Commentary: ‘Oppenheimer’ only makes it harder to control nuclear weapons

The movie “Oppenheimer” hypes a serious issue of national survival, and in the process makes matters much, much worse. By mythologizing J. Robert Oppenheimer (and in the process ascribing god-like powers to nuclear weapons), the movie sets back efforts to control these dangerous devices.

True, people who watch the movie will emerge frightened about nuclear war. But decades of terrifying pictures of ash, rubble and burned bodies haven’t, apparently, stifled governments’ desire for these weapons. All nine nuclear-armed states are currently increasing their arsenals or