All language subtitles for Oppenheimer 104.en

— Through another party?
— Yes,

— Could we know who?
— I think that would be a mistake,

I'll tell you for what reason,

Not to take this person to task in any way...

By early 7944,
desperate to recruit n7ore trained personnel

for the atomic bomb laboratory at los Alamos,

Oppenheimer was forced
to comb the Army lists

to bring in 6I5 with scientific
and technical qualifications,

(Drill Sergeant) ..and one and two and halt!

One and two and halt!

One and two and...

— Pretty sloppy drill, Nick.
— They're SEDs, General.

— And two and one...!
— Look at that.

Elsewhere, at several secret locations

vast factories, which dwarfed even
the enormous growth of tos Alamos

began to move into
the production of fissile material.

At Oppenheimer’s laboratory work
was concentrated on two different methods

of arming and detonating the bomb.

— (General) What have we got here, Oppie?
— Hold it, hold it.

— You're good to go.
— Firing...

now!

(Detonation)

Hey, we got something. It's something, anyway.

— How was Tennessee, General?
— Chicago. I was in Chicago.

— Oh.
— What are we doing here?

Well, this is Seth Neddermeyer's baby,
it's implosion.

Take a metal cylinder, really a piece of pipe,
and wrap it in TNT and then...

look at the effect of the shockwaves.

(Man) How's it going?

— This is no advance, is it?
— Here, let me see.

Careful, it's hot.

See, the walls of the cylinder
have compressed pretty unevenly.

Oh. That's bad?

Well, it ain't implosion.

The shockwaves have to converge symmetrically
or else...no implosion.

You remember Bob Bacher, General.

Yeah.

And this is Seth Neddermeyer.

You're in charge of this...implosion?

— Erm, I guess so.
— Are you getting anywhere?

— We're getting some very interesting results.
— But are you getting anywhere?

Have you any idea how difficult this is?

That's a heck of an attitude.

The beauty of implosion is that instead of
bringing the two parts of the bomb together

you compress your bomb material
together all at once

with many detonations around the outside.

It should bring the point of explosion
very much faster.

OK, but does plutonium have too many
stray neutrons for the gun or not?

I've asked Emilio Segre to run some tests.

It'll take some time.

It would be a beautiful solution...

if we can make it work.

"If"? You've got to!

God knows how much I spent
on those plutonium plants!

You think Neddermeyer's the guy for this job?

— Well, he thought of it.
— He didn't impress me as a great ball of fire.

— Seth's got a fine mind.
— Fine mind?!

Damn it, Oppie, we need movers and shakers,
not fine minds!

(Sighs)

He's a remarkable fella. Have you met him yet?

— No.
— Well, he is.

He's a real character.

He's a fat idiot.

No, he may be a little overweight
but he's certainly not an idiot.

Dime store tyrant.

The general is a remarkable administrator.

And a lousy scientist.
He hates that but he can't help it.

Gee, it's good to be here.

It's good to have you.

A toast. To the brothers Oppenheimer.

(Chuckles)

And dependents.

— Where you gonna use me, Robert?
— Your choice. Everybody wants help.

— I thought you'd be overstaffed.
— Nope, not a bit.

We're competing for guys
with every lab in the countly

— Even had to bring in some SEDs.
— What are they?

Special Engineering Detachments.
GIs with technical qualifications.

So it's got really big here?

Almost 3,000 scientists.

Jesus!

— (Laughs)
— And getting bigger.

Not there — there!

Thank you.

— (Door closes)
— So how's Berkeley?

— How's Ernest Lawrence?
— In good form.

Everything going smoothly at the lab?

Oh, still a couple of problems when I left.

— We'll talk about that.
— Oh, shit!

That dumb girl's brought in the wrong spoons.

Kitty...

— So how's the weather in California?
— Hot!

— It's been maryelous here.
— Has it?

— (Crash from kitchen)
— Excuse me.

(Kitty talking angrily)

— Phew.
— (Sighs)

What is eating her? I mean, really.

