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Director Christopher Nolan’s latest feature Oppenheimer takes us into the tremendous yet troubled mind of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), exploring the events of his life and the crucial role he played in the development of the atomic bomb. Always standing by his side throughout every battle (whether that be at the Los Alamos facility or at a tense hearing) is wife Kitty, played by the ever brilliant Emily Blunt.
The fierce Kitty Oppenheimer isn’t there to hold her husband’s hand. Instead, she is the driving force. Kitty repeatedly uses the word "fight" in her conversations with Oppenheimer, continually urging him to push forward in not only his work on the Manhattan Project, but in his later clashes with politicians. "Why won’t you fight?" Blunt’s Kitty firmly asks, not through exasperation but instead passion, being Oppenheimer’s biggest champion. She isn’t exactly frustrated by Oppenheimer’s sometimes unwillingness to stand up for himself, Kitty detests the way the world is treating her husband, and what that is turning him into.
For Blunt, this is what is behind Kitty’s tenacity here, as she explained to GamesRadar+: "I think she believes in him and in his intentions, and I think she loathes seeing him dragged across the coals for their whole life, which is for public consumption. She believes that it is wrong and she knows who is the villain behind it, she has this surety about her whilst he is passive. That definitely incentivises her to push him further because he seems to be taking it as if he’s atoning for the sins of what he’s done and created. It’s really that she’s firing against his passive nature."
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In fact, one of the highlights of the film sees Kitty fight against the politicians with all that she has during Oppenheimer’s hearing, essentially giving them a piece of her mind. She’s certainly a fierce character, but beneath that are vulnerabilities as we see Kitty struggle with the likes of addiction and motherhood, complexities Blunt explores beautifully. The actor is surprised then when we mention that Nolan has often drawn criticism for his female characters, with these commentators often citing the dead wives of his filmography and suggesting that the women are regularly sidelined.
It’s one of the best parts that anyone has ever written for me
Responding with her thoughts on this, Blunt emphasises how Kitty is one of the best roles she has ever played: "I mean - it’s one of the best parts that anyone has ever written for me. Not that he wrote it for me, but he wrote an exquisite part that is so layered. Even though she’s not a huge part, it packs a punch. I was so excited by her. And the thing that I love is that he wasn’t concerned with her being likeable, it was just a very real interpretation of the character. When you read about her in the book, they say that 'Kitty didn’t do small talk she only did big talk' which is so symbolic of the character. I really remember reading that and thinking, ‘that’s it, she’s so clear’. Usually I think women in movies have to be sort of quite likeable and warm, but she wasn’t either of those things, and he was unafraid of that and writing her as such. I just loved her."
Will the part of Kitty Oppenheimer change the minds of Nolan's naysayers? Well, only time will tell, but one thing is certain - this Kitty has claws.
Oppenheimer releases in UK and US cinemas on July 21. For more on the film, you can read our interviews with director Christopher Nolan and actor Matt Damon, and listen to the latest episode of the Inside Total Film podcast for our chat with Cillian Murphy and more Nolan.
In the meantime, check out our guide to the rest of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond.
