Oppenheimer Movie Review
Nathan Swank
July 21st, 2023
- Quiet and unassuming is not how you might describe a film dealing with the explosive magnitude of the atom bomb. However, Christopher Nolan’s OPPENHEIMER is an intellectual study and of the creation and outcome of the world’s most deadly weapon. The grandness of the film is almost contradictory to its minimalist approach. But much like the invention, Nolan’s storytelling is devastatingly impactful.
OPPENHEIMER is the story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and his role, hired by the government, to lead a team in developing the atomic bomb. If you are familiar at all with Christopher Nolan, you understand his obsession with time. While the bulk of the story deals with the process, racing to beat the Nazis in creating the massive weapon through the Manhattan Project, the film also jumps time dealing with some of the aftermath. Not in the deathly sense but through courtroom type questioning with witnesses and accusations. Neither are technically trials. The first deciding if Oppenheimer should be stripped of his high-level security. The second being a Senate hearing involving Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.) and his relationship with Oppenheimer. All shrouded with a concern of being a Communist sympathizer.
I think it’s only fair to share that my screening experience was not the best. As the projection booth began its run of the film, the audio was completely silent. After a few stop and go moments, the picture finally got back on track with the audio working about ten minutes into the movie. Without getting to start over, the effects I’m sure Nolan intended after taking such great care into his film were definitely altered. Could you imagine not hearing the first ten minutes of MEMENTO, THE DARK KNIGHT, INCEPTION, or DUNKIRK?
Despite the frustrating start of my experience, I was surprised at how immediate the film engulfed my attention. At three hours, consisting of mostly white men talking to one another, OPPENHEIMER does not feel as long as it sounds. With that said, OPPENHEIMER is very different from Nolan’s typical crowd-pleasing spectacles. I guarantee not all audiences will feel the same, but the effects of the film lingered in my mind well after my viewing.
The cast is incredible with talented, famous people popping in and out and sometimes hardly recognizable. The names are endless, many of whom have been in past Nolan films, including, Gary Oldman, Casey Affleck, Alden Ehrenreich, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Jason Clarke, Kenneth Branagh, Matthew Modine, Dane DeHaan, and David Dastmachian to name a few. Matt Damon is great as the General who hires Oppenheimer. He’s sort of the breath of fresh air adding a touch of humor as he attempts to keep a bunch of talky scientists in line. Emily Blunt is wonderful as the alcoholic wife to Oppenheimer, but has a mostly thankless role up until the third act. Robert Downey Jr. is superb taking on his first high profile dramatic role in about ten years since donning the Iron Man suit. But the standout is Cillian Murphy in his understated, visual performance. Through arrogance and brilliance, Murphy brings to life Oppenheimer’s struggle with his desire to create the atom bomb against lingering shame and regret of the negative impact it might cause. Murphy’s eyes are a powerful tool that seem to convey much of the mysteries and the moral dilemma that his character holds.
At eleven miles long and about 600 pounds in length and weight, Christopher Nolan’s OPPENHEIMER film reel is an impressive feat, rarely seen in our digital age. I appreciate the weight and care the filmmaker took in developing the film. The production value along with the talent on screen are top of the line. Sparing no expense is usually reserved for JURASSIC PARK blockbusters, not dramatic conversational pieces. Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema and Composer Ludwig Goransson exquisitely raise the picture to another level. Nolan has spoken how he chose not to use any computer generated effects, opting for practical one’s only. And while one might say it is unnecessary in this minimal approach, there are a couple of big scenes that utilize these effects perfectly. Being moved with an unexpected sadness, a retrospective joy came over me, because I could still be emotionally slayed by artist choices in filmmaking.
While OPPENHEIMER is not a film I will probably revisit soon (as I say that, I actually really want to), the mental bulk and length are simply too heavy to endure repeatedly, it is absolutely an impressively powerful and visceral accomplishment.
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