(Clatter, Kitty yelling)

Is it us? What is it? What's she after?

What does woman want? Freud.

Freud Schmeud. She's a bitch, plain and simple.
"It's so nice you're here." Didn't fool me.

— Take it easy.
— You know her problem?

— What?
— I've seen it coming.

Yet another husband fails to change her life.

— What are you talking about?
— Look at the guys she's married.

The big—time Communist, he was supposed
to change her life. It never happened.

Next, what was he? English, doctor, very chic.

He didn't change her life.

Then Robert, big Berkeley professor.

She wakes up one morning
and she finds... "No, nothing's changed."

Took a couple of years but now she knows
she's still the same unhappy bitch.

(General chatter)

Implosion, OK?

Seth, any progress?

N—No.

Any particular problems?

Er, ahem, the problem is always the same,

the symmetry of the shockwave
surrounding the core.

We're still working on cylinders, not spheres,
but we're not getting very good results.

— There's too many variables.
— OK.

How much leeway do we have?
How symmetrical does it have to be?

If part of the shockwave is moving
faster than the rest by...five per cent,

we have a very serious risk of pre—detonation.

— And we're nowhere near that?
— Nowhere. Right, Seth?

(All chattering)

— (English accent) Sony Ex—Excuse me.
— Just a second.

I—I—I'm sorny, could I ask a question?

For those who haven't met our British colleague,
this is Dr. James Tuck.

(All) Hello.
(Oppenheimer) Carry on, Dr. Tuck.

I was wondering if
you were using shaped charges?

(Oppenheimer) Seth? Bob?

It may Just be different terminology
but what do you mean?

— Perhaps I could explain?
— (Oppenheimer) Sure.

Excuse me. Could I, er...? Yes, please.

Thank you. Well, basically we make use of
explosives with different reactive speeds.

It's work we've been doing
on rocketry in England.

Now, supposing that I want a nice, even
shockwave bearing down here on my sphere.

Then I divide the explosive coating
into segments

like so...

Then I put a point detonator
here on the outside bearing down,

generating shockwaves like this.

Now, I shape the explosives,
putting the slower one here in the centre

and coating it with a faster one on the outside,

so that the shockwaves are slowed
by this block in the centre

but still move fast on the outside edge.

So if we get the shapes right we should have
a nice, even shockwave here.

We're focusing shockwaves
in the same the way as a lens focuses light.

It's a sort of explosive lens, if you like.

— Yeah.
— That's very good.

Any reactions? Seth?

I was thinking along these lines
a week or so back.

— You were?
— Mm, it Just kind of came up

but we didn't think it was feasible
so we forgot about it.

— You could have talked about it here.
— Yeah, I suppose...

Er, maybe I've made it sound a little bit simple.

The maths for working out these shapes
is horrendous and...

you'll need hundreds of these
so it could take quite a team.

I should say, Doctor, we're looking for ideas
to speed up our work, not add to our problems.

Oh, well, excuse me.

— (Bethe) Seth, why didn't you bring this up?
— I think I mentioned it...

— That's what this meeting's for.
— Could we leave science fiction behind now?

— (Oppenheimer) OK, Deke.
— I found that extraordinary description

— of original, creative science.
— (Deke) Hold on...

It's a fundamental problem of physics
and it is Just dismissed!

Implosion is so fundamental
we shouldn't get bogged down.

It is characteristic of the whole attitude here!

We rush at these problems! We always look for
the easy way, no matter how crude!

Beautiful, complex avenues of research
are ignored...in favor of expediency.

Edward, as I understand it,
we're not here for our own pleasure

we're engaged in a serious race
against our opposite numbers in Germany.

Please, Hans, spare me your opinions,
I'm so disappointed.

— What gives you the right...
— This is a most interesting suggestion

— and you dismiss it without a thought.
— Untrue!

— But he's been dismissed, hasn't he?
— Not by me.

All right, Edward, calm down.
This is a frustrating time for all of us

and it won't do any good
for us to fight each other.

