Joal : Journal of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026): July 2026

A Linguistic Analysis of Lexical and Structural Ambiguity in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer

Ari Arfian (Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika, Indonesia)
Sayyid Khairunas (Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika, Indonesia)
Ary Iswanto Wibowo (Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika, Indonesia)
Retno Rahayuningsih (Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika, Indonesia)
Rizky Mirani (Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
14 Jul 2026

Abstract

This study aims to analyze how Oppenheimer employs ambiguity as a storytelling device to enrich the narrative and encourage audiences to critically interpret the ideas and messages conveyed in the film. A descriptive qualitative method was employed to examine lexical and structural ambiguities found in the dialogues spoken by the main character, J. Robert Oppenheimer, portrayed by Cillian Murphy. The findings reveal a total of 24 ambiguous dialogues, consisting of 17 instances of lexical ambiguity and 7 instances of structural ambiguity. Lexical ambiguity occurs when a word has more than one possible meaning, potentially leading to different interpretations. Structural ambiguity arises from sentence structures that allow multiple interpretations due to their grammatical arrangement. These findings suggest that ambiguity plays a significant role in shaping the film’s narrative by encouraging viewers to interpret the dialogues from different perspectives. Rather than creating confusion, the use of ambiguity enhances the complexity of the characters, supports the thematic depth of the story, and promotes critical engagement with the film’s underlying messages. Keywords : Linguistics, Semantics, Lexical, Structural, Ambiguity

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Journal Info

Abbrev

joal

Publisher

Subject

Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

Journal of Applied Linguistic (JoAL) is a Journal that published twice a year, namely in January and July. JoAL publishes manuscripts within the fields of: 1. Teaching and curricular practices 2. Language teaching methodologies, 3. Curriculum development and teaching methods 4. Second and foreign ...