What exactly was the role of Albert Einstein? This new Netflix film extends Oppenheimer

Using archival audio recordings and writings by Einstein himself, Einstein and the Bomb explores the famous scientist’s role in the story of the creation of the atomic bomb.

This new dramatic documentary from Netflix portrays one of the most renowned and influential physicists in history – who we saw briefly in Oppenheimer by Christopher Nolan, played by Tom Conti. In the Oscar-nominated film, Einstein is among those who advised J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who played a central role in the development of atomic weapons.

What exactly was Albert Einstein’s role in creating the atomic bomb, and how did the world’s most famous scientist come to regret his involvement? So many questions that this documentary, by Anthony Philipson, explores.

In reality, Oppenheimer and Einstein probably met only a few times – their relationship having been described as “cordial and complicated” – and ultimately Einstein’s contributions to Oppenheimer’s work were theoretical and indirect. However, the foundations of Einstein’s work have undeniably influenced the understanding of physics for all scientists.

The film depicts key moments in the life and career of Einstein (who appears both in archival footage and played by Aidan McArdle), from his status as a refugee in England to his early ideas that would ultimately lead to his theory of relativity. It also demonstrates how the pacifist scientist’s fear, believing that Nazi Germany was developing its own atomic weapons, led him to write a letter to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, unwittingly triggering an arms race that would result in the creation of the bomb.

“I made a big mistake in my life”, Einstein says in the film. “If I had known that the Germans would not succeed in producing an atomic bomb, I would not have participated in opening Pandora’s box.”

Einstein and the Bomb is currently available on Netflix.