— (Bethe) Sit down, Edward.
— OK, Deke, come on.

Come on, Deke, we'll talk about it. Just sit down.

— The gun method.
— (Teller sighs) Oh, God.

Unspectacular, not very fundamental,
but tried and true.

(Oppenheimer) When you were talking
I thought, "who needs this?"

But we need some fresh ideas.
What are you working on?

— Well, n—nothing specific, I Just arrived...
— Good, this needs looking into.

— It's Just a theory at the moment.
— I can get you help with the computations.

— That would be excellent...
— We have to decide which explosives to use.

— Exactly, and we've got new designs...
— You'll need sensitive measuring equipment.

— Exactly, the maJor...
— If you need a camera gizmos can help.

— Excellent, yes. The first problem...
— First problem is to find a good chemist.

— You know George Kistiakowsky?
— I've heard his name...

Here working with Seth Neddermeyer.
He's a crazy Russian.

He's got a lot of hustle.
I'd like you to meet him.

— That would be terrific, yeah.
— (Explosion)

— That might be George now.
— Oh.

Right, now then.
Let's have a look at this lot.

I think there is some improvement, hm?

Oh, yeah.

Sounded like a big one, Kistie.

I was Just clearing my throat.

(Laughter)

— Somebody here I'd like you to meet.
— Oh?

This is Dr. James Tuck from Great Britain.

— How do you do, James?
— Hello.

— He's got an idea I'd like you to talk over.
— Sure, sure.

— Just a minute.
— Excuse me.

Yes.

— How's it going?
— You know Seth. Inch by inch.

Can't you push him a little?

Oh, I by but...|'m only a consultant here.

Your Neddermeyer's a difficult man to push.
He's a...well, he's a perfectionist.

Well, talk to that kid.
What he was saying seemed far—fetched

but Bethe and Teller liked the sound of it.

— Sure.
— Right.

Morning, Priscilla.

Professor Bethe is here to see you.

(Typewriter dings)

— Hans.
— Hello, Oppie.

What is it, Hans?

— Mein freund.
— Edward?

OK. Sit down.

I have shown him every consideration
and he has shown me nothing.

The other day he had a good idea,

I gave him two of my best people
to help him with the calculations

and now, this morning,
he refuses to go on with it.

He positively refused!

Fundamentally important work,
and he won't give me my men back!

I don't want to say anything to him any more,
to me he's scheisse!

I've never seen you angry before, Hans.

I have never been in such a position before.

Am I the director of
the theoretical division or am I not?

(Sighs) All right, I'll speak to him.

I'm sorny, Oppie.
I can't go on like this any more.

It's OK, Hans.

I'll speak to him.

Thank you, Oppie.

(# Gramophone playing gentle classical)

— (Knock at door)
— Mummy will come.

Hey, mind, Missy. Mind, mind, mind.

— Here we're gonna make a big castle.
— Hello, Oppie. What a surprise.

Look who it is.

Come on, you come with Mummy.

— (Baby fusses)
— Hey, no crying. Hey, good night.

Oh, you don't like to go to bed, do you?

No. Oh, toot—toodle—oo.

— Hello, Oppie.
— Edward.

— Is there going to be a fight?
— Just a little business.

There's going to be a fight.

Don't you boys start breaking the furniture,
it's not all paid for.

Can you believe, Bach was a German?

Honestly?

Hans Bethe came to see me in my office.

Ah. Another good German.

So how is Hans?

He tells me that
you've refused to work with him.

He asked me to do
some absolutely low—grade calculations for him.

"Busy work." A graduate student
could have done them. Of course I said no.

From what Hans told me I gather
these calculations were very important.

Yes, well, the strange thing about Hans...

is that he seems to have
no understanding of my role here.

Now, you asked me to come out here
to develop the superbomb.

Well, I'm here. I'm working on the super.

And yet Hans thinks
he can come to me at any time

and work on whatever damn stupid thing
he can't find anybody else to do.

Isn't that extraordinany, Oppie?

— Do you mind if I sit down?
— Please.

