Florence Pugh plays Jean Tatlock in Christopher Nolan’s historical epic,
Oppenheimer
, and despite her limited screen time, she makes a big impact, as did the real Jean Tatlock in Robert Oppenheimer’s life. Even over a year after its culture-shaking release,
Oppenheimer
is still breaking records
. A massive summer event,
Oppenheimer
exceeded most Christopher Nolan fans’ expectations when it premiered to a massive box office, high critical ratings, and 13 nominations at the 96th Academy Awards, winning in seven categories, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Oppenheimer
features an ensemble cast
Of nearly all the actual individuals who played roles in the development of the atomic bombs, along with others who were pivotal despite not being directly involved, during a time marked by significant advancements in American science—and some might contend, the onset of the most devastating arms race humanity has ever seen. Florence Pugh makes an appearance here.
Oppenheimer
as Jean Tatlock. Though Jean does not have a lot of minutes on screen,
her story is crucially linked with
Oppenheimer
‘s
.
Jean Tatlock Was A Psychiatrist And A Member Of The Communist Party USA
Tatlock Was At Stanford While Oppenheimer Was At Berkeley
Jean Tatlock was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan on February 21, 1914, to John Strong Perry Tatlock and Marjorie née Fenton (via
AHF
). Jean Strong was an English professor at Berkeley and instilled in Jean a great love of literature. She attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Cambridge, Massachusetts and later enrolled in Vassar College (via
TownAndCountryMag
). One of her Vassar classmates recalled that Tatlock was (via
VanityFair
),
…the most promising young woman I have ever encountered, the sole individual among those surrounding me at university who even back then appeared destined for remarkable achievements.
In 1935, Tatlock earned her degree from Vassar and subsequently enrolled at Berkeley to fulfill the requirements needed for medical school. Following this, she pursued her studies at Stanford Medical School, graduating in 1941 with a focus on psychiatry.
It was during his time at Stanford that Tatlock started writing for the
Western Worker
, the West Coast publication of the Communist Party USA. Even though he was generally skeptical, as indicated in
Oppenheimer
, Tatlock was an ardent member of the Communist Party USA, having confided to a friend on one occasion,
I simply couldn’t bear to continue living without believing that everything is superior in Russia.
It was through Tatlock that Oppenheimer was introduced to members of the Party
, introductions that ended up spelling trouble for both of them.
Robert Oppenheimer Met Jean Tatlock At A Fundraiser For Spanish Republicans
Oppenheimer Had Met Tatlock’s Father Previously
Just as it is depicted in the movie, Jean Tatlock and Oppenheimer did first begin seeing one another after a house party in 1936 which was also a fundraiser for Communist-backed Spanish Republicans (via
Today
). However, in a slight
dramatic change
Oppenheimer
makes
, Oppenheimer had met Jean’s father and thus probably knew about her. He liked connecting with Tatlock’s circle of friends and expressed empathy for their struggles, noting this sentiment.
I enjoyed the newfound feeling of camaraderie and sensed that I was becoming an integral part of the spirit of my era and nation.
Nevertheless, his involvement in developing the atomic bombs eventually made it impossible for him to maintain relations with the Party. His connections to communists were raised during the discussions.
The 1954 security hearings shown in
Oppenheimer
And employed as a means to charge Oppenheimer with holding far-left political leanings, these accusations were leveraged to undermine his credibility.
Oppenheimer And Tatlock Engaged In An Affair
After Marrying Katherine “Kitty” Puening, Oppenheimer Continued Occasionally Seeing Tatlock
Both incredibly brilliant academics, Oppenheimer and Tatlock had much in common, including a love for literature. However, other parts of their relationship were not so storybook.
Their romance was described as “intense”
, which some friends speculated was because of Jean’s diagnosed manic depression. Like in the film, Oppenheimer proposed twice to Jean, who refused, and she did actually insist he stop bringing her flowers. Their relationship crumbling, Oppenheimer broke it off in 1939 when he met Katherine “Kitty” Puening at a party.
However, he continued to occasionally see her even after marrying Kitty in 1940 (via
RadioTimes
). The FBI began monitoring Tatlock due to her close relationship with Oppenheimer and, during his last visit to her apartment in 1943, they recorded everything. They read the transcript of the night to Oppenheimer during his hearing, with Kitty present. Though the FBI could not see what happened, the dialogue between the pair implied they had been together intimately during the visit.
Tatlock’s Passing Had a Deep Impact on Oppenheimer
Jean Tatlock’s Corpse Was Discovered In Her Flat By Her Dad
Jean Tatlock battled with clinical depression, a condition that worsened following Oppenheimer’s decision to cease communication after they met in June 1943. On January 4, 1944,
Jean Tatlock was discovered lifeless in her bathroom.
She had kneeled on a stack of pillows and put her head into the bathtub, drowning herself. Tatlock was discovered by her father, and her death was classified as a “suicide with undetermined motivation.” An anonymous suicide letter was found in her room, which stated (via
NuclearSecrecy
),
I feel repulsed by everything… To everyone who cherished me and supported me, I offer all my love and bravery. My desire was to lead a fulfilling life and contribute positively, yet something left me immobilized. Despite my efforts to comprehend, I failed… I believe I might have always been more of an obstacle than help—perhaps it’s for the best that I can remove the weight of a stagnant spirit from this resilient world.
