'Oppenheimer' inaccuracies: Netizens, historians spot factual errors
Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster, Oppenheimer, is making waves at the box office. While the film is garnering praise from audiences in theaters, it is also becoming a hot topic on social media. Some eagle-eyed netizens and historians have pointed out mistakes in this biographical drama, featuring Cillian Murphy. Let's explore what people have pointed out as "wrong" or "historically inaccurate" in Oppenheimer.
Why does this story matter?
Oppenheimer takes its inspiration from the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer—authored by Kai Bird and the late Martin J Sherwin. It is noteworthy that Nolan has distinguished between scenes based on historical facts and those from Oppenehiemer's perspective. Black-and-white scenes are drawn from public records/government documents, while colored scenes reflect how Oppenheimer remembered those moments.
#1 Historical error: American flag
One glaring mistake going viral is related to the American flag. In a scene, Oppenheimer is seen standing among a cheering crowd, who are waving American flags. However, the flags shown have 50 white stars, representing all 50 states, whereas the scene is set in the early 1940s when the country only had 48 states. Interestingly, the possible error is presented in color.
How did netizens respond to this possible mistake?
The inaccuracy sparked discussions online among fans. A user tweeted, "Totally ruined the film for me," meanwhile, another mocked Nolan by citing his nationality, "He is mostly British, after all!" Another fan scoffed and stated, "It seems sloppy; they put substantial effort into everything else, but the 48-star flag was official from 1912 to 1959, it was the only US flag of the period."
Inconsistency #2: Normal people don't notice an explosion
In an interview, Alex Wallerstein—a historian of science—highlighted that the film primarily focuses on the scientists and military personnel watching the Trinity Test at different distances. However, the brightness of the flame, the sound of the explosion, and the impact of the blast wave were significant and even blew out windows in nearby cities. The government allegedly planted a story and denied any injuries.
Inconsistency #3: The bombs were used to avoid invading Japan
According to Wallerstein, the movie depicted that the bombs were dropped on Japan as a way to avoid invading the country, which he asserted was an "inaccurate representation of historical discussion at that time." Wallerstein highlights that this idea was a post-war rationalization created later. In contrast, physicist Karl T Compton wrote in December 1946 that dropping the bombs was a "calculated gamble."
