01x09 - Einstein: Chapter Nine

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Genius...

Do you know what Fritz

has been working on?

(coughing, shouting)

He's responsible

for thousands of deaths.

You may have changed

your religion,

but don't think

for a second

you can change

your heritage.

But if the worst disputes

between warring nations

can be resolved, can't

two old friends make peace?

I would like you to meet my

good friend, Dr. Niels Bohr.

Are you familiar with Heisenberg's

uncertainty principle?

What about Margot and Ilse?

ELSA: They're determined

to make their lives here.

Perhaps they'll change their

minds once they see how happy

a person can be in New Jersey.

I am conducting this

inquiry at the request

of Mr. J. Edgar Hoover.

EINSTEIN: Hoover?

What does he want with me?

SECRETARY:

Dr. Lenard, it's an honor.

He's expecting you, sir.

Heil, mein Fuhrer!

Welcome to the n*zi Party,

Dr. Lenard.

♪ ♪

HALLIWELL: The intelligence

is thin, I'll admit,

but if it's accurate,

well, then...

we'd all better start

learning to speak German

as well as you do.

BERG:

What else you got?

HALLIWELL:

Not much.

That's why you're here.

We may have the Jerries

on their heels,

but if this Heisenberg character

is indeed close to building

an atomic b*mb...

(chuckles wryly)

Well... Jesus.

What do you want me to do?

It's a Walther PPK.

A Swiss friend of ours

has invited Heisenberg

to lecture in Zurich

in December.

You're gonna be there.

If you're captured,

it'll appear

you smuggled it from Germany.

But if that happens...

swallow the pill. It's quick.

And it's a hell

of a lot less painful

than what the Nazis

will do to you.

(whistling

"Take Me Out to the Ballgame")

Your contact is

Professor Scherrer

of the Federal Polytechnic College.

BERG: What's my cover?

HALLIWELL: Swiss secondary

school physics teacher.

Tomas Ritter?

Paul Scherrer.

Pleasure to meet you,

Herr Professor.

BERG:

Which one is Heisenberg?

There,

on the right.

HALLIWELL:

Listen for certain words--

"heavy water,"

"fast fission," "plutonium."

Good evening, gentlemen,

ladies.

Thank you

for coming.

If anything Heisenberg says

leads you to believe he is

close to constructing a b*mb,

k*ll him.

GOEBBELS:

Congratulations, Dr. Lenard.

The Fuhrer, in his wisdom,

has decided to reward

your early support

and continued loyalty

by appointing you

Chief of Aryan Physics.

I am humbled and grateful,

Dr. Goebbels.

Please inform the Fuhrer

that my first order of business

will be to reclaim

the glory of German science

by purging the Prussian Academy

of all foreign

and impure influences.

We must do more

than inform the Fuhrer.

We must inform the people.

In a manner that will

forever burn this moment

into their memory.

The era

of exaggerated

Jewish intellectualism

is now at an end!

The triumph of the

German Revolution

has again cleared a path

for the German way.

And the future German man will

not only be a man of books,

but also a man of character.

And, thus, you do well

in this midnight hour

to commit to the flames

the evil spirit of the past.

Sieg...

OTHERS:

Heil!

GOEBBELS:

Sieg...

OTHERS:

Heil!

Sieg...

Heil!

Sieg...

Heil!

Sieg...

Heil!

Sieg...

Heil!

Sieg...

Heil!

(cheering)

ELSA:

Albert,

they have raided our apartment.

The cottage as well.

What were they hoping

to find, my supply of...

contraband tobacco?

Margot says that they

were looking for g*ns.

They claimed to

have intelligence

that you were hiding them

for communist insurgents.

Well, that's a very liberal use

of the word "intelligence."

The girls have managed

to save most of your papers.

Poor Herr h*tler.

What will he use for kindling

the next time he wishes

to read by the fire?

This isn't funny, Albert.

I know.

That is why we must fight, Elsa.

Fight h*tler however we can.

We haven't any g*ns.

I have a voice.

I can write.

I can speak out,

tell anyone who will listen

that this man is a thr*at,

that other governments must use

all peaceful means

to oppose him.

Margot says that Ilse's

condition is getting worse.

That is not good news, my love.

We must get her

out of Germany.

And the rest of our

family and friends.