Edward...we've been all over this ground
a half a dozen times.

Our Job here is not fundamental research.
I wish it were but it isn't.

Our Job is to produce a weapon
that we can use in this war

so the super is out of the question for now.

We are making excellent progress...
when we are allowed to.

Are you anywhere nearer
an operational weapon?

No.

Refuse Hans and you're declining
to work on a proJect

of great importance to your country
in time of war.

— That isn't fair.
— Well, what is?

I wish I could make you see!

Do you think history
will stop after this war, Oppie?

No more wars? No more enemies?

Of course not, you're not so innocent.

Don't you see, Oppie?
These little bombs you're building here,

they'll seem like popguns in a few years.

What will you have
with your fission bomb at best?

10,000 tons of TNT—equivalent?

You might have a blast
that will affect ten square miles.

Now, my team has done calculations,

and we find that the super will affect
over a thousand square miles.

And that's not all.

Last week we figured out what might happen
if we got a super to burn

a ten meter cube of deuterium
at a height of 300 miles.

We calculated the effect would be one of
a thousand ordinary supers

detonated ten miles up.

I could devastate 100,000 square miles
of enemy territony.

You can see I can't lower my sights, Oppie.

I can't waste my time doing Hans Bethe's sums.

— I don't know what to say.
— Say that I can do my work uninterrupted.

And if I don't?

I will do my work...

but not here.

If I say yes...

Yes.

Can we still count on you with the colloquium?
If we run into real problems with the fission?

(Laughing) Of course.

Oppie, I'm a sucker
for these interesting problems.

But I won't be anybody's graduate assistant
any more, I don't deserye that.

No, I guess you don't.

Then I'm to be allowed to concentrate
on the super?

Which is what you wanted me
here for in the first place.

You know...I sometimes wonder...

how it got into this muddle.

No, stay. Listen to my Bach.

No, I don't think so.

You can't say I let you down, Oppie.

I don't say that.

Edward.

— Ready for the detonator?
— Oh.

(Oppenheimer) That's it?

That's it.

The explosive lens? I...

— Looks like any other assembly.
— It's underneath.

The layer against the metal, the shaping.

Against the core we have a layer of
slow explosive. The outer layer is fast explosive.

Yes, if the shape's right we can, er, advance
and retard the shockwave as we want.

— Hm.
— Don't knock it, we've been working hard.

I won't knock it if it does the Job.

— Will it?
— Christ knows. OK, we're ready!

— (Oppenheimer) OK...
— Mind your backs!

— OK.
— OK?

Let's get upstairs or we'll miss the show.
They wouldn't start without us?

(Generator whirring)

(Klaxon blares)

Stand by for firing.

Five, four...

three, two...

one.

— Fire.
— (Explosion)

(Kistiakowsky) We had the film
on a drum two—foot wide.

At the moment of explosion
the image flicks around the drum.

Er, we have both space and time factors.

Yet you see, when we have a straight line

then we will have a symmetrical shockwave.

These are experiments from the fourth lens...

Yes, yes, now—now—now—now,
th—this are with the lens

and a framing camera, you see?

And—and—and we are now getting a picture
of how the shockwaves are behaving

all over the sphere. Next.

Look, look, see, see?

Now—now—now the convergence
is becoming symmetrical.

_ — See?
(Applause)

Great. That's terrific.

— It's still nowhere near five per cent.
— He's only Just started.

It's an improvement, sure,
but still a hell of a way from symmetny.

With the gun method we have an assured means
of achieving critical assembly.

What about Segre?

If and when Segre reports things may change.

In the meantime let's put all our efforts towards
purifying plutonium and perfecting the gun.

— This is important, we should...
— Sorny, that's what the evidence dictates.

All right, Deke, nobody's saying we
should stop working on the plutonium gun

but this is very encouraging.

— I agree.
— But this is a long way off symmetny.

— It's Just a first design.
— Yes, you're gonna need a lot more.

— (All chatter)
— It's time for an all—out effort.

