Oppenheimer: The Real Story | Documentary

My father was a navigator on a B29 bomber that was tasked with dropping a third atomic bomb on Japan. I am so thankful that he never had to be part of a third bomb and so much death and destruction. Upon his discharge from service after the war, my mild mannered Dad, an Iowa boy from a tiny town, finished college in Iowa to become a dentist. Then he moved back to San Antonio , Texas, where he had been stationed in the war, to start his dental practice. He died in 2020 of COVID, at the age of 94.

I was just 12 yo when the atomic bombs changed the world. I am now 90 yo and lived through the start of the nuclear age, the cold war, plastics, antibiotics, rockets, computers, DNA tech, now AI ....WOW what a ride!

Finally, a good documentary with historians and biographers, not movie directors.

I was a student at UC Berkeley from 1965-1968. I studied between classes at a large study room at LeConte Hall, the Physics building. During breaks in my studies I would go upstairs and check out the different offices. At the time there were five offices on one floor, each a Nobel prize winner in physics. One of them had the name of J. Robert Oppenheimer…even though he was no longer on faculty! That’s how much he was honored.

Having watched the movie. mostly because of Nolan as Director and its 13 Oscar nominations, I was completely captivated by the complexity of Oppenheimer's character and moral sensitivity.
I was looking for something really substantial by way of a documentary to deepen my understanding. I found it here. Congratulations and thank you to all involved.

Truly one of the best biographical documentaries I’ve had the privilege of watching. Thank you for sharing this. 😊🇨🇦

My parents both worked at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, from July 1944 to October 1945. Daddy was an engine mechanic on engines of all sorts--after his career as a mechanic on B-17s in Memphis. Mother was the only female electrician on the complex, and worked in a room where the electricity would pull bobby pins from her hair. Neither knew what they were doing, were working on or for, but on August 7 when they discovered what had happened, they suddenly knew they had been a big part of the Manhattan Project. For many years they didn't talk about what they had done, only 50 years later did they fully divulge their jobs and their contribution to the project. Pride doesn't begin to describe the feelings I have for my parents at that time in our history.

He actually saved so many lives my uncle, who survived 29 days on Imo Jima was back on Guam refitting with the third Marines for their part in the invasion of Japan, but instead, he got to go home

Great, well produced and particularly well edited presentation of some very thoughtful people discussing an extremely complicated man.

"" now I'm become death...The destroyer of worlds.""
Chilling words indeed.

This documentary was well made and presented in a fine manner.

My GOD... this documentary actually broke my heart & restored my faith in humanity x Great job.

In the early 90s I lived in Los Alamos and I must say that environment was different from anywhere I have lived and worked since. You had the beauty of the forests, the mountains, streams and so much more but at the same time you had the cutting edge technology, it was a strange balance but it works to this day. Would you believe we didn’t even take the car keys out of the car at the grocery store?

Outstanding presentation....allows the viewer to actually understand the documentary...perfect speed of speech...

Wow what a presentation. I feel like now I know what Prof Openheimer was like when he lived. And I feel sad for him. He deserved better in life.

I grew up in New Mexico. I and my family were part of the atomic energy research industry that followed the development of the bomb in New Mexico. I have read and watched a lot about the history of Los Alamos and the bomb. I watched the movie and I watched this presentation. The movie did better at fleshing out Oppenheimer as a living, breathing human but seemed to twist him to fit a plot. In this documentary Oppenheimer feels like a ghost of the complex individual he clearly was. For me it was like walking through a historial building and only getting a hint of the bustling home it once was from the pictures on the wall.

I was born in Lubbock, TX but moved back to New Mexico before I was a year old. I love NM and will always consider it home. My grandmother brought her husband and children here from her unwillingness to raise her children in Alabama. I had a rare thyroid cancer at age 13 and one of my sons got the same cancer in his early 20s. He was told it was definitely related to the atomic bomb testing that occured in NM

Thank you for this exquisitely detailed presentation. It was most enlightening.