Use your voice

for that.

HELEN:

The car is here.

Oh, thank

you, Helen.

You go ahead.

I'll-I'll be

just a moment.

Don't be too long.

Flexner has threatened

to feed me

to the famous Princeton Tigers

if I'm late again.

The Nazis are fanatics.

American capitalists

such as yourself

must refuse to do business

with them, Mr. Mills.

I'm surprised

a man of your background

needs a lesson in

capitalism, Professor.

It doesn't work

by refusing

to do business

with people.

FLEXNER:

You're here

to attract donors, Albert,

not to chase them away.

Oh, my mistake.

I was under the impression my

job here was to pursue science,

not to be the collector

for your coffers.

Most of these people

are put off as it is,

having so many Jews

on the faculty.

(quietly): They don't want our

politics thrown in their faces.

Albert,

look who I have just met.

This is Mr. Henry Morgenthau.

He is Secretary of the

Treasury for Mr. Roosevelt.

An honor to meet you,

Professor.

Morgenthau.

A Jewish name?

- As a matter of fact, yes.

Bar mitzvah boy in '04.

Corned beef on rye.

- (chuckles)

A Jew who's also

a politician.

How very interesting.

Albert, I was thinking

maybe Mr. Morgenthau

could give us some advice

on getting our friends

out of Germany.

Get up. Let's go.

(grunts)

On your feet, you kike.

- Move! Move!

Where are you taking them?

No Jews in

government posts.

That includes

this laboratory.

This is an outrage.

How am I to continue my work?

I'm sure you will manage.

Your people are nothing

if not clever.

My people?

What are you insinuating?

We know you were not born

a Lutheran.

Or would you care to drop your

trousers and prove us wrong?

(whispers): How-how dare you

speak to me in such a manner?

Your Jew-loving friends

cannot protect you forever...

Haber.

PLANCK:

Fritz is a German patriot.

He was the first among us to

raise his hand in the Great w*r.

He's also a Jew.

Yes, Philipp,

but... (chuckles)

...there are Jews

and, uh...

and then there

are Jews.

I'm told you have

already pressed this matter

with the Fuhrer himself.

Did he not give you a clear answer?

- Yes,

but we cannot turn

our backs on Fritz.

He has been a colleague and a

friend for decades. - Yes,

and for decades you supported

the likes of Haber and Einstein

while they destroyed

the purity of German science.

But the Academy

is obsolete, Max.

I am in charge of science

in this country now.

Make no mistake, Philipp,

the Fuhrer appointed you

not for your shining intellect,

but for your

depraved politics.

(scoffs softly)

MORGENTHAU:

I'm afraid there's nothing

I can do to help your

friend Professor Haber.

No university in

America wants the stain

of a w*r criminal

on its faculty.

I feared

that might happen.

Poor Fritz.

- The good news is

the State Department has

agreed to issue visas

to several of those

on your list.

Betty Neumann.

Your son Hans

and his family.

Your wife's daughter, Margot.

Thank you.

But what about

my other stepdaughter, Ilse?

She's sick

with tuberculosis.

Elsa's gone to Paris

to take care of her, but...

we want to bring her here

for treatment.

The immigration laws

exclude anyone

with medical conditions.

No one is admitted who might

become a burden to the state.

I would, of course,

pay for her care.

I'm afraid we're facing

the same obstacle with your son, Eduard.

Mr. Secretary,

I promised him. Is there any way

you can make an exception?

I'm sorry,

my hands are tied.

ELSA: Princeton

is so lovely.

We have a pretty

little garden

with a magnificent elm tree.

(sighs) And you would

not believe the size

of the grocers, Ilse.

Everything that a person

could ever want to eat,

all in one place,

imagine that.

Albert is getting

everyone's visas in order.

And soon we shall all be

together in our little house.

PLANCK:

It's like a slow death,

all of my good friends leaving.

I know you did everything

you could, Max.

PLANCK: Germany has

betrayed you, Fritz.

No.

The Nazis

have betrayed Germany.

But when they are gone,

I'll come home. Ja.

We all will.

(exhales)

Palestine. (chuckles)

Imagine that.

(chuckles softly)

It's ironic.

I warned Albert not to get

involved with the Zionists,

and now it's the only place

on God's earth

I seem to be welcome.

