Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has struck gold with its audience. The months leading to its wait were more than worth it. Not only did the movie represent the mechanisms behind the creation of the atomic bomb, but it also gave us a peek into the political upheavals during the time.
One of the characters who draw our eyes is Lewis Strauss, played by Robert Downey Jr. The only antagonist in the movie, who relentlessly pursued Oppenheimer and brought about the downfall of the ‘father of the atomic bomb.’
What was the motivation behind such a vengeful act? Was it mere hatred or something far more tangible? Let’s discover together.
Who Is Strauss?
Lewis Strauss served as the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and was a significant figure during the development of nuclear weapons. He belonged to Jewish background and could not study physics due to the recession of 1913.
Strauss worked as an investment banker in the 1920s and 30s which helped him amass a considerable fortune. He founded the Lewis and Rosa Strauss Memorial Fund to finance the usage of radium for treatment purposes.
He joined the Navy’s Department of Ordnance during World War II to work on the mass production of weapons. President Truman appointed Strauss as a member of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in 1946.
There was an auditorium wide understanding that Lewis Strauss was a charming individual we were happily rooting for with only a brief introduction in the opening minutes— then the last hour of the film RDJ absolutely, without missing a beat, flawlessly ratchets it up to 11. pic.twitter.com/WUbszMoMNV
— Dai D. Δ || MARATHON (@AgentDeli) July 22, 2023Why Did Strauss Hate Oppenheimer?
Strauss’ dislike of Oppenheimer stemmed from various factors, ranging from personal to political. Strauss was a conservative Republic and disliked Oppenheimer, who was a liberal with Communist associations. Beyond the movie’s representation, Strauss also resented Oppenheimer for distancing himself from the Jewish community.
Apart from the political motivations, Strauss often felt that Robert did not acknowledge him due to his lack of vast knowledge in Physics. In the scene where Einstein appeared in the movie, he approached the man after Robert but was mostly ignored.
Strauss believed that Robert had poisoned the mind of the greatest scientific mind of the generation against him. Not even for a moment did he stop to think that he simply wasn’t of any consequence at the moment for both the geniuses.
I’ve been thinking about how Oppenheimer effectively opens/closes on his conversation with Einstein. How initially, just like Strauss, we are led to believe they have issues with him. But as the film progresses, it becomes clear they’re concerned with “more important things” pic.twitter.com/awkkqIiRUi
— Sync 🎧 🖤 (@SyncXmA) July 22, 2023Oppenheimer also disagreed with Strauss’ export policy on isotopes. He very publicly implied that Strauss was just an amateur physicist. He should leave the more serious matters in the hands of the experts. This was the last nail for Strauss as he actively sought revenge from that moment forth.
What Did Strauss do to Oppenheimer?
The Oppenheimer movie portrays Strauss as the main antagonist of the film. Not only did he damage Oppenheimer’s reputation among the masses, but he also had the latter’s security clearance revoked in 1954 by accusing him of having communist ties.
Oppenheimer was against the creation of the hydrogen bomb as he found no motive behind creating it after the first nuclear bomb had already ended World War II. Strauss was at complete odds with this opinion and supported the second bomb project.
Strauss was aware of Robert’s sour connections and the enemies he had created through his straightforward ways. Thus, Strauss made William Borden open an FBI investigation on Robert. Oppenheimer was accused of being a Russian spy.
The trial was rigged, and the authorities could not ignore the risk, thus revoking Oppenheimer’s security clearance. The scientist was made an enemy in the eyes of the public, who turned against him soon after worshipping him.
What Happened to Strauss?
Lewis Strauss had to suffer in the aftermath of his plotting against Oppenheimer. He truly believed that the scientific community hated him after their minds were poisoned by Robert. His imaginary belief was proven true by himself as scientists could no longer put faith in him after what he did to Robert.
I saw the black-and-white portions of Oppenheimer as being from Strauss' POV and American Prometheus provides a great explanation as to why pic.twitter.com/uGBqcAegZd
— Gayle Sequeira (@ProjectSeestra) July 23, 2023Strauss was no longer a desired candidate in the government as he was too self-absorbed. The Senate selection hearing community accused Strauss of destroying Oppenheimer because of a personal vendetta.
Beyond what the movie revealed, Lewis Strauss’ nomination as the US Secretary of Commerce failed, marking him as the 18th Cabinet appointee who the Senate refused. His rejection plagued him till his last moment.
Strauss passed away in 1974 after battling lymphosarcoma for three years.
Strauss was a notable figure in history, but his potential was ruined due to his senseless revenge spree. The man’s insecurity brought his downfall as he had convinced himself that Oppenheimer despised him.
What do you think of Robert Downey Jr.’s masterful enactment of Strauss? Did the movie hit home? Tell us in the comments below.
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