Oppenheimer the original! How the glamorous cast of Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster compares to the lesser known 1980 BBC miniseries
- Christopher Nolan’s World War II film is not the first time the story’s been told
- BBC created a BAFTA-winning seven-part miniseries on Oppenheimer in 1980
Although it has been trumped by the sparkles of Barbie when it comes to revenue, Hollywood heavyweight Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, about the invention of the atomic bomb, is still undoubtedly one of the film events of the year.
The three-hour epic, which tells the story of the American physicist who led the U.S. effort to develop the weapon during World War II before becoming a suspected security risk in the 1950s, surpassed $500 million at the box office over the weekend.
Nolan’s movie has been showered with praise as pundits predict it could be his first to see multiple Oscar nominations roll in.
Outlets like Forbes have branded it an ‘Oscar calibre masterpiece’, while the Guardian described it as ‘a towering achievement’.
But the blockbuster movie does not mark the first time the story of Oppenheimer has hit the screen as a miniseries of the same name, which has been re-released by the BBC on iPlayer, first hit small screens in 1980.
Cillian Murphy has won plaudits for playing the eponymous role in Christopher Nolan’s new film Oppenheimer
In becoming the most successful WWII film on the silver screen, Nolan’s film has overtaken Dunkirk ($527m), Saving Private Ryan ($482m), and Pearl Harbor ($449m) according to Box Office Mojo.
However, the lesser-known original series was also considered a success, picking up a number of prestigious nominations. According to the BBC: ‘The Bafta-winning seven-part series originally aired on the BBC in 1980.
‘[Sam] Waterson plays the titular scientist as he leads the weapons laboratory of the Manhattan Project, all the while under constant surveillance by the FBI because of his left wing politics and association with communists.
‘It follows his role in developing the world’s first nuclear weapons, his rivalry with Edward Teller, through to being stripped of his security clearance by the US Atomic Energy Commission in the 1950s.’
The series, which cost around $1.5million to make (the equivalent of around $5.5million today) was the brainchild of BBC executive (and science enthusiast) Peter Goodchild, 83.
After starting his career at the broadcaster working in radio drama, Goodchild, who had graduated with a degree in chemistry, transferred to the science unit, where he could make use of his academic background.
During the 1970s, he created a factual drama series on physicist Marie Curie, after which, he wanted to produce a show about Oppenheimer.
Speaking to Variety, he explained that his interest in the character was piqued after seeing a 1966 play about J. Robert Oppenheimer at the Hampstead Theatre Club.
Actor Sam Waterson (pictured) took on the titular role in the 1980 miniseries – and like Murphy, his portrayal of the character won praise from fans and critics
After being shown a book about Oppenheimer’s relationship with one of his science colleagues, Goodchild said he wanted to take this ‘amazing story’ further – and he did just that, creating the seven-part series.
The show was a critical success, scooping two Primetime Emmy nominations, a Golden Globe nomination for leading man Sam Waterson, and seven BAFTA nominations (winning three, including Best Drama Series).
Despite the programme’s huge success, until the release of Nolan’s film, it had been largely forgotten over the last four decades, however now of course fans can watch the programme via streaming on iPlayer.
The existence of the original show provokes comparisons between each production: How does the new epic measure up to the OG Oppenheimer? And do you recognise the names that played the parts most talked about in the Nolan’s new version?
J. Robert Oppenheimer
OPPENHEIMER: The lead character was played by Cillian Murphy (left) in Nolan’s 2023 version and Sam Waterson (right) in the BBC’s 1980 version
One of the biggest draws in Nolan’s film is undoubtedly its leading man – playing the eponymous role is 47-year-old Cillian Murphy.
The Irish actor, who is known for taking on meaty roles in productions including Peaky Blinders and Inception has won plaudits for his portrayal in the new film.
However, his casting has drawn criticism from some quarters, with comedian David Baddiel questioning why a non-Jewish actor was chosen to play the Jewish figure.