All right, Seth, we'll talk about it.

But this is good. This is encouraging.
Nice work, Kistie.

He takes the credit, young Jim. Yeah.

And Klaus. Come on, Klaus, come out.
He worked like a dog too.

We're having some people over tonight,
I hope you'll come.

Oh, er, sorny, boss,
I'm going to go to the dance.

I couldn't miss that, now could I? With respect.

— OK, some other time.
— Yeah, sure, sure.

— Hey, Oppie!
— Yeah?

When you were talking with Seth
I realized who should run implosion.

— Who?
— Henry Ford.

(Laughter)

Have you been to one of Oppie's parties?

No.

Good luck.

Hm.

(# Classical piano)

Hello.

Thank you.

(Low conversation)

Oh, hello, I'm Jim Tuck.

— Hello. Enrico Fermi.
— Oh...

Enrico! When did you get here?

Come on into the fray.

(Cheering)

Hello, yeah.
Ladies and gentlemen, guys and gals,

welcome to the midsummer dance
held in romantic old Los Alamos!

(Laughs) Aha, and now,
for your dancing pleasure,

we bring you the celebrated sounds
of — your favorites, my favorites! —

our very own Los Alamos Keynotes!

(# Swing, crowd cheer)

Come on, let's see you dance!
Have a good time tonight!

(# Classical piano)

Here. Thank you.

Thanks.

(Low conversation)

How do.

— Oh, hello.
— My name's Jim.

Kitty.

How do, Kitty. (Chuckles)

(Kitty) You're from England?

Oh, it shows, doesn't it?

Well, he's from England too.

Hello. Klaus Fuchs.

Fuchs? That's a fine old English name.

(Chuckles) I am a very new Englishman.

I come from Germany.

When the Nazis took over I left.

— Sensible.
— Kitty, are you trying to steal Klaus?

— Millicent.
— Don't you know, he's the best baby—sitter.

Well... I do like children, yeah.

Oh, really? Well, I've got two —
I'm dying for you to meet them.

Klaus, come with me.
This woman has designs on you.

You will excuse me.

(Inaudible)

So, how do you like it here?

Oh...it's wonderful.
I've never been in such a place before.

Nor me.

These are the finest brains in the world.

— If you say so.
— Mm. Mount Olympus.

— Yeah, but I'm not happy.
— No?

No, I'm very sad.

Oh, why is that?

Well...

— It's my wife.
— She doesn't understand you?

No.

No, no, she's back home in England
and I miss her like hell.

That's too bad. Can't you get her over?

No, she's been waiting on a berth on a ship
but...she's been waiting for ages.

— Well, she'll make it.
— I suppose.

— Think she'll like it out here?
— Oh, yes, fine.

Yeah, she fits in anywhere.

If she likes gabbing with the girls
she'll be all right. Nothing else to do.

Personally, I can't stand women in a bunch.
Funny smell.

Are you, er...here with your husband?

I think so.

Which one is he?

He's the tall thin one with unlimited sex appeal.

Oh!

Oh, Mrs. Oppenheimer, I'm terribly sorly

Relax, you'll get over it. I did.

Oh... (Laughs neryously)
I—I—I think I need a—another drink.

(# Swing)

— Any luck yet?
— No.

Every time I go for a dame some guy
gets there first. There he is.

(Man) That's Dr. Kistiakowsky,
Haryard professor.

Haryard professor, eh?
What chance has a poor SED guy got?

— Nuts.
— Relax.

What you need is
some nice, friendly, female company.

What do you think I've been trying to do?
I haven't had any action since I left Cleveland.

I probably won't get any action
till the war's over.

— You can get action.
— There's ten guys to every dame up there.

If you wanna pay for it.

— You're kidding?
— No.

Where? Santa Fe?

— Right here.
— On the hill?

— On the hill.
— You're shitting me.

Nope.

(Singer) # I'm in the mood for love...

Wanna come along?

— # Simply because you're near me... #
— I don't believe this.

