Copenhagen (2002)

A television adaptation of Michael Frayn's celebrated and award-winning stage play about the meeting between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg in 1941 Copenhagen. At this time the... See full summary »

Director:

Howard Davies

Writers:

Howard Davies (adaptation), Michael Frayn

Stars:

Stephen Rea, Daniel Craig, Francesca Annis

Cast

Cast overview:
Stephen Rea	...	Niels Bohr
Daniel Craig	...	Werner Heisenberg
Francesca Annis	...	Magrethe Bohr

Storyline

A television adaptation of Michael Frayn's celebrated and award-winning stage play about the meeting between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg in 1941 Copenhagen. At this time the young Heisenberg was leading a faltering German research program into nuclear energy, while the middle-aged and apparently isolated Bohr was in contact with allied agents, and still held a position of great influence in the nuclear physics research community. After the meeting the two men put different interpretations or impressions of why Heisenberg requested the meeting, and what he hoped to gain from it, a theme which mirrors the ambiguity of the "Copenhagen" interpretation widely used in quantum physics. Did Heisenberg go to the avuncular Bohr to seek his blessing for his role in nuclear research? Why did Heisenberg concentrate on the development of a nuclear reactor, and not perform the calculations which would show that a bomb could be made to work via a fast-neutron reaction in Uranium 235? ...

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Plot Keywords:

physics | quantum physics | nuclear physics | uranium | moral dilemma | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Details

Official Sites:

PBS [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 September 2002 (UK)

Also Known As:

Copenhage

Filming Locations:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC),KCET

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original Broadway production of "Copenhagen" by Michael Frayn opened at the Royale Theater on April 11, 2000, ran for three hundred twenty-six performances and won the 2000 Tony Award for the Best Play. Michael Frayn's script was used as the basis of the screenplay for the movie version.

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Goofs

When Bohr digresses on the fission chain reaction, he indicates that one fissioned uranium atom is enough to move a speck of dust, then "until eventually after, let's say eighty generations, two hundred and eighty specks of dust have been moved, enough specks of dust to constitute an entire city." Rather than 280, the number is 2^80, as the result of eighty doublings (indicating the rather important carat exponent symbol was left out of the script or omitted by the actor). The number reads as two to the eightieth power... about a trillion trillion.

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Connections

Featured in Zomergasten: Episode #18.3 (2005)

User Reviews

Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle

This is well done and thoroughly enjoyable portrayal of the moral hesitation and dissembling that go hand and hand with Heisenberg and his efforts with respect to the bomb. It is well acted with informative and intelligent dialogue that brings two of the leading scientists of the 20th century to life while examining all facets of the issues surrounding Heisenberg's visit to Copenhagen and the consequences of his efforts to develop a bomb for Nazi Germany.