Perhaps the climate

will be good for your heart.

Ja.

I will admit,

it could use some healing.

(train whistle blowing)

(bell clanging)

(indistinct chatter)

(grunts)

(sighs)

(grunts)

I'm sorry

to disturb you, Frau.

Is there anything

I can help you with?

No, thank you, Helen.

I'm all right.

I just wanted

to say again...

how very sorry I am about Ilse.

She was very fond of you.

We all are.

You have become part

of the family.

I am honored you would say so.

Perhaps it is time

to make you...

a signatory

on our bank accounts.

I'm not sure I understand.

Albert cannot handle

money at all.

He will need you

to do it for him.

(groans softly)

(exhales loudly)

Fritz is dead.

Oh, Albert.

No.

Your dearest daughter

and now this?

Why does God never stop

pummeling us?

Where are you going?

To work.

Oh, Albert, scratching equations

will not bring

Fritz or Ilse back.

I cannot talk about this, Elsa.

I simply cannot.

Who said anything

about talking?

Come, sit with me.

My eyes are tired.

It would be so wonderful

if you would read to me

like you used to.

It will take our minds

off our cares.

Bohr and Podolsky

are expecting me.

They will understand.

Please, Albert.

It's only for

a little while.

It's Tolstoy.

Your favorite.

I cannot keep them waiting.

(door opens, closes)

(bell tolling)

LAUE: Albert wrote and asked

me to read this to all of you.

(clears throat)

"My good friend Haber

was a man of endless curiosity

"and a passion for discovery.

"He wanted to share

"his genius with his country.

"That mattered more to him

than anything else,

"and thus his bitter end

is the tragic story of...

(car doors close outside)

...the unrequited love

of the German Jew."

The SS are outside.

We must finish before

they discover what we are doing.

The entire country

should be honoring Fritz,

Dr. Heisenberg. Instead,

we skulk like cowards.

What other choice

do we have?

If this is what we have come to,

perhaps we should leave

like Albert did.

No.

We are Germans.

We are patriots.

It is our duty to stay,

to ensure the future

of German science.

KONENKOV:

Art is like science, Albert.

It cannot be rushed.

Forgive my impatience,

Sergei, but...

how much longer is this

going to take?

(sighs)

An eternity,

if you do not hold still.

Hello, darling.

Can you not see

that I am working?

Aren't you

going to introduce me?

Dr. Einstein,

my wife, Margarita.

It's an honor

to meet such a great man.

I would rise

to greet you properly, madam,

but unfortunately,

your husband has accepted

a very generous commission

from my boss, Mr. Flexner,

designed to keep me

permanently silent,

immobile and on display.

(chuckles)

Mm. It's off

to a fine start.

But I'm afraid

you have not made Dr. Einstein

nearly handsome enough.

(chuckles softly)

ROOSEVELT:

Fourth or fifth?

EINSTEIN:

I beg your pardon?

Your wife. She's your cousin.

So is mine.

Fourth or fifth?

Elsa and I are first cousins.

Oh, well, you Europeans

are certainly more permissive

than we Yankees.

Speaking of Europe,

Mr. President,

I was hoping...

Come, now, Professor.

I didn't invite the world's

most brilliant scientist

to dinner to talk politics. No.

I was hoping

you could explain to me

this famous

relativity theory of yours

that's got everyone

scratching their heads.

If I explain relativity to you

in a way

that you can understand,

will you grant me a few

moments to discuss Germany?

It's a deal.

If you are standing

on hot coals,

a second feels like an eternity.

But when you are in bed

with a beautiful woman,

an hour passes

in a split second.

(both laugh)

That is relativity.

You win, Professor.

But I know

what you are going to say.

You want me to take a stand

against Mr. h*tler.

America must lead the

world in opposing him.

Boycotts, blockades...

In a way,

I envy the little bastard.

He does whatever he wants.

But in this country,

no man, not even the president,

can act alone.

Then you must persuade Congress.

Those chuckleheads will not

support action against Germany

because their constituents

don't feel

personally threatened.

Perhaps not today...

but tomorrow will be here

soon enough.

I'm sorry I can't help you,

Professor.

But allow me to offer

a small consolation.

I understand you're applying

for citizenship.

I could expedite

the process for you.

Thank you, sir.

