oppenheimer It is told from two points of view. On the one hand, in black and white sequences, which delve into the historical events surrounding the months prior to the initial test of the first atomic bomb. On the other, the perspective of the scientist and his obsession with being able to demonstrate, in practice, what he had understood through his knowledge of theoretical physics. In other words, that the world of science was unaware of a good part of the properties of reality and also of the physical substance as a concrete fact.
The tour turns the director’s most recent film into an exploration of both the figure of Oppenheimer and ethics in science. A complicated point of view, which raises questions about morality in the context of technological advances, as well as the need for innovation. Between both things, the tape is a well-constructed pacifist plea, which uses its central character to explore the uncertainty of the future. In particular, in the legacy that the work in laboratories and work fields leaves behind.
Of course, it is not the first film to explore, through some of the great technical advances of our time, deeper and more spiritual dilemmas. Specifically, thanks to historical names that marked a milestone in their respective times. We leave you, five films that carefully explored science through the complicated personalities of inventors and brilliant minds. A journey through knowledge and those who perpetuate it, as interesting as it is painful, through the history of the human being in search of wisdom.
The theory of everything
British cosmologist Stephen Hawking revolutionized the dissemination of theoretical physics. Also, the way to understand concepts as complicated as infinity and black holes. However, one of his most arduous battles was not in a laboratory, but with a very serious medical team.
At age 21, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (THE A). A degenerative condition that affects the neurons that make body movement possible and, ultimately, the spinal cord. Which ended up putting him in a wheelchair in less than a decade and after that, affecting his ability to fend for himself. Despite this, the scientist continued to work in the world of science for more than fifty years and was a prolific writer.
The very hard journey through a complex life is reflected in the book towards infinity from Jane Wilde Hawking, the autobiography of his ex-wife. The adaptation of the story, came to the cinema in 2014 by the director James Marsh, from a sensitive and moving perspective. In the same way as the origin story, the film explores Stephen Hawking’s life beyond his recognized successes in his area.
From his time as a student at Cambridge University to his fight against the disease. The plot is a perspective on science, love in the midst of adversity, based on private achievements that end up being massive examples. The greatest contribution of a formidable man who is part of history not only thanks to his brilliant discoveries, but also because of his firm decision to live.
Deciphering Enigma
On August 19, 2014, Queen Elizabeth II of England granted a rare posthumous pardon to cryptographer Alan Turing. This was judicially convicted in 1952, due to his sexual orientation. The sentence included a chemical castration to which he had no choice but to submit. Two years later and in the midst of a complicated state of mind, he committed suicide.
Six decades later, Deciphering Enigma, by director Morten Tyldum, recounted the context of the expert beyond his darkest moments. Despite not ignoring the historical weight of the tragic end of his life, the film shows Alan Turing from the perspective of an unsung hero. The scientist, who led the team that broke German codes during World War II, was an essential part of the Allied success. But much more, an example to follow for his dedication and effort in the midst of a critical situation.
The plot narrates the life of Turing during the war and his work in the creation of the code-breaking machine known as The Bombe. At the same time, it explores the more personal side of him and focuses on his fight against discrimination and prejudice due to his sexual orientation. In the end, the narration delves into the ethical role of science. Likewise, the horrors of war and the importance of diversity and inclusion in society. An extraordinary celebration of the legacy of Turing, considered one of the fathers of modern computing.
An amazing mind
On May 23, 2015, the mathematician John Nash died in the middle of a violent traffic accident. He was accompanied by his wife Alice, whom he was married to for most of his life. A story of love, sacrifice and pain that the cinema embodied in the film A brilliant minddirected by filmmaker Ron Howard and released in 2001. The plot is an exalting portrait of the scientist, the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994 and suffered from schizophrenia since his youth.
In fact, the film story focuses on the duality and misunderstanding of perceiving reality, which Nash suffered for more than sixty years. Since during his time as a student at Princeton University, he suffered from the debilitating symptoms of his psychiatric illness. But it was during his early adult years, when schizophrenia increasingly painfully affected his career and the most intimate aspect of him. Much of it analyzes John Nash’s daily battle to keep his sanity in the midst of an untenable situation.
However, beyond the dramatic exploration of its protagonist’s psychiatric health, the film pays tribute to his work and contributions to the future. What turned the tape into a journey through faith, hope and the power of the human spirit, even in the worst circumstances.
The man who knew infinity
Beyond his contributions to the world of mathematics, Srinivasa Ramanujan was an extraordinary man. With hardly any studies or academic training in pure sciences, he was able to solve decades-old calculus puzzles. Especially, what is related to the notion of matter that expands beyond any real calculation. Tape The man who knew infinity it reflects that innate ability of the scientist, but also makes it clear that behind the prodigy, there was a sensitive mind. One who, in addition to appreciating science and its power, knew that all discovery carries a moral responsibility.
Director Matt Brown’s biopic focuses on the mathematician from that perspective. Especially during his time as a store clerk in Madras, India. While still a boy, the future prodigy discovered that he was capable of understanding science on a natural and intuitive level. Which led him to maintain a prolific correspondence with the British mathematician GH Hardy. Thanks to which, he was able to move to England, to work on number theory with his mentor.
The tape is a tribute not only to the memory of an exceptional man. Also, it is an allegation against discrimination and cultural prejudice. Which makes his sensitive journey through science and knowledge a clear message. Wisdom does not come only from the field of science, but from the human sensitivity to understand it.
Madame Curie
French physics Marie Curie achieved an achievement that is still astonishing. He not only won a Nobel Prize in 1903, thanks to the conclusions of his undergraduate work on the radioactive properties of plutonium. In the year 1911, he won a second for his conclusions about radium and his compounds. Everything, at a time, when women’s access to universities was conditioned by prejudice.
Tape Madame Curie from director Marjane Satrapi, explores the extraordinary life of Polish-French physics and chemistry. In particular, she focuses on her time as a student at the University of Paris and the way she had to deal with gender discrimination in the scientific community. Also, it shows Curie’s relationship with her husband, Pierre, beyond the idealization and romantic perception that her story has given her. Which makes the tape a strange, hard and atypical look at a woman who changed the history of the world forever.