Oppenheimer Quotes: Christopher Nolan’s latest movie has moved us all. It is the pinnacle of filmmaking and, we would go as far as to say that this one might be that Nolan movie you can recommend to everyone and anyone to just let them know that the man makes movies for all and not the people of science. The irony of this statement, of course, lies in the fact that this film is about a physicist.
Oppenheimer is written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan and, is based on the 2005 biography titled American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The book as well as the film is on J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who helped develop the first set of nuclear weapons on the Manhattan Project. It is produced by Syncopy Inc. and Atlas Entertainment.
Cillian Murphy playing the titular character, the film flaunts an excellent cast that includes Emily Blunt as Katherine Oppenheimer, Matt Damon as Leslie Groves, Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence, Casey Affleck as Boris Pash, Rami Malek as David Hill, Kenneth Branagh as Niels Bohr, Benny Safdie as Edward Teller, Dylan Arnold as Frank Oppenheimer, Gustaf Skarsgård as Hans Bethe, David Krumholtz as Isidor Isaac Rabi, Matthew Modine as Vannevar Bush, David Dastmalchian as William L. Borden, Tom Conti as Albert Einstein amongst many others. To know more details on the cast, click here.
Oppenheimer Quotes That Has Left an Impact on Us
1. “The important thing isn’t if you can read music, it’s if you can hear it. Can you hear the music, Robert?” – Niels Bohr
I am convinced that there is no other way to engage people in a science-related film but, via quote as beautiful as this one. We hear it very early on in the film when Bohr meets Oppenheimer when is still quite young (before the Manhattan Project), identifying the latter’s potential and sending him off on his destined path of quantum physics.
2. “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” – J. Robert Oppenheimer
A quote that is synonymous with the life philosophy of the titular character, Oppie says it all out during his intimate encounter with psychologist Jean Tatlock. These famous lines come from the Hindu sacred text the Bhagavad Gita where the lines were said by Lord Krishna.
3. “The world is changing. Reforming. This is your moment.” – Kitty Oppenheimer
A line by Emily Blunt, who plays the wife of the titular character, Kitty is by far the most dashing and relatable character in the movie and rightly so. Additionally, her constant support and words of affirmation and reality check are something that really keeps Oppenheimer tethered to the real world.
4. “They won’t fear it until they understand it. And they won’t understand it until they’ve used it. The theory will take you only so far.” – J. Robert Oppenheimer
These lines are more crucial than one would ever come to terms with, mostly because this is a pivotal one in embarking on the mission to build the atomic bomb and make a show of it (dropping it on Hiroshima and Nagasaki). It sends chills down our spine but, also tells us the gravity and hopelessness of the situation.
5. “Are you saying that there’s a chance that when we push that button… we destroy the world?
The chances are near zero…
Near zero?
What do you want from theory alone?
Zero would be nice!” – General Leslie Groves Jr. and J. Robert Oppenheimer
This must be one of those satirical lines in the movie where you want to laugh but, you know the cost of it. This conversation between Groves and Oppenheimer happen only hours before they are about to perform the Trinity nuclear test, leaving us worried and nervously laughing at what is to come.
6. “Amateurs chase the sun and get burned. Power stays in the shadows.” – Lewis Strauss
A very Cersei-eque line, don’t you think? We understand the black and white part of the movie spitting us objective facts and that is why Strauss this line impacts us a lot, especially in context to the world we live in today.
7. “When they’ve punished you enough, they’ll serve you salmon and potato salad, make speeches, give you a medal, and pat you on the back telling, all is forgiven. Just remember, it won’t be for you… it would be for them.” – Albert Einstein
The ending scene of Oppenheimer is spine-chilling and real. This line pops up at the end when we get to what Oppenheimer and Einstein had discussed on that fateful afternoon in 1954. Einstein’s prediction of Robert’s life was spot on. But, his lines also reflect on how a man of power and knowledge can be reduced to be a helpless mouse in the political scenario of a country. We are nothing but, tools by the end of the day, eh?
8. “When I came to you with those calculations, we thought we might start a chain reaction that would destroy the entire world.
I remember it well. What of it?
I believe we did.” – J. Robert Oppenheimer and Albert Einstein
This is the last dialogue exchange in the film and represents the horrors of nuclear power that we still encounter in today’s world. A more detailed take on it is presented here.
Oppenheimer Trailer
Oppenheimer is now playing in theatres near you. So go, get your tickets and check out the film right away.
Meanwhile, you can let us know in the comments down below what you feel about this latest release!
Is proofreading no longer a thing these days?