Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film Oppenheimer has not only emerged as a standout of the year but also a highlight in the director’s illustrious career. Leading the 96th Academy Awards nominations, the film is expected to potentially secure Nolan’s first Oscar as Best Director. However, despite widespread critical acclaim and numerous accolades, the author of American Prometheus, the book that inspired the 2023 film, seems discontent with the movie.
Kai Bird shared his reservations about the Oscar-nominated film during an interview with Hindustan Times, stating that the film falls short of fully delving into the physicist’s life.
Kai Bird Expresses Reservations With Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film is based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird. The three-hour-long movie primarily focuses on the physicist’s studies, his involvement in the Manhattan Project during World War II, and his subsequent downfall following the 1954 security hearing.
However, the author of American Prometheus has shared disappointment with the film’s failure to explore the significant aspect of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s life. He voiced his discontent about the absence of his childhood and his post-Manhattan Project years, saying,
“There’s nothing in the movie, for instance, about Oppenheimer’s childhood in New York, growing up very privileged. There’s nothing about what Oppenheimer did after the 1954 trial when he retreated every year to St John Virgin Islands.”
He also shared that while the film may offer insight into the physicist’s life, he also emphasized that the “three hours of movie can’t do what a book can do in 720 pages.” And the author also suggested that the people who have watched the film and read the book would have a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of the story of the father of the atomic bomb.
Kai Bird is Intrigued With the Idea of a Sequel to the Biographical Drama
Further into his conversation with Hindustan Times, the author shared the impact the 1954 trial had on J. Robert Oppenheimer, suggesting that there is so much more that the 2023 film has left out. “It’s a sad story. He was really humiliated and destroyed in that secret trial,” he shared.
He also explained that details related to his private life, love life, and political opinions were revealed after the transcripts of the proceedings were leaked to The New York Times. “Everyone in America was left to believe that he’s an untrustworthy man, maybe disloyal, maybe a spy for the Russians. This pained Oppenheimer deeply,” he further said during the interview.
The interview also states that Kai Bird is “amused” by the idea of a sequel to Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film that could explore how the 1954 trial impacted his life. However, despite his reservations, the author commended Cillian Murphy’s performance in the movie.
“When I met him, I complimented him that he’s captured Oppenheimer’s voice,” he said. The 2023 film has secured a total of 13 nominations at the 96th Academy Awards, including for Best Director and Best Picture, and Murphy’s first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Oppenheimer is available to stream on Peacock TV.
