"Oberman"

When I watched "Auburnheimer" for the second time, I finally understood why I liked this movie. Besides Nolan's films, this kind of movie that lasts for three hours with a lot of dialogue really satisfies me. I'm not actually the type of person who can think deeply. Most of my opinions and views come from the outside world. I compare myself to a sponge, and "Auburnheimer" is like the water of the ocean. When I finished watching the movie, I felt a sense of exhilaration, to the point that I didn't feel tired even after watching it twice. (In fact, after writing this paragraph, I went to the offline cinema to watch this movie for the third time.)

As I write this text, it has been two months since "Auburnheimer" was released in mainland China, and the Blu-ray version has also been released. Due to personal time constraints, I actually wanted to finish writing the review earlier, but since the BD version is out, I want to focus on the parts of the movie that I care about in more detail.

Commercialism#

Undoubtedly, Nolan's directorial skills are quite remarkable, and you can say that his films are commercially successful. Here, commercialism refers to whether the movie tells the story in a more popular way. As a documentary, it includes a lot of real history and relationships as a threshold for viewing. Nolan ensures rigor while also taking care of the audience.

In the movie, there is a scene where Auburnheimer realizes that the chain reaction caused by the nuclear explosion they are studying will continue and ignite the atmosphere. Auburnheimer immediately goes to find Einstein. However, in reality, Auburnheimer did not find Einstein, but the movie made this adaptation in terms of commercialism, allowing the audience to enter the world shown in the movie through a more familiar face.

Experience#

Thanks to the performances of the many actors in the film, their portrayal of the characters facing the events and their actions made me feel familiar, close, and identified. I don't know if this is just my personal feeling, but the performances of all the characters in the movie give me this kind of feeling. Or maybe it's because of Nolan's demands on the actors and the effects conveyed by the film.

For example, there is a scene where in the rain before the Trinity explosion, the characters determine the specific time of the explosion and convey the time information to each other in the pouring rain, creating a sense of participation. With the music, you feel nervous, but for me, this is also something I have experienced in real life: when many people work together on a project or activity and are nervous about meeting deadlines.

Similar experiences are abundant in "Auburnheimer". At the same time, in Nolan's interviews, he always emphasizes the importance of shooting on location because it not only provides a better visual experience for the audience but also allows the actors to better immerse themselves in the necessary scenes. This way, the actors' performances can resonate better with the audience, which is the most worthwhile and important aspect of making a movie.

Auburnheimer's Dilemma#

In "Auburnheimer," it is mentioned more than once that Japan was already in a situation of defeat or surrender before the two atomic bombs were dropped, but this is also a fact in history. So when Auburnheimer is questioned in the "trial" about when he had such a strong moral condemnation, you know that this can't be simply described as being conflicted.

Although I want to say that discussing historical situations in the movie or in reviews can be a bit disappointing, it is not a waste to talk about them in the case of "Auburnheimer". Including when Auburnheimer walks out of the president's room and Truman says, "Don't let that crybaby in next time", all these dilemmas faced by Auburnheimer and many scientists at the time are a modern structural problem that no one can solve or answer, and this is what has shaped our society today.

"Auburnheimer tells the president, 'I feel like my hands are covered in blood,'" and I once encountered a question: Is Auburnheimer worried about retaliation from the Japanese when he says this? - This reminds me of another scene in the movie, when Auburnheimer goes to see Einstein with the worrying question, and there is another person with them in the woods. Einstein says this about that person: Gödel was always worried that the Nazis would poison his food and refused to eat. In history, this scientist ultimately starved to death due to mental issues.

Similarly, for Auburnheimer, who is mentally stable, he certainly doesn't have to worry about retaliation from the Japanese in the future. In fact, this is precisely because Auburnheimer, as a scientist and representative of the typical scholar of the last century, feels a classical moral obligation. Even if they didn't press the nuclear button themselves, they were the ones who actually created the weapon. Their classical and just morals tell them that they have a responsibility for those innocent people who died, and even for the future.

And here I emphasize again, Japan's war had already failed before the two atomic bombs were dropped, a fact that is not widely recognized by most people. So when facing the "post-nuclear" world today and the new moral understanding that people have, or for elites and decision-makers, Auburnheimer is seen as a "crybaby".

Ideology#

What Auburnheimer's dilemma shows is not just the story explained in "Auburnheimer". When I watched it for the third time, there was a young couple next to me, and when they saw Dr. Hill speaking for Auburnheimer at Strauss's hearing and pointing out Strauss's malicious actions towards Auburnheimer, the girl next to me clapped and cheered, as if she felt the satisfaction of a wrongful conviction being overturned.

But what's even more "magical" is that in reality, Auburnheimer went through a month-long "trial" by the committee and eventually had his security clearance revoked. During this time, Auburnheimer had to repeatedly face scrutiny of his private morals, just like in the movie when Auburnheimer appeared naked in front of the committee members. And this decision was not overturned until the end of 2022, long after Auburnheimer's death. For Auburnheimer and other similar cases of persecution, this exoneration has no value for the parties involved, it is just something that outsiders find interesting.

For those who take it seriously, including myself, many people think that Strauss's actions are "absurd" because we all know that this is part of the "purge" under the McCarthy era. Of course, some people think that describing this historical event as Strauss's "personal grudge" is very disdainful, and some even think that it is a cover-up under "capitalist hypocrisy and democracy" or a "compromise" by director Nolan. But in reality, I don't fully agree with this. Just like how Nolan portrayed this scene in black and white, it is unrelated to subjectivity or perspective. On the contrary, if you truly understand the "hypocrisy of capitalism," you will actually appreciate the explanation of "personal grudges".

It is precisely because of this root that this appearance is formed. The reason why some viewers have such opinions is because they unconsciously associate their own experiences of so-called "authoritarianism" with Strauss's actions, resulting in a misplaced understanding. The same goes for similar understandings in other works. They are all subconsciously reasonable and misplaced.

In "Auburnheimer," Einstein asks him why he didn't choose to leave after being persecuted, and Auburnheimer replies, "I damn well love this country." At first glance, some viewers might find this scene a bit cliché, but in reality, it is Auburnheimer's way of expressing his attitude through his actions, such as donating money to those who died innocently or helping people in difficult situations during the war... Auburnheimer's love is not really for this country, but for the people on this land beneath his feet.

Side Note#

My favorite fan creation XD Auburnheimer

Commercialism#

Experience#

Auburnheimer's Dilemma#

Ideology#

Recommended Reading:#

Side Note#