#trinity test

[a-forger-and-a-point-man]

Don’t forget the first victims when you go see Oppenheimer this opening weekend. Unforgivable not to include them in the narrative.

We love us some Nolan and Cillian but this is also a story that should never have taken place.

For further reading:

This is what happens when the US government goes nuclear-crazy during the Cold War and mines a shit ton of uranium. Lambs born with three legs and no eyes, and human stillbirths and agonizing deformities for those that survive. For decades it was referred to as a Navajo-specific hereditary illness. No one made the link to the mines and the drinking water.

#oppenheimer #atomic bomb #nuclear weapons #trinity test

[soos-idae]

got tickets to both Barbie and Oppenheimer yesterday, proud to say I survived barbenheimer

Last picture credits to @falconsnat on twitter

#barbenheimer #barbie #barbie 2023 #oppenheimer #trinity test #los alamos #margot robbie #ryan gosling #greta gerwig #christopher nolan #cillian murphy #florence pugh #robert downey jr #matt damon #emily blunt

[probablyasocialecologist]

Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project knew from the start that this place was not all that isolated and was far from uninhabited. There were, in fact, dozens of families within 20 miles, largely poor families of ranchers and farmers, many Hispanic and Indigenous, who unwittingly went about their daily lives in the first fallout of the atomic age. Now, those who were infants and children downwind of the detonation of the “Gadget”—a code name for the plutonium bomb used in the Trinity test—are nearing the end of a decades-long battle to be recognized and compensated for generations of illness they trace to exposure from radioactive fallout.

[...]

The reactions of Manhattan Project observers at the Trinity site are well documented. “Words haven’t been invented to describe it,” physicist Val Fitch said of the enormous fireball. General Thomas Farrell said the awesome roar “warned of doomsday and made us feel that we puny things were blasphemous.” “A few people laughed, a few people cried,” Oppenheimer recalled years later. “I remembered a line from the Hindu scripture . . . Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” Physicist Kenneth Bainbridge said, “Now we are all sons of bitches.” Less documented are the reactions of the many New Mexicans who lived near Trinity. They had no warning, no context for the star-level explosion that shook their homes and startled them awake that morning. Worse, in the weeks after the test, they were never advised that their land, crops, livestock, and water may have been irradiated. A 2010 report to the CDC used archives at Los Alamos National Laboratory to re-examine the extent to which New Mexicans were unknowingly exposed to radioactive contamination from Trinity. Its findings revealed a shambolic and sometimes cynical effort to track the Gadget’s fallout that windy morning using “crude” and “ineffective” measures. Spotlights were deployed to try to follow the 230 tons of sand and ash falling from the mushroom cloud as it dispersed over southern New Mexico. Film badges designed to detect and measure radiation had been sent to nearby post offices before the test, but because of the Manhattan Project’s secret nature, there was little explanation on how the badges were meant to be used or why, and so they were deployed incorrectly or not at all. Some soldiers assigned to chase and monitor the radioactive cloud couldn’t relay their findings to headquarters in Albuquerque because they were not equipped with long-distance radios; other monitors attempted to gather fallout samples with domestic Filter Queen brand vacuum cleaners. (These samples were later lost or destroyed.) At least one monitor left the area after his superior declared tracking fallout a “waste of time,” while another soldier misplaced his respirator and took the official but scientifically misguided precaution of breathing through a slice of bread.

#Oppenheimer #Manhattan Project #nuclear weapons #trinity test #radiation

[oscarisaacasimov]

Oscars 2024 & political issues

I get cheesy about the Oscars.

At its best, this is a celebration of humanity, of people sharing their artistic vision with the world, of creating from the heart of what they care about, of reflecting social and ethical crises through the medium of movies, be they documentary, historical fiction, or fantasy.

--In the monologue, Jimmy Kimmel offered support and solidarity to the members of IATSE, the union representing many crew members, which is currently in contract negotiations that are expected to be difficult. IATSE was a key ally to the writers and actors during their 2023 strikes.

--The In Memoriam segment began with a clip from last year's winning documentary "Nalavny" - "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for the good people to do nothing."

--Osage Nation member & songwriter Scott George says about their performance "We're hoping you see us as a people that have survived and that are able to hold on to what we have."

--Cillian Murphy dedicated his Oppenheimer Oscar to "the peacemakers everywhere."