But I don't want

any special treatment.

That's very noble

of you, Professor, but

the citizenship test requires

a lot of study.

Promise me you'll save

some of that brain power

for science.

EINSTEIN:

Imagine two particles.

Measure their mass.

Stick them together.

Let them spring apart.

What happens?

Their positions and their

velocities are related,

but...

- The uncertainty principle

says if we measure

the position of one...

Then we cannot measure its velocity.

- Ah.

But we can still measure

the velocity

of that second particle.

And since they are both

mathematically related,

we can then

determine the velocity

of the first particle,

so we'd know both

its position and velocity

without having

to measure them both.

Heisenberg's uncertainty

principle disproved.

With certainty.

You are vanquished, sir.

Hmm, but...

what if the act of measuring

the first particle

influenced the second,

changed it somehow

at the time it was measured?

Impossible.

That would be...

spooky action at a distance.

"Spooky action."

You're a better poet

than you are a scientist.

(chuckles)

Surrender now,

and I will offer you

generous terms.

Well, what did

you have in mind?

Elsa has made

some wonderful strudel.

Helen!

Bring us some strudel!

Helen?

I've been calling you.

It's as we suspected,

Mrs. Einstein.

Late stages of myocarditis.

EINSTEIN:

So...

how do we treat it?

I'll give you some time

to be alone with your husband.

Elsa?

How could you keep this from me?

I didn't want to worry you.

You have...

so much else in your mind.

Your science, your committees...

(sobs)

Don't worry.

Helen can take me home.

You can go to work.

I know that is what you need.

I think I should like

to read to you instead.

(sobs)

EINSTEIN:

"The whole world

"is now divided into two parts.

"One half is she,

"and there is

all joy, hope,

"light.

"The other half is

where she is not,

and there is all gloom

and darkness."

♪ ♪

You make a lovely nurse,

Dr. Einstein.

EINSTEIN:

"'I cannot come to visit you,

"'but is it possible

that I should never see you?

"I love you madly.

Can I never?'

"And blocking her path,

"he brought his face

close to hers.

EINSTEIN:

"Love hinders death.

"Love is life.

"Everything,

everything I understand,

I understand

only because I love."

(sniffles)

"Everything is,

"everything exists

only because I love."

The Germans have split

the nucleus of the atom.

I didn't believe it

at first,

but that bastard Hahn,

he actually did it.

My God, Niels.

Do you think...

A b*mb? Impossible.

You could never

find enough uranium.

What if you could?

You'd need an army

of scientists.

The Germans are very

good at raising armies.

All the best minds

have left, though.

Not Hahn.

Not Heisenberg.

We must inform

the American government

immediately.

Why would

the American government listen

to a couple

of foreign nobodies like us?

I know someone

they will listen to.

SPORTSCASTER (on the radio):

That's strike one

for the man they call

"Einstein in knickers."

(chuckles)

"Einstein in knickers"?

Why do they call him that?

They say he's the

most intelligent

of all the ballplayers.

Elsa would sue them

for libel

if she heard them

use my name like that

on the radio.

(gasps)

Ooh.

Hmm.

Mmm.

Mmm. Delicious.

Oh.

More cinnamon this time?

- Mmm.

Maybe you're just learning

to like Russian sweets.

Hmm. SPORTSCASTER:

Swing and a miss.

That's strike three

for Moe Berg.

Moe might not swing the bat

like he did

when he first came up

15 years ago,

but he still has a cannon

for an arm.

(whistling

"Take Me Out to the Ballgame")

Berg's the smartest man

in baseball.

Lawyer, Princeton grad,

reads as many

as ten newspapers a day,

speaks seven languages.

He is very smart.

Which reminds me,

you promised you'd help me

prepare for my citizenship test,

not to distract me

with baseball.

Shall we go to my study?

I'd prefer you take me to bed.

But you are married.

Were you never unfaithful

to your wife, Albert?

Yes.

Quite often, in fact.

We had an understanding.

Then what is the problem?

It's funny.

When Elsa was alive, I...

I never felt any guilt

about other women.

Now that she's gone...

I somehow feel

I'd be betraying her.

It's been years,

Albert.

I know you still miss her

very much, but...

you must be so lonely

without her.

How many years

does a senator serve?

Four.

- No, Albert,

this is the president.