Upon hearing the news, Oppenheimer allegedly shed tears and took a solitary stroll through the mountains close to Los Alamos. Although this link remains unverified,
the Trinity Test may have been named for Tatlock
. A fan of the poet John Donne, Tatlock reportedly introduced Oppenheimer to his work. Oppenheimer cited his sonnet “Batter my heart, three person’d God” as a possible inspiration for the test’s name (via
LosAlamosNationalLaboratory
).
The Conspiracy Theory Surrounding Jean Tatlock’s Death
Some Think Boris Pash Had A Hand In Tatlock’s Death
Thanks to her proximity to the Manhattan Project, Communist Party loyalties, and observation by the FBI, there has been plenty of theorizing about Jean Tatlock’s death. In the movie, these conspiratorial ideas are suggested by Oppenheimer having visions of Tatlock’s death. In his imagination, sometimes she places her own head in the water, and in others, a gloved hand violently submerges her. Tatlock was found with the drug chloral hydrate in her system and in
American Prometheus
, the book
Oppenheimer
as stated by one physician, this is based on
If you were cunning and had the intent to eliminate someone, this would be how you’d go about it.
A possible individual who might have murdered Tatlock is Boris Pash.
, portrayed ominously by Casey Affleck in
Oppenheimer
Pash served as an intelligence officer with the CIA, overseeing counterintelligence efforts in the San Francisco area. Originally from Russia, he had participated in the White Army during the civil war and later escaped persecution by Communist forces. This experience instilled in him a lasting animosity towards communism, making his political views significantly more conservative than those around him at the time.
Sad occurrences happen, and it can be somewhat reassuring to believe that these incidents have a deep, elaborate explanation. Yet frequently enough, they do not.
Pash tried to get Oppenheimer fired, fearing he was a spy, or at least was helping spies, of which he was sure Tatlock was one. However, these claims are circumstantial at best. It’s possible that there was someone involved in Tatlock’s death, but the likely reality is the simplest. Jean Tatlock had major depression most of her life, a real mental illness that many people struggle with, and took her life. She had a hard one. Tragic events unfold, and it’s sometimes comforting to think that there is a complex, intricate reason behind them, but just as often, there isn’t.
Christopher Nolan Offered an Apology to Florence Pugh Regarding the Scale of Her Part in Oppenheimer
Pugh was simply delighted to be offered a role in a Nolan film.
Jean Tatlock only appears in
Oppenheimer
as a supporting character, and though most characters in the three-hour movie have limited screen time,
It’s noteworthy that Florence Pugh has not been getting much screen time, despite her acclaim and widespread recognition as an actress.
Perhaps that’s why Christopher Nolan said sorry to her when he gave her the role.
VanityFair
). Pugh talks about meeting Christopher Nolan in New York after he offered her the role,
“I remember he apologized by the size of the role. I was like, ‘Please don’t apologize.’ And then he said, ‘We’ll send you the script, and honestly, you just read it and decide if it’s like…I completely understand the sizing thing.’ And I remember that evening when I got the script being like, ‘I don’t need to…I know I’m going to do it.'”
It says a lot about Christopher Nolan that he did not want to put any pressure on Pugh and respected her enough that he understood such a small part may be something she was no longer interested in at that point in her career. It says even more about Florence Pugh that she was able to see past the limited dialogue to understand just how important Jean Tatlock is to the story of
Oppenheimer
. If that meant the chance to work with Christopher Nolan, all the better.
How Accurate Was Oppenheimer’s Portrayal Of Jean Tatlock?
Tatlock’s Reduced Role Caused Controversy
Jean Tarlock’s inclusion in
Oppenheimer
is a complicated one that mixes elements of historical accuracy while also drastically reducing her real-life significance.
The film excels at portraying the bond between Oppenheimer and Tatlock along with how her passing influenced him, yet it portrays Tatlock primarily as a means for developing Oppenheimer’s character instead of giving her depth as an independent figure.
.
Christopher Nolan has previously faced criticism for his inadequately developed female characters.
, featuring numerous instances where they are eliminated to drive the motivation of the male characters, like Mal did.
Inception
and Rachel Dawes in
The Dark Knight
The trilogy approach might make it seem even more inadequate because Jean Tatlock was an actual individual who achieved much in her lifetime, achievements that go unacknowledged here. Still, it’s crucial to remember that Nolan aimed to narrate Oppenheimer’s tale, and despite the film’s length being three hours, certain historical aspects were inevitably omitted.
Nevertheless, some individuals believe that expanding Tatlock’s part was crucial for Oppenheimer’s narrative, and they argue that Nolan omitted aspects of her life which resonated with the film’s central themes. A detailed piece published in Inkstick titled ”
The One-Sided Portrayal of Jean Tatlock in ‘Oppenheimer’
Specifically examined Tatlock’s bisexuality and how it influenced Oppenheimer’s social views, which the authors suggest contributed to his post-war choices, leaving him disillusioned by the government and ex-colleagues.
via
Inkstick
):
The total omission of Tatlock’s battle with her sexual identity, which plays a crucial part in the narrative because of her significant impact on both Oppenheimer’s personal life and his career, represents a missed opportunity for viewers—regardless of their orientation—to witness the portrayal of an influential and prominent LGBTQ+ figure. This absence diminishes the richness that such a character could have added to the story.
