about the man behind the A-bomb shows a struggle between pragmatism, humanism and ambition – and the solace of a Jewish friendship
- Cillian Murphy in 'Oppenheimer.' (Courtesy of Universal Studios)
- Cillian Murphy in 'Oppenheimer.' (Courtesy of Universal Studios)
- From felt, Cillian Murphy plays J. Robert Oppenheimer and David Krumholtz plays Isidor Rabi in Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer.' (Courtesy of Universal Studios)
- Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in the film 'Oppenheimer.' (Courtesy of Universal Studios)
“Oppenheimer,” a biopic about the quantum physicist and the man behind the atomic bomb J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy), is the new film from acclaimed director Christopher Nolan.
It’s also a lot of movie — three hours of people talking to each other in cramped rooms — about a lot of things. It’s easy to step away from “Oppenheimer” and dive into a conversation about scientific freedom, personal repercussions, the strength and weakness of bonds both personal and subatomic, and more. Like his protagonist, Nolan shows his adeptness at both compartmentalization and keeping the full project in his mind.
Nolan wisely structures his movie along two timelines and perspectives, which he labels “Fission” and “Fusion.”
In “Fission,” we see the story from Oppenheimer’s view as he tells his story to a security council in order to keep his clearance credentials. Oppenheimer recounts his years as an awkward student pursuing various scientific disciplines at European universities before landing at Berkeley to explore the theory behind the new field of quantum physics. His work combined with the onset of World War II eventually leads Oppenheimer to the creation of the atomic bomb, which means overseeing conflicting personalities as much as it means following the math and science.
In “Fusion” (shot in black-and-white as opposed to the color cinematography of “Fission”) we follow Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.), former head of the Atomic Energy Commission at his US Senate confirmation hearing for president Eisenhower’s cabinet. Strauss’s history with Oppenheimer threatens his confirmation and Strauss seeks to defuse the situation before it blows up his life’s ambition. Both men are on trial for their pasts and the challenge is how well they reconcile their actions with the world they’ve created.
“Oppenheimer” moves like a thriller where the test of the atomic bomb is not the culmination of the story, but rather its darkest moment as Oppenheimer sees exactly what he has unleashed upon the world and now lives in an age of not nuclear deterrence but escalation and mutually assured destruction. Nolan demands your full attention, but he also earns it through his stunning compositions, lively pacing, incredible performances from one of the most impressive casts ever assembled, and a masterful score from composer Ludwig Göransson.

And yet the film’s heart comes from an unexpected place: Oppenheimer’s longtime friend and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Isidor Rabi, played by Jewish actor David Krumholtz. Oppenheimer and Rabi meet in Leipzig and quickly forge a connection based not only on their profession but on being Jews from New York. As the film continues and Hitler comes to power, both are acutely aware of the threat Nazi Germany brings not only to the world but to Jews in particular.
Oppenheimer’s decision to oversee the building of the atomic bomb is driven in part by his Judaism. He knows that Germany has an 18-month head start on the bomb, and since his people are being systematically exterminated in Europe, the calling for Oppenheimer feels personal. However, when Oppenheimer tries to bring in Rabi, Rabi politely declines.
“The bombs fall on the just and the unjust alike,” Rabi tells Oppenheimer. Rabi doesn’t join the Los Alamos laboratory, but he maintains his friendship with Oppenheimer.
We see through Rabi that his friendship is not subject to politics or personal ambition like so many others in Oppenheimer’s life. Instead, at Oppenheimer’s meeting with the security council and as his reputation is being torn to shreds in a kangaroo court, Rabi is right there to support his friend while also standing in as the film’s ideal of Jewish morality next to Oppenheimer, its face of Jewish pragmatism. Nolan, wisely, doesn’t attempt to reconcile these two concepts or cast one as superior to the other. Instead, he puts them side by side in a way that all audiences, Jewish and Gentile alike, can appreciate faith being tested by the evil we see in the world.
Like so much in Oppenheimer, there are no easy answers, and the film thrives in these gray areas where uncertainty, doubt, and regret reign supreme. While Nolan’s movies always relish characters explaining how things work (and Oppenheimer has no shortage of scenes of characters discussing the science behind the bomb), here there’s a sad futility at play as if knowing all the science and seeing all the answers is no match for petty men who want to play God.
This kind of recklessness appears clearest in Strauss with Downey giving one of the best performances of his career. Strauss, a Jew like Oppenheimer and Rabi, never wrestles with the moral consequences of nuclear power. Instead, Strauss can only see as far as his own ambition (hence Oppenheimer’s perspective is rendered in full color while Strauss’ view is in dismal monochrome). Downey, an actor able to rely heavily on his natural charm and charisma, goes against type as Strauss and expertly plays the character’s insecurities and resentments with a captivating self-satisfaction. Oppenheimer and Rabi show their humanity through their doubts and questions; Strauss can only sneer at those who lack his certainty.
When awards season rolls around, Oppenheimer likely will be in the conversation for a slew of categories with Downey a likely contender for Best Supporting Actor. But hopefully, the Academy does not overlook Krumholtz despite his smaller role. As viewers, we do love to see a villain like Strauss with his duplicity and narcissism, but there’s also something to be said for an actor who can convey simple decency and warmth — not through grand speeches or spectacular heroics, but through the way they possess themselves on screen. In Oppenheimer’s massive cast, it’s easy for any actor aside from Murphy or Downey to get lost, but Krumholtz and his performance have stayed with me.
While the marketing may insist that you see Oppenheimer on the biggest screen possible for the full force of the atomic blast, what resonates most are the little character moments like an old friend offering his dejected pal an orange slice for comfort.
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