The Voice of Niels Bohr
The other night I watched the 2023 film Oppenheimer on TV. I had seen it before, on a plane flight, and enjoyed it, though I thought it was overlong. Fortunately it was a long flight. Watching it again a couple of days ago reminded me of something that struck me first time, and that was the cameo performance by Kenneth Branagh as Niels Bohr. You can see him at the start of the trailer here:
Niels Bohr was born in Copenhagen, a place I visited many times in the past and can recognize the local accent, though had never heard the speaking voice of Niels Bohr himself. I was a underwhelmed by Branagh’s rendition because he doesn’t sound very Danish to me. I assumed that because it was a relatively small part, Branagh didn’t put much effort into it. He doesn’t look like Niels Bohr, either.
But what did Niels Bohr actually sound like? Here is a lecture by him given in 1957 so you can decide for yourself.
Having heard this recording I think Kenneth Branagh’s version is not too far off, in fairness, though there are clear vocal mannerisms he did not capture.
The thing that strikes me most about the lecture, however, is that his delivery is very pedestrian, not to say rambling. People say he was like that in ordinary conversation too…
In the Dark 
December 28, 2025 at 4:26 pm
I’m impressed that you managed to slog through that film twice. Once was more than enough for me.
I find many of Christopher Nolan’s movies to be overlong and sluggish. I loved Memento and The Prestige, but I suspect that once he acquired an outsize reputation nobody was able to tell him he needed to cut things.
The same thing happened to JK Rowling — not that that’s her main problem!
December 28, 2025 at 5:33 pm
But the film was also too short: lacking space to develop characters, to explain physics, or to show all the diverse parts of the Manhattan project. The BBC told the same story in 1980 over 7 1-hour episodes, and I found it more successful because it was able to flesh everything out. Having said that, though, the film’s focus on Lewis Strauss in its 2nd part was a great success, superbly acted.
December 29, 2025 at 11:18 am
There is an excellent TV series called Manhattan which deals with the project from the point of view of the ‘lower level’ scientists involved, rather than the leaders. It also covers the impact the work has on the families of the scientists – stuck in the middle of nowhere.
December 28, 2025 at 5:38 pm
As for Nolan, I largely agree. I can’t see why the critics were so taken with Interstellar or Dunkirk. But I thought Inception was brilliant.
December 28, 2025 at 5:40 pm
I have seen both Dunkirk and Interstellar and was impressed with neither. I haven’t seen Inception.
December 28, 2025 at 6:24 pm
De gustibus and all that. I found Inception to be extremely slow and dull. If a skilled editor got to it and chopped it down by a factor of 2 or so, it could be a good movie. I quite liked Dunkirk, although not nearly as much as the more rapturous critics did.
December 28, 2025 at 6:47 pm
Last night I treated myself to Double Indemnity on DVD. That’s just 107 minutes long. Another favourite, The Maltese Falcon, is 101 minutes. Both are complex stories filled with memorable characters; both had superb direction and editing.
December 28, 2025 at 7:02 pm
Those are both outstanding films. I could watch them again and again.
The last time I visited my father, the senior community where he lives held an event where they screened two movies on successive nights and then had a discussion of them afterwards. I had the excellent luck to arrive when they were discussing The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep.
December 28, 2025 at 7:12 pm
The Big Sleep is enjoyably convoluted and a great watch but I don’t think the film is as good as the novel, which is also a lot sleazier…
December 28, 2025 at 7:47 pm
I agree with all of this. A big part of what makes The Big Sleep work so well is the dialogue, most of which is taken straight from the novel. And part (but by no means all) of what makes the plot confusing is that the film can’t be as explicit as the novel about the sexual aspects of the story (particularly the fact that Geiger and Lundgren have a sexual relationship).
Another reason I love this movie is that I’ve had a crush on Lauren Bacall for about 45 years. That voice …
And part of the reason I like The Maltese Falcon a bit less (although only a bit) is that I don’t find Mary Astor’s character nearly as alluring.
December 28, 2025 at 8:00 pm
I just watched the 1974 Murder on the Orient Express. I had forgotten Lauren Bacall was in it!
December 29, 2025 at 12:01 am
I had forgotten that Bacall was in it too, surprisingly given my aforementioned crush.
December 29, 2025 at 11:20 am
A great film – I have it as part of a Film Noir DVD set. Also watched Strangers on a Train the other night on BBC. Another great film.
December 28, 2025 at 10:03 pm
It is a local folklore in Horsham that Niels Bohr lived here for a brief period of time “during the war”. Wikipedia suggests the truth is somewhat more complex.