It was one of the best documentary films on Professor Oppenheimer that I have ever seen.

BRAVO!!! A Masterpiece of Documentary Film Making!!! The Brilliance, Genius, Intellectual Prowess, Journey of a human life's path into ravenous appetite for Academic perfection, Dominance, Expansion...AND the discovery of his own humanity...you successfully portray this. Leaving the viewer to be free to have their experience, without manipulation/corruption!

It is a tragedy how Oppenheimer was so misunderstood by our government, but when you look at our government today you can get a sense of how that misunderstanding has become institutionalized in our government.

Ernest Rutherford was probably the most brilliant mind to come out of New Zealand - from a small rural town (Nelson) who split the atom and became a great practical Physicist at Cambridge University - eventually becoming Lord Rutherford of Nelson. Oppenheimer could have learnt a lot from him had they worked together!

Oppenheimer after the release of the two atomic bombs, he immediately recognized the danger the world was in, but was unable to translate this at the time. The world didn't understand nor ready, to recognized this danger, crucified this man for the next fifty years. What a tragedy, imagine what he could have created over time.

I already had little desire to see what Hollywood made of "Oppenheimer" based on what I previously knew about this independent spirit and multi-dimensional genius, and after seeing this excellent documentary, my initial hesitation to see a cardboard version of this 20th century 'loner' has only become stronger. Oppenheimer remains a mystery to me in many of his facets but he has gained my sympathy, and this documentary only affirms that he basically was human after all. Well done!

Los Alamos resembled the highly secret city at Bletchley Park where Alan Turing and Gordon Welshman worked during war to break Enigma codes.

"Si vis pacem para bellum"
If you want peace...
prepare for war.
That's the lesson.

I saw on a documentary about the atomic strikes, that after the second attack that Col. Paul Tibbetts was asked if there were any more bomb at their disposal, he answered that there was a third bomb available, but it was at Wendover field in Utah and he was immediately instructed to get it out here. The orders were given to deliver the bomb to Tinian Island for immediate use, but the bomb never made it any further west than California before it was stopped due to Japans surrender.

The humanization of an iconic historical person.

although its a little hard to get through I recommend reading American Prometheus, which is the most thorough examination of this amazing man.

Oppenheimer died at 62 of throat cancer and it is not all due to smoking. I've heard about the cancer deaths at the Savannah River Project in SC. Radiation is linked to and causes cancer.

What a tribute. What heights a man can attain even without faith in God. He had far more conscience and sense of the sacredness of life than some who do believe in God.
Thank you for this amazing work.

These authors speak with such confidence like they knew exactly what his childhood was like, and exactly what he must have been thinking. Yet the only person that can really know is the man himself.

Fuchs was a known activist in communist party in Germany. He fled Germany to avoid arrest. He was hired by Max Born in UK, who was working in theirs nuclear project. It was on account of recommendations from Max Born that Fuchs landed up in Los Alamos. It was sheer negligence on the part of security agencies of US that he was not prevented from taking part in Manhattan project.

A Truly Curious Man, with a complicated story and a date with destiny. I've learned a lot.

Great documentary and very informative. He was such an incredible man. Thank you for posting

Outstanding. Thank you all for this compelling look at JRO. All the best to Robert.

Great presentation. Thank you for sharing. Peace

Excellent documentary!

As a Japanese, I can’t help thinking that he is in charge of the death of hundreds of thousand people.
However, after watching this, I thought that he is just a good citizen who has loyalty to the US and is a genius scientist who realized nuclear power on earth.
The story of his life was so impressive. I am thankful to the author of this video.

Excellent documentary. Thank you.
I'm left at the end with the irony of the man who couldn't be contained by any one discipline or by a particular intellectual dimension, but who is forever contained by a simple urn at the bottom of a bay. What a genuinely sad and poignant ending, albeit one almost fitting for one who was so unique and singular.

Thank you for the video, I learned alot!

Very interesting, very well put together with interesting personalities.