# Funny but when you're near me

# I'm in the mood for love

# Heaven was in your eyes

# Bright as the stars we're under...

(Knocks)

# So is it any wonder

# I'm in the mood... #

Come on in, boys.

Oh! Oh! Sorny, sorny, sorny!

— Sorny, sorny, sorly Here, give me that.
— Don't get carried away.

This is a bloody awful party. Come with me.

I've got a good idea.

Out the way, out the way. There we are!

Right, now, please can I have
some song heritage?

— Here's from me to you!
— (Man, laughing) Oh!

(Tuck) Take it away, thank you!

(Drunkenly) # I had a sister, Lily

# Was a whore in Piccadilly

# And her mother was another in the Strand

# Me father plugged his hole
in the Elephant and Castle

# We're the most remarkable family
in the land #

(Cheering)

(Laughs) A little alcoholic implosion.

(Man) Give us another one, Jim!
(Jim) Right!

OK, OK!

Right, now then.

# My father's a lavatory cleaner

# He cleans all the day and the night

# And when he comes home in the evening

— # He's covered all over in... #
— (Man) Hey!

# Sweet Bernadette

# Sweeter than all the roses

# Covered all over from head to toe

# Covered all over in...

# Shine up your buttons with Brasso #

(All laughing and cheering)

— Touch of British class!
— Finished making a fool of yourself?

— What?
— And of me. I saw you with those bitches...

— Kitty...
— I will not be made a fool of!

— Come on.
— Let go of me!

— Come on.
— (Tuck) Who took me drink?

(Man) Let's have another song!

(Jim ranting drunkenly)

# The German army's Just crossed the Rhine,
wah—hoo, wah—hoo... #

Kitty...

(Kitty) Bastard!

Just let me go!

— You're crazy!
— I'm not crazy!

— Then you're drunk.
— I'm not drunk.

I'm not crazy, I'm not drunk, I'm not...

— I won't be made a fool of.
— Oh, Kitty...

I let you get away with it once with that bitch.

Now, never again, do you hear me?

— That tramp!
— What tramp?

That tramp in Berkeley!

— Kitty, she's dead!
— I'm glad.

(Sobs)

# They laid her on a lily—white bed
yah—ho, yah—ho

# They laid her on a lily—white bed
yah—ho, yah—ho... #

I'm so unhappy.

God damn this place!

(Cheering downstairs)

And I'm scared.

Of what?

Am I always gonna feel like this?

How do you feel?

— I don't know, Kitty. I Just don't know.
— (Knock at door)

(Man) Oppie? Are you in there?

For Christ's sake.

— What is it?!
— I'm soriy

It's Segre, he really wants to see you.

(Oppenheimer) OK.

(Train whistle outside)

(General chatter)

I think he was right.

— OK, gentlemen...
— (Chatter stops)

— You've all read Segre's report?
— (All) Yeah.

The plutonium gun is out. Sorny, Deke.

— A year down the drain.
— You found out a lot of stuff along the way.

So...as far as plutonium is concerned
it's implosion.

Yep. Or nothing.

"Or nothing" is right.

Well, maybe we should Just
throw in the sponge on plutonium.

Nuts.

Could we, er, purify the plutonium some more?

— I'm afraid not, Hans. Too much time.
— And too much money.

But, well, where do we go from here, though?

What about your team, Hans? Does anybody...?

— Guys, this is America.
— (Deke) We know that.

We've got the greatest physicists in the world.

— And the greatest athletes.
— And movie stars.

— And if we don't we'll...
— (All) Bring 'em in!

That's the American way.

No, I mean it.

I'm sure we can do this.

I think we'll have to turn this place upside down.

You've heard.

Rumors.

Puts it all on Neddermeyer.

You don't think he can do it.

Neither do I.

— I think you could.
— Hey...

— I think you could.
— Oh, no. No, wait a minute, Oppie.

I don't think anyone could do it
in the present setup.

No, stick with uranium and the gun method.
Forget about plutonium.

We can't. At the moment we can't be sure
we'll have enough uranium for even one bomb.