--Nimona director Troy Quane wore a Protect Trans Kids pin.

--Oscar speeches don't often open with the words, "I wish I'd never made this film." Mstyslav Chrernov accepted Ukraine's first ever Oscar and closed his speech with the words "Slava Ukraini - Glory to Ukraine."

--Zone of Interest filmmaker Jonathan Glazer's speech reflected themes from his movie: "All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present, Not to say 'look what they did then'; rather, 'look what we do now.' Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst.

Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and a Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people, whether the victims of October the seventh in Israel, or the ongoing attack on Gaza. How do we resist?"

--attendees from Mark Ruffalo to Billie Eillish to Ava DuVernay wore a red&black pin to show their support for a ceasefire in Gaza

--protestors calling for an immediate ceasefire closed a major intersection and blocked traffic near the Dolby Theatre, delaying the award show — and forcing an acknowledgment of the issues the protest centered on.

#academy awards #oscars #oscars 2024 #jimmy kimmel #sag strike #wga strike #iatse #union strong #alexei navalny #osage nation #killers of the flower moon #scott george #cillian murphy #oppenheimer #trinity test #nimona #protect trans kids #troy quane #20 days in mariupol #ukraine #slava ukraini #mstyslav chernov #jonathan glazer #zone of interest #ceasefire now #stop the genocide #free gaza #gaza genocide #mark ruffalo #billie eilish

[deadpresidents]

Just saw Oppenheimer and I was a bit disappointed with how they portrayed Truman. He came across pretty poorly IMO. It was only one scene but I wondered what you thought.

I understand your disappointment and it certainly wasn't a very in-depth portrayal of Truman, but according to the book that the movie was largely based on -- American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO) -- the meeting that Oppenheimer had with President Truman went down pretty much as depicted in the film.

As Bird and Sherwin write in American Prometheus:

(O)n October 25, 1945, Oppenheimer was ushered into the Oval Office. President Truman was naturally curious to meet the celebrated physicist, whom he knew by reputation to be an eloquent and charismatic figure. After being introduced by Secretary [of War Robert P.] Patterson, the only other individual in the room, the three men sat down. By one account, Truman opened the conversation by asking for Oppenheimer's help in getting Congress to pass the May-Johnson bill, giving the Army permanent control over atomic energy. "The first thing is to define the national problem," Truman said, "then the international." Oppenheimer let an uncomfortably long silence pass and then said, haltingly, "Perhaps it would be best first to define the international problem." He meant, of course, that the first imperative was to stop the spread of these weapons by placing international controls over all atomic technology. At one point in their conversation, Truman suddenly asked him to guess when the Russians would develop their own atomic bomb. When Oppie replied that he did not know, Truman confidently said he knew the answer: "Never." For Oppenheimer, such foolishness was proof of Truman's limitations. The "incomprehension it showed just knocked the heart out of him," recalled Willie Higinbotham. As for Truman, a man who compensated for his insecurities with calculated displays of decisiveness, Oppenheimer seemed maddeningly tentative, obscure -- and cheerless. Finally, sensing that the President was not comprehending the deadly urgency of his message, Oppenheimer nervously wrung his hands and uttered another of those regrettable remarks that he characteristically made under pressure. "Mr. President," he said quietly, "I feel I have blood on my hands." The comment angered Truman. He later informed David Lilienthal, "I told him the blood was on my hands -- to let me worry about that." But over the years, Truman embellished the story. By one account, he replied, "Never mind, it'll all come out in the wash." In yet another version, he pulled his handkerchief from his breast pocket and offered it to Oppenheimer, saying, "Well, here, would you like to wipe your hands?" An awkward silence followed this exchange, and then Truman stood up to signal that the meeting was over. The two men shook hands, and Truman reportedly said, "Don't worry, we're going to work something out, and you're going to help us." Afterwards, the President was heard to mutter, "Blood on his hands, dammit, he hasn't half as much blood on his hands as I have. You just don't go around bellyaching about it." He later told [Secretary of State] Dean Acheson, "I don't want to see that son-of-a-bitch in this office ever again." Even in May 1946, the encounter still vivid in his mind, he wrote Acheson and described Oppenheimer as a "cry-baby scientist" who had come to "my office some five or six months ago and spent most of his time wringing his hands and telling me they had blood on them because of the discovery of atomic energy."

