Untangling the dual timelines of Oppenheimer (2024)

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  • Oppenheimer explained
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Oppenheimer was one of the highest-grossing and best movies in 2023, a critical and commercial success that led to the movie's huge big at the Oscars 2024.

Christopher Nolan's epic biopic about J Robert Oppenheimer is now available to watch at home, and some viewers might need a little bit of help untangling the timeline. In terms of Christopher Nolan's movies, Oppenheimer isn't as confusing as, say, Tenet or Inception.

However, given it's Nolan, the movie isn't a straightforward biopic about how Oppenheimer created the atomic bomb.

Oppenheimer messes around with time to split the story into two timelines with two distinct points of view, with the three-hour biopic cutting between both at will. And then just when you think you've got it all figured out, Nolan leaves you with an ambiguous finale that will have you thinking.

In case you are catching up now with one of the most talked-about movies of the past year, we're here to help by explaining the timelines of Oppenheimer and what that final scene means.

Untangling the dual timelines of Oppenheimer (1)

Oppenheimer explained

Like in Dunkirk, the two different timelines in Oppenheimer are established in the opening scenes. Here we've got "Fission" and "Fusion", with the former playing out in colour and the latter in black and white.

The other key difference, aside from the colour palette, is that "Fission" is J Robert Oppenheimer's (Cillian Murphy) subjective viewpoint and "Fusion" is a more objective view of Oppenheimer from the viewpoint of Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr).

Within each timeline, there are also flashbacks which can muddy the waters somewhat and eventually the two timelines cross over with each other, so it's easier to focus on the main setting for each timeline.

The present-day timeline of "Fission" is in 1954, when Oppenheimer is taking part in a hearing that eventually leads to his security clearance being revoked. While we see this hearing play out, we get the flashbacks that take in everything from Oppenheimer's time at Cambridge through to the Manhattan Project and beyond.

Untangling the dual timelines of Oppenheimer (2)

Over in "Fusion", the present-day timeline is in 1959, when Strauss is at a Senate confirmation hearing regarding his nomination for the cabinet post of Secretary of Commerce (which the Senate declines to confirm).

As this plays out, we get flashbacks to Strauss's relationship with Oppenheimer, which started in 1947 when he presented Oppenheimer with an offer to be the director of the Institute for Advanced Study.

The flashbacks in either timeline don't play out sequentially, and Nolan skips back-and-forth over the timelines. We even see the same scenes, such as a public hearing in 1949 when Oppenheimer humiliated Strauss in reference to his grasp on physics, play out in both timelines.

In order to keep on track, you just need to pay attention to whether the scene is in colour or black-and-white. If it's the former, it's Oppenheimer's point of view and if it's the latter, it's Strauss's point of view.

That'll tell you whether it's a flashback from Oppenheimer or Strauss's hearings, and why there might be subtle differences you can spot in the repeated scenes. If you see either of them at a hearing, then it's 'present-day' for that timeline and everything else is a flashback.

Simple.

"Fission" does also jump forward to 1963 when Oppenheimer was given a scientific award by the US government, but thankfully this is just a one-off skip into the future.

It's Nolan, though, so you knew you were going to have to keep your wits about you.

Untangling the dual timelines of Oppenheimer (3)

Oppenheimer ending explained

After the Trinity Test is successfully carried out, the final act of Oppenheimer switches focus to the downfall of both Oppenheimer and Lewis Strauss.

Oppenheimer has his security clearance revoked after a campaign by Strauss, who had come to despise the physicist. However, this ends up backfiring on Strauss, as he isn't confirmed as Secretary of Commerce after a backlash by scientists to his treatment of Oppenheimer.

While in real life, their fraught relationship built over time, the movie frames it as stemming from one particular incident where Strauss believes Oppenheimer badmouths him to Albert Einstein.

The final scene of the movie cuts back to this moment when we finally hear what Oppenheimer and Einstein were really talking about – and it wasn't even Strauss.

Untangling the dual timelines of Oppenheimer (4)

Oppenheimer recalls how he sought out Einstein's advice when they were making the bomb to see if it could really destroy the world. Einstein questions why he's bringing it up and Oppenheimer replies that he believes they really did start a chain reaction that will destroy the world.

We then see Oppenheimer imagine several bombs being detonated around the world, but he's not talking literally. It's an illustration of the chain reaction that he believes started when he created the bomb which would, one day, lead to a nuclear holocaust.

A cheery thought to ponder in the credits.

For more Oppenheimer coverage, check out:

Oppenheimer review
How long is Oppenheimer?
All 12 Christopher Nolan movies, rankedDid Oppenheimer really know Einstein?Oppenheimer is more Jewish than you realise
What happened to Oppenheimer?

Oppenheimer is available to rent or buy now from Prime Video, iTunes, Microsoft Store and more in the UK.

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Ian Sandwell

Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.