This documentary was excellent. Oppenheimer was certainly brilliant and a polymath. This doc seems to say that he didn't get along with children as a boy because he came from such a privileged home, and indeed, that can make one feel precious, standoffish, and above the crowd. However, what is not mentioned is the possibility that he was on the autism spectrum. His inability to make friends, correctly interpret social cues, and love of esoteric subjects that stretched the limits of his mind -- learning Sanskrit, reading French literature in French, becoming interested in Hinduism -- may have been an autistic trait. Autistic people often have such unusual interests such as memorizing the entire NYC subway system, and so on. Later it sounds like he could get around that and figure out how to be charming and work well in collaborative groups. I haven't read enough about him to know that this is true, but there is that possibility......

Thank you for this video, I saw the movie Oppenheimer when it came out and I didn’t understand the movie but this video has helped me to understand the movie, I wish I would have watched this before I saw the movie 🎥

I can totally understand the mindset of Oppenheimer. When the Mind wants more knowledge sometimes we can become an overwhelming to others around us. But that should never stopped us from seeking the truth. I enjoyed this documentary. May God be with everyone and protect us and keep us safe. All glory to God. Aka the higher power.

Finally, an accurate historical account ! Good job !

I find it terrifying that people in government have so little comprehension of human nature.

I believe this channel is the best in all the virtual space of the world, this channel gives a lot of information and teaches science, history and important cultural issues, thank you❤

Hinduism says learn what is there to learn, but avoid applying what you learn for personal gain. Humans have the problem of EGO, Hinduism says until you conquer your ego you will remain ignorant who you really are. Sadhus struggle to comprehend the mystery of ego;
OPE and most Europeans do not realize they have big big EGO which is a source of admiration and vanity; this vanity never withers, though Hindus never cease to try and conquer it.

its hard to make friends when you are a genius

my uncle, eric jette, was part of the scientific community that arrived at los alamos, still under construction. his wife was my father's sister,eleanor. and she has written an interesting and amusing (at times) book about their experiences at los alamos for the next 2-3 years. eleanor and eric loved the neew mexico countrside so much that they bought some lasnd and built a house not too far from l. a. after the dwar and lived there the rest of their lives. their son billy, my cousin, later became an architect in albuquerque. norman brown m.d. phoenix az

Wow, interesting! Never heard a lot of this about his life. Thanks 🙏

My understanding of Openheimer's career, was that his brilliant mastery and understanding of theoretical physics, was such that he was encouraged to embark on creating the atom bomb by both the scientific community and politicians, and not because his objective was to harm or destroy humanity by creating an atom bomb. This was his weakness, for which he paid a heavy price with his conscience.The flip side was that the research into fusion and fision HAS led to great progress in the harness of nuclear power for peaceful energy purposes, and if Oppenheimer had considered this alternative at the outset, I believe he would not have become such a tragic figure. Doubtless others would have taken on the challenge who may not have had the humanity and decency that he possessed. I found that this documentary was more informative that the film; however the book by Bird & Sherwin 'American Prometheus' is even better!

Einstein is likely the only person that could call Oppenheimer a fool w/o the connotation of trying to belittle him and elevating himself.

There were 19 Black African American scientists who worked with Enrique Fermi at U. of Chicago for the Manhattan Project. After their work there, many were not able to find gainful employment.

I put some diagnostic equipment into a small lab in Roswell, New Mexico in the mid- 1990s - there for a week - and they would tell me how they had so many cancers and other health problems still being diagnosed and treated that were traced to those early test explosions at Los Alamos. Ironic that Oppenheimer's bomb would end up poisoning and killing so many people and animals in a state he had professed to "love."

Absolutely exceptional, not given to anything but the facts, Thank you !!!!!

Excellent video thank you for showing this.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍 I enjoyed it all and shared it with many 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Thank you for the awesome production. I'm real happy to report that I watched it in glasses free 3D on my Leia Lume Pad 2 making the video double awesome.

We are going through one of those crazy periods right now .