We can't drop plutonium.
We have to make implosion work.

Be realistic,
it would be like starting all over again.

You're going to have to have whole teams
of people working on...on configuration,

on the detonating mechanism, molding
the explosives — and you'll need a test.

Yes.

Oh, you're prepared for that.

We're about to decide on a site for it.

Oh, yes?

Where?

Southern New Mexico.

Alamogordo Bombing Range.

Other parts of the program are winding down.
Everything's possible.

Look, Oppie...

I'm not sure that implosion would even work.

I mean, who wants to be in charge of a proJect
when he doesn't even know if he has a chance?

What do you think I'm doing?!

OK.

But Seth's not going to be happy.

Seth has had his crack at it.

That's the way — decision! Action! My God,
I was right to pick Oppenheimer, wasn't I?

— Neddermeyer's pretty upset.
— Is he gonna quit?

— No.
— Listen, Command is not a popularity contest.

You should make a note of that, Nichols.

Oh, the way Oppie's going.
Well, I knew he would.

You thought I was making a dumb choice,
didn't you? I knew my man.

You made the right decision, General.

I wish I had half a dozen more like him.

There — read that.

That'll give you some idea what I'm up against.

"We the undersigned believe that
no decision to use an atomic weapon in war

"should be taken
without consulting the scientific personnel."

From the Chicago lab.
You know where I found that?

Oak Ridge. Los Alamos is the only lab
in the whole proJect I feel is safe.

The only place where the eggheads aren't
in control, and that's because of Oppie.

Boy, I feel like shaking his hand.

— You think he'll stay on it?
— Oppie? Sure.

Look, Oppie wants what we want —
there's no question about it.

It'd break his heart
if he couldn't by this thing out.

No, I figured him out a long time ago.

You know what he really is?

He's Just a normal, ambitious guy
like anybody else.

But he's an intellectual,
he's got to have it sugar—coated.

(ProJector whirring)

(ProJector stops)

It's good, isn't it? It's good?

— We're this close.
— (Laughs)

Run it again, I want to gloat!

— (Laughter)
— We've got to go to Alamogordo.

That's very good. Very reassuring.

— There's still a few problems.
— Ha! Problems. We got implosion.

Hope so.

— You still on schedule?
— Yes. July or August.

I think I put that in the last report.

Yeah. Yeah, I know you did.

Five hours.

What am I gonna do for five hours?

Look at the sceneiy

(Sighs)

This test, er, it's got to have a name.
How about we call it...

I already thought about that.

Trinity.

"Tri nity"?

Trinity.

I don't know why but lately
I've been reading a lot of John Donne.

"Batter my heart, three person'd God,“

"for, you as yet but knocke, breathe, shine
and seek to mend,“

"that I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me,

"and bend your force,

"to breake, blowe, burn and make me new."

Trinity.

— This is it, isn't it?
— Ground zero.

Boom!

This'll be nice weather for it.

We got a date for the shot yet?

Groves wants the fourth of July.

I don't know if we'll make the fourth
but close to it.

Think it'll go?

I quote Kistiakowsky: "I believe we have
something that looks like an explosive lens."

I don't know.

I think so.

— I don't know.
— How are the bunkers coming along?

OK.

North 10,000's finished.
West 10,000, a couple more things need doing.

They're still working on South 10,000.

— You wanna take a look?
— Yeah!

(Inaudible)

OK, sir. We, er, ought to have the rest
of these lines in by tomorrow.

They'll have to come in via base camp.
That's ten miles to the south.

I know that, Captain. I set up this place.

Yes, of course, sir, I'm sorny...

OK. Have you got any problems?

Well, sir, we've got a bit of difficulty
with the technical...

— How are they doing?
— OK.

They get pretty bored sometimes.

Not very much to do at base camp.
Movies, beer...looking out for scorpions.

But they've done a good Job.

So have you, Ken.

Oh.

Wanna look inside?

This is where you're gonna be watching from.

You want a laugh? You know we asked
Washington for a frequency for the test?

