Christopher Nolan’s epic Oppenheimer movie about the tortured genius behind the atomic bomb was loosely based on Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s book American Prometheus. The two lead characters have much in common.
Greek mythology has it that Prometheus was a titan who brought the “spark” to humanity in the form of godly fire from Mount Olympus, which he stole from Zeus. Fire became an indispensable tool for the development of humanity and thus took on the symbol of innovation, knowledge, and civilization.
However, Prometheus was punished by Zeus, who chained the titan down on Mount Caucasus and had an eagle come and eat his liver, only for it to regenerate and be eaten again the next day.
How are Oppenheimer and the Greek Titan Prometheus alike?
In American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, which was Christopher Nolan’s inspiration for the movie, the authors draw comparisons between the Greek titan and the tortured physicist. The book draws a comparison between Oppenheimer’s creation of the atomic bomb and Prometheus’ rebellious gift of fire to mankind.
It highlights how, when both figures attempted to caution the world about the destructive nature of their respective objects, those in charge, such as Zeus, were angry and dished out punishment.
An excerpt from the book reads:
“Oppenheimer’s warnings were ignored—and ultimately, he was silenced. Like that rebellious Greek god Prometheus—who stole fire from Zeus and bestowed it upon humankind, Oppenheimer gave us atomic fire. But then, when he tried to control it, when he sought to make us aware of its terrible dangers, the powers-that-be, like Zeus, rose up in anger to punish him.”
Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning film also attempted to highlight similarities between Prometheus’ story and Oppenheimer’s creation. The movie begins with the quote: “Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. For this, he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity.”
According to Screen Rant, this line sums up Oppenheimer’s story in the movie. A Screen Rant article suggests:
“Like Prometheus brings fire, Oppenheimer presents humanity with the atomic bomb, marking the inception of a new era of scientific developments. However, his quest for progress and enlightenment comes with a hefty price, eventually leading to his own downfall.”
Oppenheimer then faces a double-edged sword in that he is both under intense scrutiny from the US government and has to deal with the guilt of creating a deadly, mass-scale weapon. His efforts to raise awareness of the effects of the bomb bring him to a face-off with Lewis Strauss, destroying his reputation and leading to the revocation of his security clearance.
The Oppenheimer movie places the lead character in the same position of suffering as Prometheus. This is because both are forced to endure the eternal punishment of comprehending the consequences of their actions.
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