Summary
- Oppenheimer's remorse for his creation of the atomic bomb is showcased in the film, highlighting the devastating consequences of his innovative mind.
- Despite rumors, Oppenheimer's death from throat cancer was likely due to his heavy smoking habit, not radiation exposure.
- The final scene in the film takes place roughly 20 years before Oppenheimer's death, portraying his loss of political power and his later advocacy against using science for political advantage.
The real-life J. Robert Oppenheimer died after the events that took place in Christopher Nolan's latest film Oppenheimer. In an unusual move for a biopic, Nolan decided not to include an overview of Oppenheimer's final years before his death presumably because the character symbolically already had 'become death' in the film. The thought-provoking portrait of the controversial physicist depicted many aspects of his personal life as it related to his creation of the atomic bomb, highlighting the tragic reality that even the most genuine pursuits can have the most devastating consequences.
Oppenheimer's ending explained the incredible guilt that the historical figure felt in the aftershock of one of the world's most brilliant yet terrifying creations. While the real-life J. Robert Oppenheimer was flawed in many ways, his remorse for his own innovation demonstrated an empathetic thoughtfulness at the core of his revolutionary mind. Lost and blinded by his ambition to break new ground in a triumphant nationalistic effort, Oppenheimer's self-reflexivity only acted against him in the end once the literal damage has been done. As his wife Kitty (Emily Blunt) reminds him in the film, Oppenheimer couldn't "commit to sin" and then expect people to pity him afterward.
J. Robert Oppenheimer Died In 1967 After Battling Throat Cancer
J. Robert Oppenheimer died in 1967 from throat cancer. The known chain smoker had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 1965. Oppenheimer underwent surgery in an attempt to remove the cancerous cells from the throat but the procedure was ultimately unsuccessful. He also tried chemotherapy and radiation treatment which failed to provide positive results either. Oppenheimer fell into a coma on February 18, 1967 and died three days later on February 21 at the age of 62 at his home in Princeton, New Jersey.
Despite perceptions and rumors that Oppenheimer developed cancer due to the radiation from his atomic testing, it is much more likely that his throat cancer was the result of his relentless smoking habit. Hundreds of people living in New Mexico near Los Alamos have come forward throughout the years since about eventual radiogenic cancers they have developed, claiming a link to the Trinity fallout zone. Oppenheimer leaves out the fact that two scientists at Los Alamos actually died from radiation poisoning. As for Oppenheimer himself, his death is regarded as having little-to-nothing to do with radiation exposure or poisoning.
Oppenheimer's Death Occurred Four Years After The Movie's Latest Scene
Oppenheimer's death occurred four years after his medal ceremony, which took place in 1963. This explains his older and more fragile look in the latest depiction of the character in Nolan's Oppenheimer. The final scene of Oppenheimer, which features the protagonist with Albert Einstein, occurred roughly 20 years before his death. After he had lost his security clearance as a result of the 1954 security hearing, Oppenheimer was essentially stripped of all political power but continued his lectures and writings on his expertise and experience in physics. He advocated against the advancement of science as a means of political advantage in his later years and died as an honorary hero who was largely disavowed by his own country following the events of Oppenheimer.