Oh.

Two?

No, this is the

congressman.

A senator serves six.

(chuckling)

Now, the electoral college.

No, please.

It makes no sense.

(knocking at door)

I know what you're going to say.

She's a married woman

and I'm a foolish old man.

I was going to say there's

a Mr. Szilard here to see you.

SZILARD:

Every split

would cause...

EINSTEIN: A tremendous

chain reaction.

You discovered this,

Albert, decades ago.

Energy equals mass times

the speed of light squared.

Which means with only

this much material

you can destroy a city

the size of Berlin.

God help us all.

Albert...

you are the most famous

scientist in the world.

You must tell the president.

What should I say

to the president?

That America's scientists

must build a b*mb

before the Germans do.

I'm a devout pacifist.

You cannot be a pacifist

in the face of evil, Albert.

h*tler is a madman.

Imagine how he would use

such a w*apon.

He could obliterate

London, Moscow.

Many years ago,

Fritz Haber tried to convince me

his poison gas would

end the w*r more quickly.

It only made it more horrific.

Science must never

be used for v*olence.

Do you think

Adolph h*tler

shares your moral reservations?

You must contact

Roosevelt.

He will

listen to you.

That's the trouble, Leo.

What if he does?

WEIZSACKER: Achieving

an atomic chain reaction

will be the greatest feat

in the history

of German science.

And to think,

the Fuhrer has put you

in charge of all of it.

Carl...

What if we succeed?

Then they will

write books about us.

The Fuhrer himself

will pin medals on our chests.

- (chuckles softly)

We shall be heroes.

HELEN: Something

troubling you, Professor?

I do not suppose I have

ever felt more uncertain

about whether or not

what I'm doing is right.

What would Frau Einstein

have advised you to do?

I expect she would have

reminded me

that I once told her we must

fight h*tler however we can.

Then you have your answer.

God forgive me if I'm making

a terrible mistake.

"Based on this new phenomenon,

it is conceivable,

"though much less certain,

"that an extremely

powerful b*mb

of a new type

may be constructed."

A single b*mb..." ROOSEVELT:

"A single b*mb of this type,

"carried by boat

and exploded in a port,

"might very well destroy

"the whole port together

with some of the surrounding

territory."

Good God.

I don't need to tell you

what could happen

if the Germans develop

this technology before we do.

We'll all be doing

the goose step.

Or worse.

Which is why I'm asking you

to take charge of a program

to research and develop

an atomic w*apon.

It'd require

tremendous resources.

Of that I have no doubt.

I'd need wide latitude

to manage the project--

the scientists,

the m*llitary,

clandestine operations.

Secrecy would

be vital, sir.

We couldn't let the

Krauts get onto us.

Everyone involved

will need security clearance.

HOOVER:

Oppenheimer,

Teller, Fermi...

Einstein?

(short chuckle)

No.

No, Einstein is out.

You haven't even

run his background, Edgar.

The Bureau has been concerned

about Einstein for years.

He's a radical.

Almost certainly a communist.

He's the man

who informed the president

of the urgency of this matter.

He cannot be trusted

to be loyal to our country.

SEVERAL PEOPLE:

I will support and defend

the Constitution and laws

of the United States

of America...

...against all enemies,

foreign and domestic...

...against all enemies,

foreign and domestic...

JUDGE: ...that I will bear arms

on behalf of the United States

when required

by the law.

...that I will bear arms

on behalf of the United States

when required by the law.

MARGARITA: Albert, you have

just become an American.

Why ever would you

want to learn Russian?

So I can tell you I love you

in your own language.

(clears throat)

Ya tebya lyublyu.

Ya teba...

lyu... lyublyu?

Lyublyu. (chuckles)

Ya tebya lyublyu.

Ya tebya lyublyu.

Oh, uh, I-I'm sorry,

I didn't, uh...

Oh, Leo.

How wonderful to see you.

You remember my friend,

Margarita.

Hello.

- She's teaching me Russian.

(chuckles)

Yes. Very nice to see

you again, madam.

I do beg your pardon.

Come in, come in.

Please forgive us, Margarita.

(kisses)

Why don't you make us

some of your delicious piroshki?

Of course.

(door closes)

They rejected me.

Who did?

The atomic b*mb program.

They won't give me

a security clearance.

