The scene Oppenheimer’s grandson wishes was cut out of the movie
Charles Oppenheimer, J. Robert Oppenheimer‘s grandson, has recently said that there is one scene he wishes had been removed from the Christopher Nolan biopic entirely.
He says that the poison apple scene, which is also a part of the film’s source material, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, was a major problem and should be understood as something nobody can prove.
“There’s no record of him trying to kill somebody,” Charles told Time. “That’s a really serious accusation and it’s historical revision. There’s not a single enemy or friend of Robert Oppenheimer who heard that during his life and considered it to be true”.
He continued: “American Prometheus got it from some references talking about a spring break trip, and all the original reporters of that story—there was only two maybe three—reported that they didn’t know what Robert Oppenheimer was talking about. Unfortunately, American Prometheus summarizes that as Robert Oppenheimer tried to kill his teacher and then they [acknowledge that] maybe there’s this doubt”.
Charles was born in April 1975, in the vicinity of Santa Fe, N.M., a time marked by the passing of his grandparents, Katherine “Kitty” Puening Oppenheimer (portrayed in the film by Emily Blunt).
Despite the loss, he was fortunate to experience an upbringing filled with candid conversations about his grandfather’s contributions.
Charles owes this unique bond to his father, Peter Oppenheimer, who, during his early childhood, spent several years at Los Alamos, playing a vital role in the monumental Manhattan Project.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.