Photo courtesy of Regal Reel Blog

Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” which tells the story of the father of the atomic bomb, is one of the most important films of the 21st century. The film is defined by its masterful performance from Cillian Murphy, a final product that is a breath of fresh air in 2023 Hollywood, and a captivating presentation of one of the most pivotal events in history.

Based on the 2005 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography “American Prometheus” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Nolan’s film explores the complex life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man credited for creating the atomic bomb and effectively ending the Second World War.

 The film was released domestically on July 21, 2023, and raked in over $850 million at the box office, despite only having a $100 million budget. Additionally, the film has become the highest grossing WWII film of all time and the second highest grossing R-rated movie of all time behind Todd Phillips’ “Joker” (2019).

One of the primary reasons “Oppenheimer” is widely regarded as a masterpiece by both fans and critics is its refusal to cater to modern audiences and industry standards. In many ways, this film is the antithesis of Hollywood in 2023, particularly because it does not have a favorable run time at three hours, uses very little CGI, and does not rely on action set pieces to keep its viewer engaged. 

Although the film focuses on the creation and implications of nuclear weapons, it does not showcase many bomb sequences or glamorize anyone or anything. Nolan chooses to revolve the entire story around Murphy’s Oppenheimer, illustrating how everything essentially fell onto his shoulders. 

Nolan also chooses to not show the bombs being dropped on Hiroshima, Nagasaki, or any other instance in which Oppenheimer’s creation was used. This choice emphasizes how Oppenheimer must ponder the implications in his own mind, profoundly troubling his conscience as a result. 

Another reason why “Oppenheimer” is now being called Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus is because of the tremendous performances that are given by its ensemble cast of A-List actors, including stars such as Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Rami Malek, and Gary Oldmam.

 However, the standout performance of the film is Cillian Murphy, who nails the role of Robert J. Oppenheimer, imitating all of his emotional nuances and often having several haunting expressions throughout the film that spoke louder than words. 

While Murphy has an obvious physical resemblance to his real-life counterpart, his dedication and immersion into the role is unparalleled. “I have never witnessed a greater sacrifice by a lead actor in my career,” Robert Downey Jr. said in an exclusive interview with People Magazine regarding his co-worker.

Downey remarked on the extent of his commitment, “We’d be like, ‘Hey, we got a three-day weekend. Maybe we’ll go antiquing in Santa Fe. What are you going to do?’ ‘Oh, I have to learn 30,000 words of Dutch. Have a nice time.’ But that’s the nature of the ask.” While it would seem like a grave injustice if Murphy does not receive an Academy Award come award season, nothing can take away what many have already deemed a “performance of a lifetime.” 

“Oppenheimer,” with an average score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and audience members alike. “You can tell in the opening scene with him [Oppenheimer] and [Albert] Einstein that there is something about the way Cillian Murphy carried himself. Murphy plays this mysterious aura throughout the entire movie and you don’t really know what he’s about to do until he actually does it,” SLU junior Matt Cox said. Cox, who has both an “Inception” (2010) and “Dark Knight” (2008) poster in his apartment, is an avid Christopher Nolan fan. “Overall, I thought ‘Oppenheimer’ gave us all a window into one of the greatest scientific advances in the world. Christopher Nolan’s phenomenal directing created an entirely new movie experience for the audience.” 

Many viewers of the acclaimed film have also pointed out how visually innovative the cinematography is. The film reel, which was shot entirely on 70mm IMAX film, is 11 miles long and weighs 600 pounds. Nolan deliberately chose IMAX, which he dubbed the “gold standard of film,” because of its ability to recapture the world in which we see it. His choice proved to be fruitful as the powerful images make the three hour drama play like a thriller. 

Nolan uses color to convey certain messages that are either based in objectivity or subjectivity, with the latter being shown through Oppenheimer’s eyes. “One of the things that cinema has struggled with historically is the representation of intelligence or genius…The point of it is, with the color sequences, which is the bulk of the film, everything is told from Oppenheimer’s point of view — you’re literally kind of looking through his eyes,” said Nolan for an exclusive interview for Empire Magazine. While the colorful scenes focus on Oppenheimer’s perspective, the black and white scenes mainly focus on Downey Jr.’s antagonistic Lewis Strauss. Interestingly, Kodak invented the first ever 70mm black and white film for this movie. 

Apart from the cinematography, the movie forces the viewer to wrestle with ethical quandaries while simultaneously putting viewers in the shoes of one of the most misunderstood men in American history. Nolan focuses on Oppenheimer’s unparalleled drive and obsession with creating a weapon of mass destruction, to the extent that he does not even realize the ethical ramifications of his invention until it is ultimately out of his control. The film ends with Einstein and Oppenheimer both reflecting on the legacy and impact they will leave behind, with the latter realizing what he has given to humanity and that he has truly become “Death, destroyer of worlds.” 

Overall, “Oppenheimer” has transcended traditional biographical cinema and provided a critical lens into one of the most essential stories within our realm of history. Nolan’s directing paired with the actors’ expertise presents not only a visually captivating story about scientific pursuit and genius but one that also moves its audience to think about the moral implications of nuclear discovery.