But overall, feedback has been favourable, with some critics calling the character the role of his career.
Tackling the eponymous role in the 1980 miniseries was actor Sam Waterson, 82, who is also known for his appearances in shows including Law and Order, The Newsroom, and Grace & Frankie.
His casting followed the production team suggesting a number of ideas, including Anthony Perkins of Psycho fame.
Just like Cillian Murphy, Waterson won plaudits for his performance, even earning himself a Golden Globe nod.
And he was an excellent colleague too, according to Ruth Caleb, a line producer on the series. She told Variety: ‘He was a dreamboat. Just the loveliest guy.’
General Leslie Groves
The role of General Leslie Groves was played by Matt Damon (left) in the new film, with Manning Redwood (right) taking the mantle in the 1980 series
Matt Damon’s casting as General Leslie Groves has been described as something of a departure for the thespian, who often takes on likeable characters.
The character is a U.S. Army General, who during World War II, was in charge of the Manhattan Project – hiring Oppenheimer despite the physicist’s association with the Communist Party.
As a result, Groves – described as a nuanced and compelling figure – has a complicated relationship with the film’s lead character.
While somewhat of a secondary personnel, Groves is a crucial one, playing a key role in the development of the plot.
And the deftness Damon brought to the character has been praised by critics, who noted his command of the screen.
The original series cast Manning Redwood in the role, an actor boasting the distinction of appearing in back-to-back Bond films as both good and bad guys.
Like Damon, the actor was praised for his role in the film, tackling the nuance of the relationship with Oppenheimer with deftness.
Kitty Oppenheimer
The role of Kitty Oppenheimer is played by Emily Blunt (pictured, left) in the new picture, with Jana Sheldon (pictured, right) starring in the 1980 version
Among the actors garnering the most praise in Nolan’s new picture is Emily Blunt, playing the role of Kitty Oppenheimer.
As her name suggests, the character of Katherine ‘Kitty’ Oppenheimer is the wife of the film’s protagonist, J Robert.
Oppenheimer: Director addresses controversy
Christopher Nolan, pictured here on Fox & Friends on July 20, says he makes an ‘artistic choice’ not to re-dub dialogue after it has been filmed
While director Christopher Nolan has received almost universal praise for his epic movie Oppenheimer, there has been one critique.
Some moviegoers, notably BBC News star Jane Hill, have complained about the sound, saying that at times, the dialogue has been almost inaudible.
Complaints made to cinema staff about difficulties in hearing some of the actors’ lines has been pinned squarely on the director.
And addressing the criticism, Nolan admitted that ‘artistic choice’ he makes while filming could be to blame for viewers struggling to hear what is being said in his movies.
The 54-year-old himself has said that he goes against the grain and refuses to get his actors to re-dub their lines after filming so they can put in during the editing process.
This means that the dialogue on screen in the cinema was performed during filming and not afterwards, meaning it can sometimes get drowned out by music or special effects.
For Nolan, who is being tipped as one of the early front runners at next years Oscars, it’s a price worth paying.
Speaking to Insider, he said: ‘I like to use the performance that was given in the moment rather than the actor re-voice it later.
‘Which is an artistic choice that some people disagree with, and that’s their right.’
The real life Kitty was born Katherine Puening on August 8, 1910, to a noble family in Germany. They moved to America when she was two-years-old.
Entering university a few times in the early 1930s, Kitty dropped out in 1932 to marry Frank Ramseyer, annulling the union a year later.
Following her second marriage to communist Joe Dallet in 1934, the couple moved to France.
Just three years into the marriage, Dallet was killed in combat while fighting in the Spanish Civil War.
His untimely death prompted Kitty to return to the States.
There, she returned to education, completing her degree in botany at the University of Pennsylvania in 1939.
This was the same year she met J Robert Oppenheimer.
Despite being married to husband number three at the time (a British doctor called Richard Harrison), the relationship progressed.
