Tracing Oppenheimer’s Subjective Morality: John Fiske’s Semiotic Study of Perspective and Symbol

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-573-7_4How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Ideology; Oppenheimer; Subjective morality; Semiotics; Symbols

Abstract

This study analyzes the representation of subjective morality in Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer, using John Fiske’s semiotic approach. The film not only presents a biographical narrative of J. Robert Oppenheimer as a central figure in the atomic bomb project, but also represents inner conflict and complex moral dilemmas within the context of power, science, and humanitarian responsibility. Through Fiske’s three levels of television code—reality, representation, and ideology—this study examines how visual, symbolic, and narrative elements are used to shape audiences’ perceptions of Oppenheimer’s morality. Symbols such as the nuclear explosion, the interrogation room, monochromatic lighting, and sound construction play a significant role in conveying subtle yet powerful ideological meanings. The research findings indicate that the film Oppenheimer serves as a cultural text that is not neutral, but rather imbued with ideological positions that depict the tension between individual morality and the system of state power. By positioning the film as a popular cultural artifact, this study highlights how media shapes public understanding of history, scientific ethics, and personal responsibility within an increasingly complex global ethical landscape.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Cosmas Gatot Haryono
AU  - Adryenne Sefrida Pondaag
AU  - Ignasius Liliek Senaharjanta
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/04/30
TI  - Tracing Oppenheimer’s Subjective Morality: John Fiske’s Semiotic Study of Perspective and Symbol
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Communication and New Media Studies (COMNEWS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 25
EP  - 34
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-573-7_4
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-573-7_4
ID  - Haryono2026
ER  -