#Oppenheimer #History #Oppenheimer Film #J. Robert Oppenheimer #Harry S. Truman #President Truman #Truman Administration #Atomic Bomb #Manhattan Project #Trinity Test #Oppenheimer Movie #Christopher Nolan #Cillian Murphy #Gary Oldman #American Prometheus #American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer #Kai Bird #Martin J. Sherwin #Nuclear Weapons #World War II

[stanford-photography]

Now I Am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds v1 By Jeff Stanford, 2023

Buy prints at: https://jeff-stanford.pixels.com/

#© Jeff Stanford #midjourney #midjourneyart #ai #discord #digitalart #aiart #Artists on tumblr #J. Robert Oppenheimer #atomic mushroom cloud #The Destroyer of Worlds #atomic bomb #scientist #man #Manhattan Project #Trinity test #theoretical physicist

[guillotineman]

Oppenheimer (2023, dir. Christopher Nolan)

#Oppenheimer #Oppenheimer movie #Oppenheimer 2023 #Christopher Nolan #Chris Nolan #Nolan #Cillian Murphy #biography #history #drama #atomic bomb #Trinity test #best scene #good #movie #IMAX #imax #Hoyte Van Hoytema #Ludwig Göransson #cinema

[oppieandeverything]

Robert’s portrait by Heed Chang on Artstation.

#art #atomic bomb #oppenheimer fanart #oppenheimer #oppie #manhattan project #us history #history of science #physics #character design #american prometheus #portrait #digital art #barbenheimer #trinity test #los alamos #oppenheimer 2023 #christmas #christopher nolan #robert oppenheimer

[denimbex1986]

'The behind-the-scenes details of Oppenheimer’s production demonstrate the craftsmanship and commitment that went into making the film a success. Christopher Nolan’s three-hour biopic of the father of the nuclear bomb J. Robert Oppenheimer has proven a hit with critics and audiences. The film has earned over $240 million at the box office and currently sits at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviews demonstrate a widespread appreciation for the movie’s numerous winning aspects, including its thoughtful script, powerhouse cast, and stunning visuals.

As one of the biggest directors working today, Christopher Nolan boasts a thoughtful vision, as well as the resources to pull it off. As such, the story of Oppenheimer’s production is a rich one. The ways in which Nolan chooses to challenge the conventions and standards of filmmaking demonstrate the director’s ambition and skill. However, the film also benefits from the keen insights and creative generosity of the director’s collaborators. Much like the film itself, Oppenheimer’s production paints the picture of a unique and staggering work brought to life by a creative visionary and his diligent team.

10. Oppenheimer's Atomic Bomb Explosion Was Done Practically

The defining moment of Oppenheimer is the successful detonation of the atomic bomb at the Trinity test. For Christopher Nolan, it was important that the Oppenheimer explosion was captured without CGI so that it could be “beautiful and terrifying in equal measure.” For Nolan, this effect can’t be achieved with CGI, something which “inherently is quite comfortable to look at.” Instead, the director chose to detonate a smaller real bomb, using a mixture that involved gasoline, petroleum, aluminum powder, and magnesium flares to produce the blinding light, plumes of fire, and mushrooming effect typical of an atomic bomb. Nolan used forced perspective to give the detonation a sense of scale.

9. Oppenheimer Features No CGI Shots

Oppenheimer’s dramatic explosion isn’t the only surprising use of practical effects. Christopher Nolan even made headlines in the lead-up to the film’s release by remarking that there are “No CGI shots in Oppenheimer”. However, this doesn’t mean that the film employs no CGI at all. Rather, not a single shot in the biopic is made up entirely of CGI. This is no mean feat, since some of the images, particularly the visualizations of atomic particles, would be far easier to render as fully CG creations. In the production of the film, these visualizations were created through a blend of VFX and practical filmmaking that gives the moments real, tangible weight.

8. Cillian Murphy's Oppenheimer Look Was Inspired By David Bowie

Cillian Murphy strikes a vivid figure in Oppenheimer. It’s hard to express exactly what sets Oppenheimer’s look apart from the dozens of other suit-wearing physicists in the movie, but there’s certainly an ephemeral quality to the look that makes it feel distinct. Christopher Nolan used David Bowie as an influence for the scientist’s appearance. According to Murphy (via Vulture), the director would send him photos of the rock star in the 1970s, “when he was so skinny and kind of emaciated but had these wonderfully tailored suits with the trousers, that was the Oppenheimer silhouette.”

