Oppenheimer, opening 6 - 10 mins

[Figleaf]

Long story short, arrived late to the cinema and missed 6-10 mins of the film. He was in Cambridge leaving an apple for a horrible tutor when we arrived. Can anyone fill me in what happened before that? ie how did the film start? How was the story between Admiral Strauss and Oppenheimer set up for the film - thanks 🙏

Can’t remember the very beginning but I don’t think you’ve missed much.

Did you see the part where Oppenheimer went to the initial interview with Strauss and he encountered Einstein by the lake?

Yes we did 👍 good to know we didn’t miss much. Just can’t picture how to connect the Strauss senate hearing and O’s life. Was there a voice over or a caption saying X years earlier or any device like that?

@Figleaf i’d recommend listening to ‘The rest is history’ podcast about Oppenheimer. The subject is large enough that they did a two-parter on it. They reference the film a lot during it which might help fill in the blanks. Essentially the first 6-10 mins you establish:

1. That there is a a depiction of a meeting with Einstein but it is never established what was said between them which frustrates Strauss. (Point of order, according to The Times, this never happened) It is revealed at the end what occurred.
2. Strauss wants everyone to pronounce his name ‘Stross’ (explained more in the podcast)
3. Oppenheimer is clumsy at Cambridge and that’s why the professor dislikes him (trying to kill him somewhat of a string response though). He tries to kill him after he is refused permission to leave class early to hear a lecture given by Nils Bohr (who features later in project Manhattan)
4. The idea that Oppenheimer is a communist sympathiser after attending Salons given by friends who are communist sympathisers.
5. That Oppenheimer is a true polymath who gives a lecture in the Netherlands in Dutch after learning it in a matter of weeks.
6. Introduction of Jean Tatlock and the importance of their relationship regarding point 4

Think that was about it!

And no, there was no ‘x years earlier’ caption which made it tricky to follow. In the film, you are led to believe that Strauss disliked Oppenheimer because he harboured a notion that Oppenheimer had said something derogatory to Einstein about him. Strauss was someone who was a bit of a ‘Grant Shapps- like’ character - having a seat at the top table and becoming very influential despite not being particularly academic and also considered a bit of a spiv by those he wanted to impress.

@Netaporter thank you 👍

The film began, I thought, establishing two time frames by having two scenes, one called fusion in colour and one called fission in black and white.I thought the first six minutes established these strands, although cant remember what bits. Some of the stuff above , I thought, happened well into the film? For example, Jean.