I watched every second of this. Great job yall. And ty. Nothing but respect for this man

Openheimer is described as being weird, socialy inadapted, brilliant is many domains, that's called having Asperger Syndrome, just as many other brilliant figures in history. Even nowadays people aren't taught about that and don't react accordingly.

It took just 18 months to aquire the land, move the people, and have the B Reactor at the Hanford Reservation finished and ready to produce plutonium. I doubt any other gvmt funded project has moved that fast, since.

They have tried to do the same with 45 . The only difference is it has made 45 even more popular .

Many insightful perspectives on the man, especially from Clay Jenkinson.
An arresting comment right at the end - that 'America goes through these periods of historical craziness'. Hopefully it will move beyond the current one.

He won the contest of who will become the first Great Monster.

Bravo! Superb presentation.

Very interesting 👍 well done 👌👏👏👏

I went to Ethical Culture... Fieldston Class of 1978. Studied physics in the Oppenheimer Lab. My teacher was George Ray Darby- F=MA-1/2MVsquared=MGH.

Very compelling documentary

Thank you so much!!!

Thanks for a great documentary.

Oppenheimer was asked by the interviewer what went through his mind, not what he said. Two very different things and understandably so.

An interesting documentary and glad I watched it. A very sad ending for a brilliant, ecentric man who ended WW2 (Pacific Theater) but felt a conscience to stop the weapon from getting out of control, by those above him. Truman would be pushing a blank button if the bomb was not built......the biggest tragedy was his daughter who was penalised by having his father's surname.

excellent documentary 👍🏻

My husband, daughter and I have been to Los Alamos, twice. It's a pretty creepy town.

I think you could argue oppenheimer was a good fit for director even before his skills showed.
He understands the concepts needed for the job and could articulate it in layman's terms. This would allow him to coordinate the scientists actually running experiments in the lab, understanding the whole process, without actually needing to do the lab work that he was bad at.

I agree with Einstein regarding the confrontation with the powers that be in Washington, DC:
"Never apologize, never explain. Your friends don't need it and your enemies will never believe you." Attributed to Winston Churchill
Cheers

Good stuff 🎉. Thanks for posting

If humans can successfully discovered the secret of nuclear fusion, imagine what else humans can do for goodness sake

It’s rare that I’ve seen more than one of the movies up for Oscar best picture before the award is announced. This year I’ve seen Maestro & Oppenheimer (I assume both are nominated).
Oppenheimer is a thinker, with intricate exposition and fleshing out a plethora of characters. It’s an epic biopic, thus a shoe-in for best picture. Nolan brings it home, with his usual blaring music score, to a poignant awareness end. The final Earth burning image is the startling horror we live with every day - - especially considering the number of nations and rebels firing missiles at each other this week. The best we can do is put the terror out of our minds for a spell in order to achieve happiness in this life .. but it’s always there.
I’m hesitant to write this, but considering how many annual inside jokes are routinely made about the number of Jews in attendance at Oscar ceremonies, I wonder what personages will say this year. I suppose as little was said about USA slaughter of Iraqis at such award shows at the time, Palestinians dying wholesale won’t get much mention. Someone may invoke the lame “peace in the Middle East” - - as though we’ve had it at home - - or the CIA hasn’t been orchestrating death of innocent human beings all over the planet since its inception.
The deadly Hamas attack was horrrible, but I don’t see how killing over tenfold innocents in response, and destroying the already debilitated infrastructure and homes of millions does any good. It’s madness. The movie Oppenheimer mentions Jews and communists a lot. It’s intriguing that fervent anti-communists then and now seem oblivious to what progress domestic communists provided the USA considering labor rights, and their part in finishing WWII. The actions of such leftists weren’t directed by Soviet or Russian mentality, but by human compassion and the knowledge that working together - united - we prevail. By the same token, folks have to be mindful differentiating the actions of Israel from Jews in the USA. Heartfelt opinions about the destruction of Gaza are divided in both demographics.
What’s assured is any scientist or politician who expressed hope nuclear bombs would deter war was way off the mark. We’re on the world brink now more than ever. What’s most agonizingly evident is no matter how brazen immoral financial, political, and war corporation corruption is apparent in the USA, in domestic and foreign battlefields, we are powerless to stop it. The scales are tilted too far in favor of those who are insane with avarice and power. Who could ever defeat those who bank the trillions of dollars that disappear with regularity from the Pentagon budget. History shows those with the most destructive weapons use them. We muddle thru, and concern ourselves with entertainment. 
I don’t see how Cillian Murphy deserves best actor when there’s at least one actor in the same film giving a better performance. Robert Downey Jr evoked more depth of character in every scene he was in. Murphy, who was stellar in Peaky Blinders, played shades of the same stoic notes over and over, and Oppenheimer, though the genius in charge of Trinity, often appears as a character the movie is happening around. Bradley Cooper should win the Oscar for best actor. The scenes between him and Carey Mulligan are riveting. No two actors could bring their pivotal Thanksgiving argument to life better. Thru the film, they bring the nuances of their characters’ love, and their struggle within it, to the fore. His conducting scene is a triumph. What Cooper did, embodying a person so fully, is above the acting Jamie Foxx and Rami Malek delivered in their Oscar winning performances. It’s a shame if he doesn’t get the trophy.
I guess I’m watching Barbie next.

