No one is doing it quite like Christopher Nolan. Whether it’s an original idea, adaption of existing work, or interpretation of real life events, he’s always going to have his unique flares to add. He takes as big of swings as anyone. Some work better than others, but he’s a man completely devoted to his vision. Audiences got a taste of what Nolan could do with real life events with 2017’s Dunkirk. And now comes Oppenheimer. Putting someone like Nolan behind the camera for the story of the father of the atomic bomb was sure to be explosive (I’m sorry).
Adapted from the book “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” by Martin Sherwin and Kai Bird, Nolan’s Oppenheimer is a massive, dense look at the famed theoretical physicist across key points in his life.
As is common with many Nolan films, Oppenheimer is told across a non-linear story. In 1942, and going through his time and the Los Alamos laboratory, we see Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) brought onto the Manhattan Project to oversee the development of a nuclear bomb, under the hope that its use would end World War II. In 1947, Oppenheimer, by this time a world-renowned war hero, accepts a job from naval officer-turned-politician Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr) to head up the Institute for Advanced Study. But as the 1950s approach, things start to take a turn. We see the 1954 Atomic Energy Personnel Security Board hearings, determining if Oppenheimer will keep his security clearance. The final timeline is 1958, detailing the Senate confirmation hearing of President Eisenhower’s appointment of Strauss to Secretary of Commerce.
And with the non-linear framing, the story is constantly jumping back and forth, while also switching from color (those moments from Oppenheimer’s point of view) and black and white (from others, a more objective point of view). While I didn’t have a problem with this, it didn’t feel entirely necessary. Nor did it feel like it added much to the movie. But the biggest issue with the framing is that it gets a little confusing at times, particularly at the beginning. I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, or the specific timelines of everything in the future/present scenes.
I appreciate Nolan trusting his audience and not holding their hand through it all (can we never again have an action movie show us the Eiffel Tower and then plaster the word PARIS in size 500 font across the center of the screen?). But he could have done a little more to make it clearer from the start. This is a dense script as is, no need to make it any tougher to follow.
With the multiple timelines in play, there’s a lot to get through here, which explains the three hour runtime. There’s been a lot of talk recently about how long movies seem to be getting. And while not every movie has to be 2.5-3 hours long (most probably shouldn’t be!), this one earns it. For a movie that’s decidedly bereft of action (with one obvious exception), Oppenheimer flies by. It certainly doesn’t feel like a three hour movie. And that’s a feat in and of itself.
A huge factor in that is the acting. Led by Murphy’s outstanding performance, the entire star-studded cast is firing on all cylinders at all points throughout the film. Downey Jr is a particular highlight, along with Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer’s wife Kitty, and Florence Pugh as his mistress Jean Tatlock. But as great as everyone is, they’re all playing second fiddle to Murphy.
This is a very personal, psychological story. It’s less about the bomb, and even the making-of, and more about the man behind the ideas and theory that led us to its creation. From the beginning of the movie, Oppenheimer is presented as a complicated, flawed character. He’s arrogant, an unfaithful partner. He flirts with the ideals of the Communist party under the guise of intellectual curiosity. He questions the morals of the Manhattan Project, settling on the idea that “I don’t know if we can be trusted to have such a weapon, but I know the Nazis can’t.”
All this work leads up to Trinity, the first test of the nuclear weapon. It’s a moment that has been endlessly teased in posters, trailers, and interviews. And I have to say, it was a bit of a letdown. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a sight to behold on the big screen. Maybe I let my expectations get the best of me – entirely possible given what many (myself included) have come to expect from Nolan – but it felt like it was lacking just a little bit in the spectacle of it all.
That being said, nearly everything up to and even including that moment is phenomenal, riveting filmmaking. At times it plays more as a psychological thriller than historical biopic. But then the third act rolls around. The Trinity test feels like a natural end to the movie, or at least the beginning of the end. But there’s still lots of movie left at that point. From here on, Oppenheimer relies almost entirely on the sheer force of perfect acting to carry the story the rest of the way. And thankfully, the cast still proves up to the task. Murphy, Downey Jr, and (especially) Blunt all have a moment or two of exceptional brilliance in the final act. But the plot they’re acting around just doesn’t hold the same weight anymore.
None of my complaints here make Oppenheimer a bad movie, far from it. But they are enough to keep it from becoming a truly great movie, settling for “just” very good. Along with the acting, there are several other elements that help it achieve that.
Centering the story more on Oppenheimer the man and scientist was a great choice. The big event is, of course, the bomb. But everyone watching this movie knows how that turned out. There’s no suspense there. But how does that work affect the men and women working on the project, especially the man in charge of it all? They all know the power they’re bringing into the world, and what the means. Sure, it will end this specific war, but what does it mean for the next war?
Oppenheimer proposes the development and use of their bomb will ensure a peace the world has never known. Colleague Edward Teller (Benny Safdie) counters with, “Until someone builds a bigger bomb.” Those are the kinds of theoretical and ethical questions and through lines presented in Oppenheimer. And they’re what keep the story interesting and engaging.
Then of course there’s the usual technical proficiency and excellence you know you’re getting in any Nolan film. It should be a shoo-in for several below the line Academy Award nominations (if not wins). The editing, cinematography, production design, sound work. It’s all A+. But the best of the best is Ludwig Göransson’s score. The right score can add so much to a movie, be it tension, happiness, silliness, and Göransson’s music is no exception. It helps you really feel what the characters are going through at any given moment. He already has one Oscar for Black Panther, and as of right now, he’d have my vote for a second.
There is just so much to love about Oppenheimer, its few faults can only hold it back so much. Cillian Murphy manages to stand head and shoulders above an entire collection of incredible performances. Nolan’s script dives deep into the psyche of the man, turning what could have easily been a standard-issue biopic into an intense, at times haunting, character driven story in a way I don’t know many will be expecting. Add in the excellent behind the camera and below the line work, and you have one of the best movies of the year.
Score: 91/100