I need you

to put in a word for me.

They didn't give me

a security clearance either.

What? - Frankly, it's a relief.

It's one thing

to write a letter,

another thing entirely

to help build a b*mb.

So you find a Russian girlfriend

and now I have no one

to speak up for me.

(chuckles)

Leo, what on Earth

are you talking about?

Well, they obviously

suspect her.

Of what?

Decoding my poetry,

reporting it to the Kremlin?

I'm not saying it's true,

I'm simply saying

it's a question

they would ask.

Why would such

a beautiful young woman...

Ever pay attention

to a disheveled

old fool like me?

Albert, I-I didn't mean to...

It's all right, Leo.

I just let my imagination

run away from me.

I'm sure she

cares for you very much.

Yes.

I'm sure she does.

(whooshing, gurgling)

Air must have leaked in somehow.

It's ignited the uranium powder.

We must cool it.

More water over here!

No, it's too late.

The pile's lost stability.

Everybody out! Now!

Go, go!

Now!

LENARD:

So you have achieved

atomic detonation?

It was not the atomic material

itself that exploded.

It was the pressure from the

steam that burst the container.

Your work has progressed

quite slowly, Werner.

And now you have managed

to destroy a very expensive

laboratory.

One could arrive at

the conclusion that your heart

and mind are not fully committed

to this undertaking.

That is not true, sir.

I am ambitious

to make a stable reactor.

The Fuhrer does not care

about a reactor!

Your priority must be a w*apon.

Constructing a w*apon is an

extremely difficult process.

If you are not capable,

I will find a man who is.

That will not be

necessary, sir.

I will do all that

is required of me.

I can do this, Mr. Halliwell.

I don't doubt

your qualifications.

What I don't understand

is why.

I'm too old

to join the army.

(clears throat)

If we do take you on, well...

let's just say

you might be asked

to do things

that you find, uh...

unsavory.

However I can contribute, sir.

This isn't a game, Moe.

Mr. Halliwell,

I'm a grown man who

has spent his life

trying to hit a

ball with a stick.

I'm tired of playing games.

(indistinct conversations)

Dr. Einstein?

Yes?

Vannevar Bush,

Director of the National Defense

Research Council.

I have learned that

in this country

the word "defense" often means

the exact opposite.

We were hoping you could help us

with some calculations.

You're trying

to force uranium isotopes

into a gaseous state.

If we don't show some results

soon, our funding may dry up.

I'm sorry, but I'm quite busy.

They're only a few equations,

Professor.

Then again,

just one of my equations

seems to have started

all this madness.

So...

I really shouldn't be

telling you this,

but our intelligence services

have reported

rumblings from Germany.

We know the Nazis are

putting everything they have

into building a b*mb.

You are aware my security

clearance has been denied?

That's why we have to

keep this conversation

strictly between us.

Nobody can know

about this.

God forbid the Germans...

or the Russians...

learn what we're doing.

Albert?

I thought you were

coming to bed.

Yes, of course.

Just a few minutes more.

Don't be too long.

(snoring)

♪ ♪

EINSTEIN:

What are you looking for?

Could not sleep.

My book wasn't where I left it

in the kitchen.

I thought perhaps...

- Ah.

...perhaps Helen put it here.

Well, I woke up with my stomach

grumbling for a midnight snack.

Well, then, let me make you

something to eat.

Why not?

All of this is, of course, very

complicated, but if something

has been particularly unclear

this evening, I can assure you

it's because of my inability

to explain it properly.

HALLIWELL:

Listen for certain words.

Heavy water, fast fission,

plutonium.

If anything

Heisenberg says leads you

to believe he is close

to constructing a b*mb...

k*ll him.

Right there in the lecture hall?

HALLIWELL: We can't allow

the Germans to get this w*apon.

And just as importantly,

we can't allow the Russians

to get their hands

on Heisenberg.

Even if the Nazis

don't succeed,

we've got to keep the Commies

from getting

these secrets, too.

HEISENBERG: ...a formula

that will allow us

to calculate the masses

of the...

(indistinct speech)

(applause)

BERG: A fascinating lecture,

Herr Professor.

Although I am afraid some of

it was beyond my abilities.

I know how busy you must be,

but if it is not an imposition,

perhaps I can walk you back

to your hotel.

