The day after Trinity

Duration: 89

Year Published: 1980

Creator: John Else

Format: 16mm

Color: Color

Description: Documents the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, focusing on his role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. Recalls Oppenheimer's college days in Europe and his leading position in nuclear research at the time he became director of the atomic bomb project. Observes how, in the years after the war, his wish to limit the spread of bomb technology led to his 1953 suspension by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission as an alleged security risk. Uses declassified film footage of the hectic war years at Los Alamos and interviews with several of Oppenheimer's colleagues, including his brother Frank, Hans Bethe, and Edward Teller.