Kitty divorced Dr Harrison, then tied the knot with Oppenheimer in 1940.
The couple lived in Pasadena, a city in California, before they moved to Los Alamos in New Mexico for the Manhattan Project.
There, Oppenheimer worked as the scientific director, while Kitty was a lab technician for a brief time, quitting after a year.
It has been reported that Kitty was an important confidante for her husband, who trusted her totally, and would ask for her advice when it came to his work on the Manhattan Project.
When it came to family life, the couple had two children together – Peter and Toni.
When it comes to critiques aimed at Christopher Nolan, he has been accused of not making the most of female characters in his films.
Speaking about her experience of working on Oppenheimer to Total Film, Emily Blunt suggested that while Kitty does not play a huge part in the narrative, she is a layered and complex character.
She explained: ‘I mean – it’s one of the best parts that anyone has ever written for me. Not that he wrote it for me, but he wrote an exquisite part that is so layered.
‘Even though she’s not a huge part, it packs a punch. I was so excited by her.
‘And the thing that I love is that he wasn’t concerned with her being likeable, it was just a very real interpretation of the character…Usually I think women in movies have to be sort of quite likeable and warm, but she wasn’t either of those things, and he was unafraid of that and writing her as such. I just loved her.’
While Kitty Oppenheimer appeared in six of the seven episodes of the 1980 BBC miniseries, like in Nolan’s film, the character’s role within the impact was limited, though the portrayal by Jana Sheldon received praise.
The actor is known for her roles in The Shining and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, as well as her well-received performance in the 1980s miniseries.
However, Emily Blunt is more prolific as an actor, and is likely to be a familiar face to far more moviegoers.
Jean Tatlock
The role of Jean Tatlock is played by Florence Pugh (pictured, left) in Nolan’s movie, with Kate Harper (pictured, right) playing it in the 1980 version
Another of the famous faces gracing Christopher Nolan’s movie is Florence Pugh, playing the role of Jean Tatlock.
The character has not been without controversy: Jean was Oppenheimer’s lover both before and during his marriage to Kitty.
As such, one of the scenes between the two characters shows them having sex, garnering criticism from viewers.
During the scene, when Oppenheimer seems less than invested in the sex with Tatlock, she stops, then picks up a copy of the Bhagavad Gita.
In a moment of foreshadowing, as his lover straddles him, Oppenheimer reads the line: ‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.’
According to the real Oppenheimer, this very line ran through his head during the first detonation of the atomic bomb.
While Pugh’s performance has won praise, controversy around this scene has largely marked much of the feedback around the role, distinguishing it from the original performance.
That was undertaken by Kate Harper, an actor also known for her role in films like Batman and Tender is the Night.
Lewis Strauss
Robert Downey Jr. (pictured, left) has been described as creating one of the film’s most memorable character portrayals, playing Lewis Strauss, played by Phil Brown (pictured, right) in the BBC miniseries
As the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Lewis Strauss played an instrumental role in Oppenheimer’s downfall.
This, according to the Atomic Heritage Foundation, is because Strauss saw the scientist as ‘a threat to American security’ because he believed he had communist ties.
It has been reported that many people believed Strauss held a personal grudge against Oppenheimer, who had publicly embarrassed him due to their disagreement over the hydrogen bomb.
In Nolan’s movie, the role is played by Robert Downey Jr., whose performance has been cited as some as the standout of the whole production.
Thanks to the way the Ironman star plays the role, including a twist in his character development, he has been described as memorable and masterful in the role.
The 1980 miniseries starred Phil Brown as Strauss, an actor also known for his appearances in films including The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Star Wars: Episode IV – A new hope.
Oppenheimer has been received extremely well by both critics and the public so far, racking up good reviews and raking in revenue (pictured L-R: Florence Pugh and Cillian Murphy in a production still from the film)
Oppenheimer has been a hit at the UK and worldwide box office, with critics and fans alike praising the movie
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