Carefully reenacted with the support of historical footage and imagery, Netflix’s 2024 release of Einstein and the Bomb has brought Albert Einstein’s greatest discovery back to life. The feature length docu-drama uses the iconic physicist’s real words, alongside expertly crafted visual effects and motion graphics, to contextualise Einstein’s journey to his Theory of Relativity and the resulting creation of the atomic bombs that devastated the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
Renowned for its expertise in cosmology, history and natural history VFX, longtime Netflix collaborator Lux Aeterna delivered the inspiring visual effects that depict Einstein’s earliest memories through to his final days in the United States in 1955. The film was released in February this year, timed alongside the Academy Awards attention for Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic Oppenheimer.
CHASING THE SPEED OF LIGHT
At the very centre of the story is Einstein’s development of the Theory of Relativity and his famous E=mc2 equation, which identifies the relationship between energy, mass, and the speed of light. In a scene at Roughton Heath, the Norfolk estate of Commander Oliver Locker-Lampson, Einstein looks back on his early ideas en route to the momentous discovery with his hosts.
Locker-Lampson was the member of parliament who pushed the government for the Nationality of Jews Bill, which aimed to extend British citizenship to Jewish refugees from Nazi persecution. Although the bill was never legalised, the former Navy commander took the 54-year-old Einstein into refuge in a cabin on his estate.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super Founders Edition
On the surface, the GeForce RTX 4080 Super is barely any different from the vanilla GeForce RTX 4080 that was launched in 2022.
MCU VFX moments
Pros choose their favourite CG shots from the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Nosing around on Fallout
We sniff out the story of how FutureWorks brought The Ghoul to life with the creation of his iconic noseless face
DISCOVER RED GIANT GEO'S HANDY TOOLS
Heather Sterland introduces one of the newest additions to Maxon's suite of Red Giant VFX plugins with an atmospheric lunar creation
BUILD AND ANIMATE A FUN-FILLED ROBOT
Expand your horizons with Julio Benavides, who reveals his workflow for creating a charming hard-surface character
DESIGN STRIKING SCULPTS AT SPEED
Learn how to build 3D characters that balance visual quality and efficient workflow with pro advice from Oh Holy Mary
CREATE A CANYON ENVIRONMENT
Build a stunning desert setting with an expert walkthrough from Romain Eboli, who uses high-quality Quixel assets
TURN A 2D CONCEPT INTO AN INCREDIBLE 3D-PRINTED FIGURE
Concept artist Emily Chapman shares her process for sculpting, printing and painting an outstanding model to put on display
Goodbye SAIGON
Trevor Hogg gets held captive by multiple versions of Robert Downey Jr.while uncovering the visual effects of HBO's spy series The Sympathizer
IMPRESSIONISTIC REALISM
Trevor Hogg learns how the artisan aesthetic came to be for The Wild Robot