I have a few questions.

HEISENBERG: I'm surprised

you are teaching

such advanced ideas

in secondary school.

BERG: Alas, I only teach

the fundamentals.

Although I do like to keep up

with the latest developments.

I suppose I still

harbor the fantasy

I could be

a real physicist like you.

What would you like to know?

The topic that most interests me

is atomic fission.

The journals say that it will

become a source of energy

more powerful

than coal or even oil.

That is certainly our hope.

I have also read

that it could be used

to create a b*mb.

Is this true?

A w*apon is only

theoretical.

Yes, but, theoretically,

if you had the materials,

could it be done?

(sighs)

It would be

an extremely difficult process.

But I have a

question about

atomic fission for

you, Herr Ritter.

If you were a real physicist,

one who knew how to

build such a w*apon,

and you knew it would help

your country win a w*r...

...but that it could also

k*ll thousands...

...what do you suppose

would be stronger--

your patriotism...

or your moral qualms?

I suppose...

if I were

a true patriot...

I would have

to push those qualms aside.

Would you really?

Tell me, uh...

do you know

my uncertainty principle?

Of course.

Uh, the... the more precisely

you measure

a particle's velocity,

the less precisely

you know its position.

So perhaps the more precisely

you attempt to take my measure,

the less precisely

you will know my position.

Good night, Herr Ritter.

Thank you for your time,

Herr Professor.

SZILARD:

The Germans do not have a b*mb.

I'm told

the intelligence

is quite conclusive.

EINSTEIN:

Well, if you are right,

we can all take a breath.

But I'm also hearing

that our American friends

are very close to succeeding.

Even if that is true,

h*tler and his grey geese

are in retreat.

The Americans will not need an

atomic b*mb to defeat Germany.

What about Japan?

They wouldn't.

That's why I am here, Albert.

To ask you

to write another

letter to Roosevelt.

To tell him

this w*apon must never be used.

Are you not the same man

that stood before me

six years ago and begged me

to get this godforsaken project

started?

This b*mb--

some say it could start

a chain reaction that would

ignite the atmosphere itself.

Write to the president,

Albert, before it's too late.

(typing)

MALE RADIO NEWS ANCHOR:

This is a late bulletin

from our nation's capital.

The president

of the United States,

Franklin Delano Roosevelt,

is dead.

It appears he has d*ed

from a cerebral hemorrhage.

Vice President Truman

and the cabinet are meeting now

at the White House

to settle all matters

of public importance.

All we know so far

is that the president d*ed...

(shouting)

MAN:

The Fuhrer is dead!

The Fuhrer is dead!

We must evacuate Berlin!

(indistinct shouting)

♪ ♪

MAN:

This way!

MAN:

This way!

MAN 2:

Get him on the truck.

Get in, Heisenberg.

Let's go!

MAN:

You are being recalled.

I'm more useful here.

Useful? Really?

Have you brought us

anything of value

from your

professor friend?

He's not my only source.

Tell Moscow I wish to stay.

Why?

Because you have made

the unforgivable mistake

of falling in love

with your target?

You will do as you

are told, Comrade.

♪ ♪

EINSTEIN: I don't understand

why you are leaving.

There is someone else?

No.

No, Albert.

But I do...

I do love my country.

Russia has been

devastated by the w*r,

and I am needed at home.

You know, I often suspected

you wanted more from me

than just my company.

Albert...

But it's so hard for an old man

to find companionship.

I suppose I

convinced myself.

Why couldn't both

things be true?

Why couldn't you

love your country,

and also love me?

You really are a brilliant man.

Professor?

I've just heard it

on the radio.

They have dropped a b*mb

on a city in Japan.

They say it used

the power of the atom.

My God.

TRUMAN (over radio):

It is an atomic b*mb.

It is a harnessing of the

basic power of the universe.

The force from which the sun

draws its power has been loosed

against those who brought w*r

to the Far East.

We have spent more

than $2 billion

on the greatest scientific

gamble in history,

and we have won.

Yanks b*at

you Jerries again,

didn't they?

TRUMAN: ...not the size

of the enterprise,

its secrecy, or its cost,

but the ach...

How did they do it?

It's an extremely

simple process, actually.

Get me a pencil and a piece

of paper and I'll show you.

♪ ♪