The story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.
Like most people, when you first heard about the atomic bomb during elementary or jr. high school, you probably asked yourself, “What the hell were they thinking?” If so, this film is exactly what you’re looking for. And who better to direct this film than the legendary Christopher Nolan (Tenet, Interstellar). He’s the grandmaster of IMAX cameras, which this film was shot in! If you get the opportunity, please see it in that format for a full optimal experience. Nolan for the most part is a sure fire win critically and at the box office. He’s one of the few directors in Hollywood who can fill up a theater without the title of his film having to do with a superhero/comic book character. Even with him helming The Dark Knight trilogy, he’s still a highly talented man that knows what he’s doing behind the camera and continues to create not just movies at the theater but wild epic events. Whether his latest film Oppenheimer measures up to his previous films in his filmography is a question that’s about to be answered.
It wouldn’t be difficult for me or any other critic to go down a list checking off what we loved about this film that’s probably obvious. Yes, the cast was fantastic and had a wide range of acting that most likely will be recognized during awards season. Also yes, the music and score were superb, and it was also a visual masterpiece. Composer Ludwig Göransson yet again was fantastic, and even is better than before with his second collaboration with Nolan. And Nolan does take full advantage of the IMAX ratio providing a drastically detailed image that will leave your jaw on the floor. Yeah, yeah, yeah we’ve heard it all before and you wouldn’t expect any less from a name like Nolan. However, what does need to be highlighted is first how this film may make you feel. This may sound cliché as well, but Oppenheimer challenges you to go beyond what you don’t already know. This is the main plot of the story, but it even goes further than that. Like Interstellar it will push you to the desire to increase your own education. After that film, which was released nine years ago, today I’m still inside of a rabbit hole of space exploration attempting to learn as much as I can. I nearly feel the same amount of passion and interest with Oppenheimer as well. Never have I ever desired to confront the science of isotopes, fusion reactions, and or quantum mechanics before. Yet once again, Nolan and his storytelling encourages me to do so. That says something and is immensely powerful.
Not only that, but to answer the question asked earlier above about, “What the hell were they thinking?” this story dives deep into the minds of Oppenheimer and his surrounding peers to figure that out. This man Oppenheimer was rubbing elbows with Albert Einstein for crying aloud as if they were just friends in a male locker room or backyard barbecue. And not just with those two, this film is filled with genius minds working together and against each other across the world to solve a perceived problem that didn’t exist before. What was their reasoning, and motivations? What events took place in their minds that lead them to the decisions they made to create such a destructive device? Was it something they learned in school, or some childhood trauma that they went through? Or was it a combination of both and just the desire to push the boundaries of technology that had never been known before? The film doesn’t just address the science behind the man of Oppenheimer but his personal and political views that molded it all together.
Even stepping away from the science of it all you’ll see the level of pride some characters have to maintain their reputation in the general public. The lengths they would go to to win an argument or some petty dispute that the other party wasn’t even aware they were a part of. Too much pride can kill a man and that’s shown front and center here with one character in particular. It’s also sad to see that one man’s wish to use his talents to help humanity can be corrupted for other nefarious reasons that actually harm mankind. Some hearts are warmer than others, but there are those that are cold and bare, and this film has characters ranging at every level.
The runtime is right at three hours long, and while this film is spectacular it’s not for everyone like Nolan’s other films. Oppenheimer requires a certain taste that everyone doesn’t possess. It’s dialogue heavy which isn’t a problem for a good amount of audience members, but there will be those that call it boring. I am not one of them. I appreciate and respect the character piece crafted by Nolan here, and wouldn’t have wanted to experience it any other way. The editing is sharp, consistent, and is able to keep your attention with very little effort. The score is upbeat and guides you through the drama softly with periodic moments of boom! However, while it’s still not my favorite Nolan film which is an extremely high bar, it’s a film that will be studied and analyzed on how to think outside the box and get the job done.
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