7. RDJ, Emily Blunt, & Matt Damon Took Pay Cuts To Be In Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer boasts a shockingly stacked cast, from top-tier character actors to screen veterans and even current A-listers in supporting roles. While the movie’s budget of $100 million is high for a dramatic biopic, it wouldn’t be sufficient to pay the usual salaries of some of its biggest stars. Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, and Robert Downey Jr. are all big box office draws who could easily demand $10-20 million for a film appearance. However, Variety reports that an eagerness to work with Christopher Nolan encouraged the stars to drop their quote dramatically, although the stars all have deals for a share of the film’s backend profits.

6. Oppenheimer Required The Invention Of A New Kind Of Film Stock

One of the trademarks of the latter part of Christopher Nolan’s career has been the director’s employment of IMAX technology. The director meets the scale of his work by suiting its presentation to the largest screen possible. This commitment created a challenge with the black-and-white sequences of Oppenheimer since black-and-white IMAX film stock did not exist when Nolan began developing the film. Instead of compromising on his use of IMAX or the use of grayscale sequences in the film, Nolan had film stock manufacturer Kodak develop the first-ever black-and-white film stock for IMAX (via Collider).

5. Oppenheimer Is (Almost) Too Big For IMAX

Black-and-white stock isn’t the only new IMAX ground Christopher Nolan broke with Oppenheimer. Around the time of the film’s release, Nolan treated the internet to a look at the IMAX film print for Oppenheimer, which is the biggest ever. The reel is over 11 miles long and weighs over 600 lbs. The director is no stranger to pushing the limits of IMAX projectors; his previous IMAX epic Interstellar required a widening of the standard projector platter to accommodate the size of the 167-minute film. However, Nolan reports (via Collider) that the projector is now at its absolute limit with Oppenheimer since the projector’s arm can’t physically bear any more weight.

4. Oppenheimer's Kyoto Bombing Line Was Unscripted

For many viewers, one of the most harrowing moments in Oppenheimer isn’t a dramatic visual, but an offhanded comment made by a minor character. In the scene where US Secretary of War Stimson (James Remar) discusses which Japanese cities should be targets for the atomic bomb, he crosses Kyoto off the list, remarking that he and his wife honeymooned there. It’s a chilling moment based on actual history that powerfully skewers the calculating remoteness of those involved with the bombing. According to Nolan, the devastating Oppenheimer line was suggested by Remar himself, who had learned the fact while conducting his own research into the character.

3. Robert Pattinson Inspired Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan credits Robert Pattinson, star of his previous blockbuster Tenet, with igniting his interest in the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer. According to CBR, Pattinson gifted Nolan with a book of Oppenheimer’s speeches towards the end of production on Tenet. Nolan became fascinated with the character of Oppenheimer and began to envisage a film that would tell the story. Unfortunately, Nolan wasn’t able to fit Pattinson into Oppenheimer, explaining (via Digital Spy) that the actor is “very much in demand these days”.

2. Most Of Oppenheimer’s Script Is Written In The First Person

Christopher Nolan has long held a reputation as a director who defies conventions, from the backward chronology of Memento to the alternating timeframes of Dunkirk. The director recently revealed to THR that he broke a major screenwriting convention with his Oppenheimer script, by writing large portions in the first person. Nolan explains that, in order to help differentiate the script’s timelines, everything in the film which takes place from Oppenheimer’s own perspective is told in the first person. In the film, this distinction is shown through color grading, with everything outside of Oppenheimer’s perspective shown in stark black-and-white.

1. Cillian Murphy Nearly Played Oppenheimer In A TV Show

Cillian Murphy has rightly seen a deluge of critical praise for his performance in Oppenheimer. Not only does the actor bear a physical resemblance to the real figure, he brings a riveting sense of alienated pathos to the role that effortlessly maintains audience engagement. However, this isn’t the first time Cillian Murphy was considered to play Oppenheimer. In 2014, the series Manhattan, another dramatization of the creation of the atomic bomb, featured the nuclear scientist as a secondary character. According to the series’ creator, Sam Shaw “We wanted Oppenheimer […] to feel alien, or other, in some ways. A thousand percent, Cillian Murphy was on that list.”'

