Watching Oppenheimer in the theater with my family was uncomfortable, to say the least. As a lover of historical films, I had high expectations for a film about the development of the atomic bomb. Unfortunately, it was not worth the hype. The nude scenes were unnecessary and awkward, especially with my parents and brother watching next to me. From Oppenheimer‘s prominent oversexualization of women to its lack of female character development, the three-hour film was the agonizing embodiment of the male gaze.
I have to admit, the overall cinematography was beautiful. The horseback riding scenes in the New Mexico landscape were captivating, and the scene where the atomic bomb exploded caused my jaw to drop. Additionally, the star-studded cast brought life to the film through their skillful performances.
However, the cast and visuals did not make up for the film’s harmful portrayal of women. Throughout the film, female characters were pushed to the side and lost in the shuffle. I was disappointed by the lack of exploration of female characters like Kitty Oppenheimer, as it led to the film’s absence of depth and nuance. She seemed to be a complex person, but was quickly overshadowed by her husband’s large personality. It would have been more interesting if Christopher Nolan had delved deeper into her story, and portrayed her as her own person — separate from Robert Oppenheimer. Instead, she was merely a side character with some, but not nearly enough, significance to be completely vital to the plot.
I was disappointed by the lack of exploration of female characters like Kitty Oppenheimer, as it led to the film’s absence of depth and nuance.
Additionally, the lengthy intimate scenes with Oppenheimer’s lover, Jean Tatlock, added discomfort that distracted from the actual plot of the film. The filmmakers should have given Tatlock a voice and explored her perspective rather than reducing her presence to a plot device. She disappeared halfway through the film, reappearing only twice: when her death was announced, which sent Oppenheimer into a self-centered frenzy; and in an unnecessarily sexual hallucination towards the end of the film. The spicy sex scenes felt like a money-grab, with little impact to the plot.
Overall, Oppenheimer had so much potential, but its degrading portrayal of women made me uncomfortable, causing me to question the priorities of the filmmakers and the messages they chose to emphasize.