Untangling the dual timelines of Oppenheimer (2024)

FAQs

What are the two timelines in Oppenheimer? ›

Like in Dunkirk, the two different timelines in Oppenheimer are established in the opening scenes. Here we've got "Fission" and "Fusion", with the former playing out in colour and the latter in black and white.

Why did Einstein walk away from Oppenheimer? ›

Einstein and Oppenheimer disagreed on a key issue: the government. Einstein wasn't invited to join the Manhattan Project, partially because of his socialist leanings, but it's possible he wouldn't have accepted such an invitation anyway. The scientist was a staunch pacifist.

Will Oppenheimer be historically accurate? ›

Robert Oppenheimer was an immensely complex figure, and the movie's based on a biography of him. While the movie is historically accurate in many ways, there are a few bits of fiction mixed in.

What is the point of the Oppenheimer movie? ›

His team's mission is to build the world's first atomic bomb before the Germans do. But make no mistake—this is Oppenheimer's story: every scene is about Oppenheimer, his decisions, and the repercussions of those decisions that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

Is Einstein in Oppenheimer? ›

Einstein only has a handful of scenes in Oppenheimer, but each of them packs a similar punch—particularly another (fictionalized) meeting that the film keeps coming back to, revealing its full significance only in the movie's final moments.

Why was Oppenheimer removed? ›

Robert Oppenheimer, the “father of the atomic bomb.” Oppenheimer fell from grace after the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) alleged he had ties to communism and revoked his security clearance in 1954.

What was Oppenheimer's IQ? ›

Estimates of Oppenheimer's IQ range from 150 to 190, with the most frequently cited being around 165. These scores are based on his intellectual achievements in theoretical physics. Lower estimates, like 135, and higher ones, up to 200, are anecdotal and lack reliable documentation.

What happened to Oppenheimer's son? ›

Soon after his father died, Peter permanently moved to northern New Mexico to live at a residence his father had purchased years earlier, the Perro Caliente ranch, according to the AHF. According to the AHF, Peter still lives in New Mexico working as a carpenter and has three children: Dorothy, Charles and Ella.

What was Einstein's IQ? ›

What was the IQ of Albert Einstein? Sources usually put his IQ at 160. The highest possible attainable IQ also hovers between the 160-170 range.

What happened to Oppenheimer's daughter? ›

Two years after Robert's death in 1967, Toni was rejected from a role in the United Nations as a translator. She struggled to cope with losing her father, and her job, and after living on the island of St. John for a while, she died by suicide in January 1977, just a month after she turned 32.

What was false in the Oppenheimer movie? ›

What Does 'Oppenheimer' Get Wrong?
  • The Downwinders are missing. ...
  • The purpose of the Trinity test was not to see if nuclear weapons worked. ...
  • Oppenheimer's lovers were not stupid. ...
  • Where is Joseph Rotblat? ...
  • Yes, they really thought they might blow up the world.
Jul 24, 2023

Are los alamos still active? ›

Today, the nucleus of this once-secret city is still Los Alamos National Laboratory, though you'll find plenty of historic and cultural resources to explore as well. Start your adventure with our visitor center in Los Alamos, NM. Get directions to our visitor center.

What did Oppenheimer say to Einstein at the end? ›

What follows is the movie's final line when Einstein asks, "What of it?" to which Oppenheimer responds, "I believe we did."

Why are people boycotting Oppenheimer? ›

Many users said they would boycott the movie because of what one nationalist group called a "scathing attack on Hinduism". The scene features the protagonist reciting a verse from the Bhagawad Gita, considered the holiest of Hindu scriptures, just before sexual intercourse.

Why didn't Oppenheimer get the Nobel Prize? ›

Despite his early work on what would later become known as black holes, J. Robert Oppenheimer never won a Nobel Prize. In part, it may have been because the "father of the atomic bomb" lacked the focus of some of his colleagues and constantly moved from topic to topic.

What is the black and white timeline in Oppenheimer? ›

The black-and-white scenes in the film present the historical perspective of what happened to Oppenheimer after the atomic bomb was used. The scenes are less about him and more about the repercussions of the bomb, as seen by others involved in the case, rather than being presented from Oppenheimer's point of view.

What is the difference between fission and fusion in Oppenheimer? ›

Fission, however, is the separation of one atom into two, while fusion is the combining of two atoms into one. The bomb spearheaded by Oppenheimer used fission. Fusion causes a much more powerful explosion and is championed by other scientists and Strauss.

What does the J mean in Oppenheimer? ›

The J In Robert Oppenheimer's Name Stands For Julius (After His Father) Despite Robert Oppenheimer's insistence that the "J" in his name stood for nothing, his birth certificate reveals that his full legal name was Julius Robert Oppenheimer.

Are there two Oppenheimer movies? ›

One is an NBC News-produced documentary, “To End All War: Oppenheimer & The Atomic Bomb,'' streaming on Peacock, and the other, a Universal Pictures feature entitled, “Oppenheimer,'' is in theaters now. Both, in this reporter's estimation, are interesting and very well done.

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