As this year comes to an end, even though I am too late, I'd like to review favourite movie this year - Christopher Nolan's biopic, 'Oppenheimer'. The trailer first caught my eye in January this year. All I knew was that J. Robert Oppenheimer 'invented' the atomic bomb, and I remember thinking, "This movie is about science, it should be interesting." I was right about the latter. Fast-forward over half a year, I have watched this film twice, it's left a huge impact on me and has become one of my favourite movies of all time. There's innumerable reasons why, and I'm going to try and dissect some of them.
The first thing I'd like to point out about this film, which was admirable, and relieving for many, was that this movie was not about science. It did not pedantically harangue us about every single calculation and step required to make the atomic bomb. However, at the same time it was able to make us understand, and appreciate the physics behind it, and provide us with necessary, and even intriguing information. I particularly enjoyed Oppenheimer's first lecture on quantum physics. I have even developed a newfound intrigue for theoretical and quantum physics, because of Oppenheimer's exuberant teaching of it. I don't think this movie would have been as exciting or successful if one needed a degree to grasp it.
Which brings me to my next point, another key element to this movie's success is that it did not even focus on the atomic bomb, which Oppenheimer is renowned, or even notorious for. It is about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man himself, and is a character-driven story. While the atomic bomb was a major part to Oppenheimer's life and legacy, this movie focuses on more than that. It is about his passion for physics, his views on Communism, his love interests, and of course, the repercussions he faced after his creation of the atomic bomb and the questionings - all intrinsic to who he was as a person. It is about not only his triumphs, but his conflict - internal and external. This movie was more of a deep-dive into understanding his enigmatic character. The inclusion of all of this made me really attached and connected to Oppenheimer as a character. Even though he was not the most virtuous person, he was certainly charismatic. I always sympathised with him, and even during the court trials. Even during moments where everyone in his real life turned against him, I feel like as an audience, we were always rooting for him. Even if sometimes I did not condone his actions, I understood the underlying thought processes behind them. The creation of a likeable protagonist definitely contributed towards my attachment toward the movie. If this movie was more driven by plot, it may not have reached out to audiences as much.
Oppenheimer has not been put on a pedestal, but he is not heavily antagonised either. He is portrayed as multifaceted, with virtues as well as demerits, like how all humans are. This portrayal of him as an imperfect human being, makes viewers resonate with his character even more. In fact, after the courtroom questioning, Nolan does not shove it down your throat whether Oppenheimer is innocent or not. The movie's ambiguous ending empowers us, as viewers to be the tribunal. It is up to us to judge him and his actions, and arrive at our own conclusions. This is another wonderful and engaging aspect to this movie, it gives you a lot to contemplate, hours, days, or even weeks after watching it. Sometimes we watch good movies, relish in their memory, and forget about them sooner or later. But the experience with Oppenheimer was different, the constant moral dilemma still continues to live in my head rent-free. After watching this film twice, I still have not chosen between whether he was innocent or guilty, but I have discovered a new, third option, maybe he was just human.
Another ethical debate which the film deals with is one which has been bothering humanity for over half a century now - was the dropping of the atomic bomb a necessary evil or just blatantly evil? While understanding Oppenheimer's change of perspective on this question over the years, once more, we are made to introspect. The movie's ambiguous ending facilitates this introspection, which is a wonderful element of this film.
It was fun seeing all the illustrious scientists that I had read about in school or elsewhere, come together, like in an Avengers movie, to 'save' the world. Everyone was relentlessly working together, towards a common goal, contributing in their own specific ways. The movie, while being Oppenheimer's story, still manages to shed some light on some important personalities.
Even though the focus of this movie was not the atomic bomb, I cannot deny, the Trinity scene was simply bone-chilling. It is one of the most important events of history, which would determine the fate of humanity forever. The execution of this scene is brilliant as it captures the climactic nature of this moment, the risk involved, and evokes fear and suspense. When the bomb finally detonated, the experience was surreal, first the fumes, and then the sound. I myself felt the fervor of the moment, almost like I was on the project myself,
The pacing of this film has been done carefully, to maintain a balance of mystique and thrill. Even though it has a considerable 3 hour runtime, it did not feel stretched. It carefully treads between different time periods, as in every classic Nolan movie. Without the 'beginning being the end", the storytelling ability of this movie is diminished. At least for me, the first half of the movie, was intriguing, albeit confusing, but all my doubts were cleared in the second. The initial confusion makes it all the more suspenseful.
Cillian Murphy's portrayal of Oppenheimer is immaculate. Asides from bearing an uncanny resemblance to the real man, every aspect of his portrayal has been done perfectly. The speaking lines were delivered with elocution and confidence. Even when he was not speaking, you could correctly gauge the state of 'Oppie's' psyche by simply taking a look at his facial expressions. That takes a lot of calibre. I hope this incredible performance of Cillian's will land him in various other main roles in future films. I found the acting standard of this movie overall extremely high, and I do not feel qualified to go into detail about every single actor's performance. However, I would like to add that I enjoyed Emily Blunt's role as Kitty. I loved the role she played as a bold, confident and independent woman, rather than a subservient wife.
I cannot write this article without taking a moment to appreciate the soundtrack. Very few movies I have watched have been scored so skillfully. The background score is able to capture the energy of the scene taking place, sound phenomenal, but is not a distraction, in fact it makes certain scenes even more riveting and dramatic. It certainly amplifies the experience of watching the movie. A prime example of this can be seen in "Can You Hear the Music", which elicits the feeling of wonder, exploration, energy and thrill and even sounds slightly disturbing, which encapsulates the spirit of this film, science and even Oppenheimer's curious and intrusive thoughts.
Words cannot express how masterfully I think this movie has been created, from all aspects creative and technical. From the impactful storytelling, to multi-dimensional characters and genius screenwriting, I personally could not find a flaw in this cinematic masterpiece. If you still haven't watched it, my advice would be to go ahead, it's not for everyone, but if you do like it, it will become one of your favourites and will be a truly enthralling journey.
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