— (Radio crackles)
— It turns out they've given us...

the same wavelength
as the Voice Of America station in California.

— (# Gentle instrumental)
— Is that a problem?

I don't think so. It fades in and out.

(Radio crackles)

That was a fast fade.

(Man) ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt
our program for a news bulletin.

The president of the United States has died
at his home in Warm Springs, Georgia.

(# Funeral march)

My God.

(Door slams)

They'll be serying supper in about 20 minutes.
I suggest we get over there and...

ladies and gentlemen, I'll repeat that

Our president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt
has died at his home in Warm Springs, Georgia.

Damn.

I can't think of it.

What's that?

The new guy — what's his name?

Truman.

You know anything about him?

Oh, boy. I bet he doesn't even know we exist.

God.

Kitty?

Hello, Oppie.

Mrs. Oppenheimer Just stepped out.
She said it would be OK if we waited for you.

Is this a social call?

Or a delegation?

We wanted to see you, Oppie.
A number of us are concerned about the future.

— Are we gonna hit the Japs with this?
— Ahh, this is what General Groves calls...

the Chicago disease.

Not Just Chicago. A lot of us aren't happy.

Have you read the reports
from the hematology lab?

— I've read 'em.
— What did you think?

I Just got back from Trinity.

— Second trip this week.
— How's it looking?

Very good.

— This bothers you too, Edward?
— Very much.

All right, I've read the reports.

I think their proposals on the international
control of atomic energy are very interesting.

I've, er, made some proposals of my own
on that subJect, as you know.

Yes but what about the immediate question?

— How to use the bomb?
— Or whether to.

Surely the two questions are linked?

If we use the bomb, a weapon that we've
developed in secret, without warning,

we'll have no moral basis after the war
to call for international control.

I never heard these arguments
when Germany was the target.

— Does that surprise you?
— No, I suppose not...

Jesus, we know the Japanese
have no atomic program!

— Actually, they do.
— Oh, come on!

But it hasn't gotten anywhere.

We're very worried about this, Oppie.

The heart of it is there's no intention
to consult us on the use of the bomb.

I've never seen any sense in
trying to decide whether to use the bomb

until we actually
had it, and we don't know that yet.

There's no doubt about the uranium.
We know Little Boy will go.

(Softly) I'm glad to hear that.

Look, I think you may be exaggerating
the kind of influence we have.

Particularly with these reports and petitions.

With all due respect for Chicago,
I don't think Washington cares about petitions.

Now I can tell you this —

Secretary Stimson has asked
that a scientific advisory panel

meet with him to talk about these questions.

I'm on it.

Fermi's on it. Ernest Lawrence.

Arthur Compton from Chicago. That's where
I think something can be accomplished.

Face to face at the top.

And you'll be putting our case?

I don't know what I'll say
until I know what I'm asked.

But...you all know me.
We've worked together a long time.

And I know your views.

Don't you feel you can trust me?

Yes.

We shouldn't have troubled you, Oppie.

No, no, no, I'm very glad you came.

Well... I think you have to accept the fact
that this is not Just a scientific decision.

It's political and...militaiy

— But you will be going to Washington?
— Yes, I'll be there.

Well, that's...that's good.

— Thanks, Oppie.
— Pleasure.

Glad I could help.

I wanted to see you especially.

I got this today...from Leo Szilard.

It's a petition.

He thinks he might be able
to get this one to Truman.

And it might be my name
would add some weight.

Yes, I think it certainly might.

What do you think?

What do you want me to tell you, Edward?

I want your advice.

It would mean a great deal to me to hear
what my director has to say about this.

Well, I'll tell you the truth.

I think these people in Chicago are being naive.

Are we really the only ones
that see the important issues here?

Are we the only ones qualified to Judge?

I think these decisions belong in the hands
of those elected to make them.

So you don't think I should sign?

I don't think scientists
should get mixed up in politics.

No.

No.

It's a terrible responsibility.

(Mouths)

Good night, Oppie.

(Door opens, closes)