#Cillian Murphy #Christopher Nolan #IMAX #Matt Damon #Emily Blunt #Tenet #Robert Pattinson #Manhattan #Memento #Dunkirk #James Remar #Robert Downey Jr. #David Bowie #Trinity Test #Rotten Tomatoes

[oppenheimerblog]

Left: New York Times journalist William Laurence and J. Robert Oppenheimer at the Trinity site in September 1945. Right: Oppenheimer and General Leslie Groves examining the Trinity detonation site after the successful detonation

#oppenheimer #photos #trinity test #history #j robert oppenheimer #robert oppenheimer

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

The Trinity test of the Manhattan Project on 16 July 1945 was the first detonation of a nuclear weapon.

#Manhattan Project #World War II #1945 #40's #40s #first detonation of a nuclear weapon #nuclear weapon #Mushroom cloud #detonation #Trinity (nuclear test) #Trinity test #color photograph #photography #photo #colorful

[sharkchunks]

Trinity Nuclear Test Footage (1945)

South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999)

#oppenheimer #trinity test #south park

[fatecolossal]

The swept-away eraser shavings of ERASERHEAD (1977) [top] x Inside the mushroom cloud of the Trinity nuclear detonation in Part 8 of TWIN PEAKS (2017) [bottom]

The atomic detonation is, of course, itself directly displayed in ERASERHEAD, in a framed photo hanging by Henry’s bed, where we first see it in a shot sequence that visually links the splitting of the atom to the film’s themes of interpersonal & psychological splitting:

#twin peaks #david lynch #eraserhead #film comparison #trinity test

[mceproductions]

Best of 2023 Movies #2: Oppenheimer

Portmanteau can be found in all weird places.

When it comes to 2023 one dominates.

The other half of this comes from a venerable talent who takes another crack at a historic period and sees the talent one man possesses and changed things.

J Robert Oppenheimer was known for his work with physics and his concept of seeing matter.

One aspect he would come to use that for as one of the leading minds with the Manhattan Project was the development of a nuclear weapon. The ones that would be used within a 72 hour period on Japan to bring an end to World War II.

What Christopher Nolan and Cillan Murphy do here is give gravitas around how his impact on the world was not what he had started out intending but would change it more than he’d come to realize.

His actions getting the ire of Lewis Strauss, member of the atomic energy commission who uses his influence and Oppenheimers ties to communist ideals to discredit him in the early 50s.

As mentioned Murphy owns this but equal to this is Robert Downey Jr as Strauss along with Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer.

Along with a surprising number of support players you couldn’t fathom playing these parts.

One in particular is the trigger man in the famed trinity test.

More stunning is the practical effects and sound used especially in the way Nolan continues to build the tension until the flash in Los Almos brightens the night sky. Along with his immortal words followed up with the boom.

When unexpectedly paired with a film concerning another one’s influence who would also change things going forward, this certainly made its impact.

Portmanteaus really do make magic happen.

SUM 22: Cillian Murphy brings the I Am Become Death persona of Oppenheimer to life within Christopher Nolan’s stunning and beautifully shot 180 Minutes.

#oppenheimer #j robert oppenheimer #cillian murphy #christopher nolan #barbenheimer #robert downey jr #lewis strauss #emily blunt #kitty oppenheimer #matt damon #leslie groves #josh peck #manhattan project #los alamos #trinity test #i am become death #movies #2 #best of 2023 #best of 2023 movies #ludwig goransson #dance the night #can you hear the music #Neil Bohr #kenneth branagh #devon bostick #josh hartnett #albert einstein #Youtube

[stanford-photography]

Now I Am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds v2 By Jeff Stanford, 2023

Buy prints at: https://jeff-stanford.pixels.com/

#© Jeff Stanford #midjourney #midjourneyart #ai #discord #digitalart #aiart #Artists on tumblr #J. Robert Oppenheimer #atomic mushroom cloud #The Destroyer of Worlds #atomic bomb #scientist #man #Manhattan Project #Trinity test #theoretical physicist #portrait

[spaceintruderdetector]

''I will show you fear in a handful of dust.''

#the waste land #t.s. eliot #trinity test #the manhattan project