Oppenheimer is visually stunning, incredibly acted, and extremely chilling. This cinematic masterpiece begs to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
Most people know that the United States dropped bombs on Japan in an effort to end World War II once and for all, but the majority of those people aren’t aware of how those bombs came to be. Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer was a key player, along with a team of scientists, in developing the atomic bomb. Christopher Nolan’s film, Oppenheimer, details this story in what is sure to be called one of his best films, and a true cinematic masterpiece.
Although extremely chilling and devastating, this movie proves to be something truly special. It should be seen by all, if only in an effort not to repeat our past mistakes. It is haunting, and plays like a horror film at times. Not to mention, that every single actor, no matter how small or large their role, brings their A-game. Oppenheimer is a movie that will not soon be forgotten, and the final line will cut through most like a knife, lingering in our brains as we watch the world fall to pieces around us.
Note: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Oppenheimer would not exist without the labor of the writers and actors in both unions.
Take one look at the cast list for Oppenheimer and it should come as no surprise that this is a well acted film. From the very moment it starts, viewers will be sucked into the world of the 1940s, and never look back. This is due to the set design, costuming, hair, and production, of course, but it is also because these actors know exactly what they are doing, and they fully embrace their roles.
Cillian Murphy stars as J. Robert Oppenheimer, and he fully commits to the part. He comes off as brilliant, yet distant, and isn’t afraid to dive right into the womanizing accusations, either. The entire third hour, he has a horrified look in his eyes that makes it clear he regrets his role in creating the atomic bomb. Or at least regrets what the government did with it.
Robert Downey Jr. is the perfect counterpart to Murphy. The two play off of each other extremely well. Now, if you have been around my writing for a while, you know I am Team Iron Man, but Oppenheimer is hands down the best thing that Robert Downey Jr. has ever done. He might have been born to play Tony Stark, but he was also born to assume the role of Lewis Strauss. He delivers each and every line with perfection, and in the final half hour of the film, truly shines.
Emily Blunt, who plays Kitty Oppenheimer, has wonderful on screen chemistry with Cillian. There are moments that zoom in on her face that will make the audience feel exactly what the character is feeling. From her tears to her scowls, she is easy to relate to and understand.
I could go on and on about every other person in this film — Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, David Dastmalchian, Josh Peck, Jack Quad, Josh Hartnett, Benny Safdie — but the truth is that this is a phenomenal ensemble cast. No matter if they are on screen for a few minutes, or nearly the whole three hour film, no one took their job lightly. Each person has left an impression on the audience, and knew the worth of this movie and their role in it.
When it comes to the cinematography and incredible visuals of Oppenheimer, I feel like I need to preface this portion of my review by stating I was able to view this film in IMAX 70mm, which is very much the way it was intended to be seen. There are only twenty-five theaters in the country that are able to play it this way, and that certainly heightens the senses and allows for a top notch viewing experience.
That being said, this movie is going to be stunning no matter how you watch it. Nolan is one of those people who just knows what he is doing in this department, and I don’t think that anyone will challenge that, based on his previous films. The visuals are a marvel. Viewers will find themselves in awe of what we see on screen, especially during certain scenes.
This is one of those movies that can be claimed to have been made for the big screen. It is a spectacular feast for the eyes that if nothing else, provides a lot of eye candy. The thing is, there is so much more to Oppenheimer than that.
The sound design really needs to be pointed out here. There are a few moments where sound takes a scene to a while new level. When the bomb first goes off, so many sounds are removed, causing what feels like a vacuum chamber. The score is removed and we are left with just the basic sounds. It is nearly impossible to describe, but once you see the movie, you will know exactly what I am talking about. That is the moments that Oppenheimer solidifies itself as a masterpiece. What comes after is just icing on the cake.
Oppenheimer is a heavy movie, but it didn’t need to focus on the gruesomeness of the bomb aftermath to get its point across. Nolan was able to do that with the score, sound design, and the story itself. Not only is the movie very accurate to the true events (my husband who spent years in the Nuclear field and military can attest to that), it does this in a way that makes it easy for those who don’t have a background in this field to understand.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some people and terms that I had to clarify after, but it wasn’t overly hard to follow, which it easily could have been if not done in the right way. That being said, those that are in this field, and that are passionate about it one way or another, are going to love what was done here. My husband walked out saying this is solidified as one of his favorite films of all time.
Probably my biggest issue with Oppenheimer is the length. I am not saying that it doesn’t warrant a three hour runtime, because there wasn’t anything I felt like absolutely needed to be removed from the story in order for it to flow better. However, I did start to fade for about fifteen minutes in the middle, but was quickly pulled back in once the bomb test scene occurred.
The thing is, there is a lot of talking in this movie. Nolan does what he does to make it interesting for the vast majority of the audience, but some people are going to zone out at times. That is just the nature of the game when it comes to talk of chemistry and specialized terms.
Oppenheimer is rated R, partly due to the nudity of Florence Pugh a few times throughout the film. While these scenes didn’t feel one hundred percent necessary, the relationship between her character, Jean Tatlock, and J. Robert Oppenheimer, helps to speak to his character. She was very important in the man’s life and something that happens to her plays a key role in how his disposition goes later on.
Oppenheimer does a lot of jumping back and forth from the past to the “present”. The use of color and black and white is used to explain which time we are in, without having to continue to state it. This takes away a lot of confusion that could have occurred, had it not been laid out in an understandable way.
Still, this is another place where I found an issue with the movie. There were times where I felt completely invested in something that was happening, only the be ripped and pulled from that and jump to the other time frame that is being explored in Oppenheimer. That being said, Nolan always went back to finish the story I was invested in, so I guess I can’t complain too much.
Overall Thoughts
Oppenheimer tells a dark and chilling story. They say all is fair in love and war but the truth is the United States dropped devastating bombs on another country and killed innocent people. Having a hand in that is sure to mess you up, at least a little bit, even if it was your job to do it.
There are moments in this movie that feel like a horror film, largely due to the way the sound and visuals are done. Reminiscent of The Tell-Tale Heart in a way that will send a shiver down anyone’s spine.
Oppenheimer is a masterpiece on many levels — the acting, the visuals, and the sound design to name a few — but it serves as an extremely important movie, that everyone should watch at some point in their lives. Perhaps it can change the overall opinion of war, and going too far just because we can. Probably not, but one can hope.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
NEXT: Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One Review
About Oppenheimer
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer is an IMAX®-shot epic thriller that thrusts audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it.
The film stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer and Emily Blunt as his wife, biologist and botanist Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer. Oscar® winner Matt Damon portrays General Leslie Groves Jr., director of the Manhattan Project, and Robert Downey, Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.
Academy Award® nominee Florence Pugh plays psychiatrist Jean Tatlock, Benny Safdie plays theoretical physicist Edward Teller, Michael Angarano plays Robert Serber and Josh Hartnett plays pioneering American nuclear scientist Ernest Lawrence.
Oppenheimer also stars Oscar® winner Rami Malek and reunites Nolan with eight-time Oscar® nominated actor, writer and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh.
The cast includes Dane DeHaan (Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets), Dylan Arnold (Halloween franchise), David Krumholtz (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story) and Matthew Modine (The Dark Knight Rises).
The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan.
Oppenheimer is filmed in a combination of IMAX® 65mm and 65mm large-format film photography including, for the first time ever, sections in IMAX® black and white analogue photography.
Oppenheimer comes to theaters on July 21st.