Mulțumim pentru traducerea în română! ❤🇹🇩❤

Exceptional! Thank you.

Growing up wealthy, and being doted on by a child's parents, doesn't always mean the child had a good childhood. Especially when being overprotected and never wanting for anything.

This is really amazing ❤

My dad was an officer in the command of General Douglas MacArthur who had two memories connected to the bomb.
First by the summer of 1945, he had been informed that he was one of a group of officers that had been selected to lead the initial wave of men ashore in Operation Olympus, the invasion of main land Japan. Needless to say, these bombs probably saved a lot of men who were going to be in the invasion.
Second, he took part in a U.S. Army survey of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the war and saw first hand what these bombs could do. So beides being greeted by he mayor of Nagasaki as the first American tourists.
He also saw the devastation firsthand of the bombs first use. Not sure if he ever reconciled those two experiences.

I'm no privileged intellectual, but I too, fell in love with New Mexico in my teenage years as a way to escape the suburbs of an eastern city. Many years later, the infatuation still remains.

Clay Jenkinson was a professor. He did a Chataqua, and acted as Thomas Jefferson and as Meriwether Lewis. His one line that I found chilling but correct was, “Some men belong in Society (Clark), Some belong in the Wild (Coulter)anf and some belong in neither (Lewis). I’m not sure of the accuracy of that quote, but the meaning is true.

This is a fantastic documentary.

THANK YOU for this gripping documentary. What a shame, that too many fools in powerful positions, especially a president with a misplaced ego & lack of comprehension mistreated Dr Oppenheimer. The irony of ignorance & ego's. (Dr. Andries Maritz)

Gracias, muy bueno!

The best documentary I've seen in years. I hope you watch it.
It made me want to investigate this enigmatic, philosopher/scientist further.
(What DID he actually say immediately after the first successful detonation?)

An excellent documentary on a very brilliant and complex man.

I find it odd that in today's age that being a loner is considered as being weird. It still holds true, even today but in reality, the loneliest people in the world are the most stable and most brilliant!

Amazing , thank you so very much 😊❤

I am well traveled in the US. New Mexico is my favorite state. So fascinating, beautiful, intriguing. The people are unique & warm. Can you tell I'm in love with the Enchanted state.

Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton (6 October 1903 - 25 June 1995) was an Irish physicist and Nobel laureate who first split the atom. My mother-in-law's first cousin .

Thank you very much for posting this amazingly engrossing documentary. Does anyone happen to know who was wrote, performed and/or produced the music in it?

I adore the storytelling here! Lots of love, cheers, & Mabuhay, from my end--the Philippines!

About that poison apple .... he really did poison that other student, who got sick, and it's only Oppenheimer's parents' money and connections that kept him out of jail.