I believe the word “enigmatic” refers to Oppenheimer’s character of being introverted, genuine, and capable of concealing his real self to avoid being attacked by malicious people (though it happened anyway). For example, Oppenheimer kept the secret of having a mistress from his wife until the day of trial when he was forced to tell the truth. Or, when referred to as a communist, he refuted that he never joined the party and simply had an innocent belief in democracy, the neutral concept, even though he personally was deeply involved in most political activities. He clearly knew how to walk between the lines and give no excuse to others that could cause harm, while being honest and frank about his own thoughts, which is incredibly brave given the complicated political environment. As for being “brilliant”, the work he did could explain himself. Conducting the Manhattan Project as well as introducing quantum physics to the United States both show his talent in the academic world.

From the movie scenes, we could see Sather Tower and the road in front of it, which could be the Campanile Way. Oppenheimer walked into a building to the south of the road, so it could be the Wheeler Hall or the Common Grounds. It always makes me think about the scale and length of time when familiar surroundings appear in an old context, whether in pictures or in words. How irrelevant we are to time and universe and on the contrary, how important we are to ourselves. That is a way to talk oneself out of an existential crisis.

As for the two “interrogations”, I believe this is the main story that the movie is intended to tell. If we compare the invention of the atomic bomb to be the appetizer, while the moral struggle of Oppenheimer is the side dish, then the interrogations are the main courses. How Oppenheimer was being attacked was different from other interrogations. There is no judge. Oppenheimer himself said “your honor” multiple times, and each time the person on the opposite replied, “I am not a judge”. Which is ironic since Oppenheimer still needed or was forced to defend himself, even not in a public legal procedure. All the close friends that supported him could say all the merits about him and have no further effect, yet even one slightest implication from a colleague of his wrong behavior could have a strong impact on the committee. Since this is not a formal legal approach, there need not be evidence, and since this is a clearance on national security, Oppenheimer must comply and reveal his private life. It should be noted that Oppenheimer is not a hero, at least for me. He is a physicist that accomplished a mission handed from his country, yet this mission itself made him sinful for millions of lives. The fact that he is aware and feels guilty for it does not make him any more noble. As for Strauss, though being the villain that has succeeded in some way, there were still further obstacles in his political approach. Once the environment changed to leaning towards a different tendency, it became hard for him to achieve what he once succeeded in doing. This reflects not only the evilness in one politician like Strauss but also the whole distorted bureaucracy system in American politics. It is also ironic that there is one man missing in the picture, the president, who should be at the hearing as well since he gave commands to Oppenheimer and is truly the one who had blood on hand.

My friend who saw this movie in Germany posted his comment on social media saying that China should have no concerns introducing this movie to the mainland movie market because it depicted a horrible American political environment based on truth. It is true (or at least based on our knowledge received in former education) that politics in America is often seen as a toy or a method that is helpful for achieving certain goals. Perhaps it is because of the two parties and all the disagreements between them. Rather in China, our classmates in universities who have joined the communist party tend to show serving awareness and feel responsible to take care of others, a spirit that could trace up to the highest level of government, where the creed is to serve people and nothing else. I tend to believe that this doctrine is well-realized despite having other disadvantages of its own. I also agree with my friend and his comment that the movie is about the US government as a whole, instead of just one villain.