Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' is a gripping account of power, politics, and posturing in the United States
Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' is a gripping account of power, politics, and posturing in the United States. Posturing because as the seconds pass, what starts out as a tale about a scientist leading a race against time to create the "bomb to end all wars" before the Nazis do, transforms into a massive political drama, showing individual rivalries and ambitions.
Nevertheless, despite a substantial three-hour running length and a stellar ensemble, Nolan is unable to give any of his characters enough room to make a lasting impact. To claim that a three-hour film wasn't long enough may sound absurd. But that's the way things are.
Surprisingly, the filmmakers don't rely on slow-motion views to emphasize events, actions, or emotions, keeping the pace continually steady and never slowing down. One could clearly hear individuals chattering away in the crowded theater while others were hunched forward on their seats, determined not to miss a single line of conversation. Others were glued to their phones. Some people were obviously less interested in the experience than others. In fact, there are three groups of spectators who would find Oppenheimer utterly uninteresting: those who are ignorant of World War II politics; those who are very knowledgeable; or those who were hoping for a Batman-style action movie.
This film, based on the book 'American Prometheus' by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, may not appeal to Nolan's typical followers because it is made for history and biographical enthusiasts. Even in this period piece, the director incorporates some of his own cinematic approaches, such as adding dream sequences of Oppenheimer's visions of nuclear fission, explosions, or the splitting of the atom. One of the film's most potent components is the Ludwig Göransson original score. The violin pieces, slow drumming beats, and orchestral flourishes all serve to heighten the characters' moral dilemmas and feelings of suspense.
It's fascinating to watch Cilian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant but flawed physicist who helped develop the atomic bomb and solidify America's status as a superpower during the war. Oppenheimer was first celebrated as a great American hero. Murphy too firmly upholds a chilly aloof character for the majority of the film, much like the real man who was regarded as somewhat of an enigma by those closest to him, the kind of genius who rarely communicates what's going on in his mind. He is initially hailed as an American hero but is subsequently demoted for having strong beliefs and hounded for allegedly being a communist and a potential soviet agent. His political ties, love relationships, and friendships with other scientists are all accelerated.
Oppenheimer is deftly plain; it accurately illustrates how many outstanding physicists and mathematicians, not just one man, contributed to the development of the atomic bomb. But isn't a poster boy usually necessary? And staying true to the title, Nolan and crew keep the story largely focused on the experiences of its protagonist.
What is admirable is that the film doesn't play on viewers' emotions by showing any scenes of the devastation caused by the bomb in Japan. Instead, we never get to see or hear about the armaments race from the perspective of the Axis Powers. This avoidance, according to others, dilutes the true horror of what Oppenheimer and his team of scientists had produced.
Albert Einstein and the main character have an interesting conversation as Christopher Nolan winds up the picture. Although their chat isn't audible and is only hinted to in the end, this exchange is initially portrayed in the first half of the movie. With the help of this creative storytelling device, the story comes full circle, leaving the audience with disquieting concerns about war and peace.
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