By Bailei Burgess-Simmons
Staff Writer
On July 21, esteemed filmmaker Christopher Nolan released “Oppenheimer,” what critics are calling his biggest film yet.
The film — based on the 2005 biography “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,” written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin — beautifully tracks the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is known as “the father of the atomic bomb.” Oppenheimer is credited with introducing the United States to quantum physics and more notably, creating the two atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II in 1945.
Since its initial announcement in September 2021, Oppenheimer has been one of the most anticipated films, and with good reason.
The film was written and directed by Nolan, who famously directed “Interstellar” and “Dunkirk” in the past. “Oppenheimer” also features a star studded cast including Cillian Murphy (playing Oppenheimer), Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt.
Before the film was even released, it was impressive. Nolan had a vision — one that required a budget of $100 million dollars. That budget allowed the film to be created using a combination of IMAX 65 mm and 65 mm large-format film, which stretches to be a whopping 11 miles long. The film is the first in history to shoot IMAX in black and white photographic film.
Even more impressively, Nolan claimed on several occasions that the film included no computer generated images or effects. This means that real explosives were used to recreate the Trinity Nuclear Test, during which Oppenheimer's original atomic bomb was successfully tested.
These facts alone make the film exciting and a must see. Now, on to the actual film review.
The most notable (and my personal favorite) feature of the film was the audio track. The score, composed by Ludwig Göransson, accentuated the emotional currents of the film. The heart-pounding anticipation was matched with drums and rhythmic beats. The sullen, deeply melancholic moments were met with symphonies that pulled viewers into the film and allowed for a completely mesmeric experience.
What was obviously an incredible film in the making was made better with the talented cast. Cillian Murphy’s performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer gave us a well-rounded view of the man simultaneously responsible for creating a weapon of mass destruction that killed hundreds of thousands and in the same vein ended the most gruesome war to date.
The film was three hours long, consisting mostly of dialogue. Usually this would be a red flag. However, there was a sense of suspense and action that remained throughout the film to keep things moving.
Murphy’s remarkable performance portrayed the true depth of his responsibility and all of the guilt and regret that came with the use of his creation. Nolan created the film so that events unfolded chronologically in Oppenheimer's objective perspective, while subjective and historic accounts were presented intermittently throughout the film, covering the aftermath of both the bombing and the political fallout.
Supporting actors Emily Blunt (Kathering ‘Kitty’ Oppenheimer) and Robert Downey Jr. (Lewis Strauss) amplified the film and the storyline with their own performances as well.
In the past, Nolan has done mostly science fiction films, with the exception of “Dunkirk,” a war film. Critics initially doubted his ability to deliver a biographical film, as it’s not the kind of film Nolan usually does. However, those doubts were misplaced, as what Nolan delivered defied expectations.
All in all, “Oppenheimer” was a true cinematic experience. The combination of an immersive audio track, incredible visuals and award worthy acting performances did in fact make this Nolan’s best film to date.
If you haven’t seen “Oppenheimer” already, I implore you to at your earliest convenience. Murphy's portrayal of the father of the atomic bomb and Nolan’s brillant filmmaking made “Oppenheimer” a film for the ages.
