Based on the true events surrounding the secret wartime project in New Mexico where the first atomic bombs were designed and built, Shadow Makers is the story of brilliant scientist Robert Oppenheimer who supervised the work on the now infamous "Manhattan Project".
Directed by Oscar-nominated Roland Joffe, the film focuses on the link between the progress of science at all costs, deep moral ambiguities and the effects of the project on the individuals involved. Paul Newman plays the military general overseeing the Manhattan Project. His deeply cynical and uncompromising portrayal of a man determined to succeed, no matter what, is the catalyst for the dramatic tensions in the film.
Shadow Makers delicately captures the internal struggles of the individual's experience, set-against the dominance of a greater power that manipulates them to its needs and that is eternally present like a sinister shadow in the background of their lives. John Cusack and Laura Dern are excellent in supporting roles and play out the devastating affects of atomic warfare in a sensitive and provoking manner. The authenticity and attention to detail consolidate a gripping and thoughtful view on the true events surrounding the invention of the atom bomb.