Barbie-Heimer has taken the world by storm, and Bleacher Brawls is here for it.
Last week, Caroline published her review and analysis of Barbie, a film that has way more cultural significance than I ever would have thought before reading that column. Today, I offer my ***non-spoiler*** review of a film that everyone knew from the jump would be a massive cinematic experience with far-reaching global impact and historical significance, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
We meet brilliant American quantum physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) as he pursues his doctorate at England’s prestigious University of Cambridge. Perpetually anxious from the demanding workload and sleep-deprived from relentless visions of atomic particles floating in space, Oppenheimer is encouraged by scientific visionary Neils Bohr to abandon the lab work he struggles with in favor of the equations and formulas of theoretical physics.
Teaching quantum theory back home in the United States, Oppenheimer rises to prominence in the scientific community while rubbing elbows with members of the American arm of the Communist party, drawing suspicion in the academic world that could damage his reputation and livelihood. Despite the role he ultimately plays in American history, it’s important to note that Oppenheimer never considers himself a political figure. He is strictly a scientist that views the tenets of Communism as more of a curiosity than anything else.
Curiosity eats at him once more when Nazi physicists split the atom, a revolutionary breakthrough that spurs quantum physicists worldwide to ponder the possibility of creating a nuclear weapon. In spite of his dalliance with Communism, U.S. Army General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) recruits Oppenheimer to lead the Manhattan Project, America’s effort to beat Germany to the punch of creating an atomic bomb and prevent the Nazis from wielding military supremacy over the entire world.
Oppenheimer directs the Manhattan Project from the New Mexico desert, where an entire town is constructed to support “the most important f***ing thing to ever happen in the history of the world.” The global implications of this endeavor push a reluctant Oppenheimer into the dirty world of politics, where he is met by opposition wherever his goals for Manhattan conflict with those of other powerful figures. Before long, the unavoidable moral quandary of creating a doomsday weapon for the good of one’s nation adds even more strain on the mind of a man who had previously only concerned himself with whether or not he could build it rather than if he should build it.
The build up to the first nuclear test in New Mexico is vintage Nolan. The research of Oppenheimer’s team of geniuses progresses in rapid-fire increments as the soundtrack masterfully builds the pace. We fidget and vibrate in our seats even though we know what will happen because we’re not entirely sure that we really want to see it. We’re all aware that the Manhattan Project will be successful and that a nuclear bomb will be detonated in the desert. The tension lies in the dread we have at the anticipated climactic event. We don’t really know if we can withstand the majesty of Christopher Nolan’s interpretation of a nuclear explosion as depicted in an IMAX theatre.
The play-by-play of the bomb’s creation is only half the battle here. We’re also exposed to Oppenheimer’s climactic romantic life, his personal tug-of-war with the consequences of Manhattan, and his plight to protect his reputation from mysterious political forces that seek to portray him as a Communist traitor unfit for military security clearance.
This is a movie that should be seen in theatres if at all possible, and not just for the visuals. You can probably guess that the effects and cinematography are elite here, and the atomic test is a complete experience of the viewer’s mind, body, and soul. It’s tough to take, and I mean that in a good way. The soundtrack, however, elevates Oppenheimer into a theatrical event unlike any I’ve seen.
The theatre literally vibrates for much of the film. The rumbling sound/feeling is independent of what’s taking place on the screen, sort of like a narration that heralds something catastrophic to come. At first I thought there was a glitch with the sound system, or a Mack truck was rolling by the theatre, or maybe we were picking up some audio from the movie playing next door. But this was a deliberate artistic choice Nolan made to instill an undercurrent of doom and foreboding into the film. There’s a pattern to which scenes rumble and which ones don’t, a pattern that I won’t give away here. It’s something you’ll take with you after the credits roll, and you’ll still be pondering it the next day if you see it in theatres.
Cillian Murphy’s star is on the rise, and he carries this movie as well as any established A-lister possibly could. His performance throughout the first half of the movie subtly reflects Oppenheimer’s enslavement to curiosity; of science, of communism, of his own intellectual prowess. Murphy plays it close to the vest as that precocious intrigue gives way to guilt and regret while he contemplates what his life’s work has truly lead to. He conveys more with a subtle head tilt than a lesser actor could reveal by sobbing in the shower for ten minutes.
Speaking of A-listers, Robert Downey Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. Strauss parries assaults on Oppenheimer’s character and allegiance throughout the film because he knows Oppenheimer is the only man qualified to direct America’s progression into the horrifying future of nuclear weaponry. This may be the best performance of Downey’s career. You sense the enormous burden he bears by supporting and defending Oppenheimer for every instant he is onscreen, while still carrying the patented charm and magnetism that has made him one of the best actors of our time.
Matt Damon plays Matt Damon in a military uniform, which is nice, and Emily Blunt dominates the screen in a pivotal “courtroom” sequence after not being given much to work with through the majority of the film as Oppenheimer’s lonely, yet admiring wife. Josh Hartnett, who I didn’t even know was still a thing, does a surprisingly good job as a concerned friend and colleague that tries to keep Oppenheimer on the straight and narrow. There are also a couple big-name cameos that you’ll recognize instantaneously, which further cultivate the momentous scale of the production.
Florence Pugh is getting a lot of acclaim for her role as Oppenheimer’s mistress, who is essentially a representation of Oppenheimer’s on-and-off interest with Communist ideals. It’s more of a one-note performance in my view, with Pugh mostly just reciting cryptic dialogue while staring daggers deeply into Murphy’s eyes. She’s naked a lot too, so I guess it’s more of a two-note performance.
In true Nolan fashion, there are a lot of characters. The Manhattan Project scientists in particular become a bit difficult to differentiate from one another, especially later on during Oppenheimer’s hearing. The narrative is also told in three different timelines that shift without warning, although certain flashbacks are filmed in black and white to help distinguish themselves from the other time periods. It’s a long, challenging watch that will test the mettle of your attention span, but it’s more than worth the effort.
I’m not usually a big fan of bio-pics. Most of them feel pretty formulaic to me, and I get annoyed at the need to awkwardly shoehorn so many monumental moments from the subjects’ lives into a feature-length film window. Oppenheimer is three hours long, which helps reduce those annoyances. It also helps that Christopher Nolan is the best director in the game, and his quick-shot, train-gathering-steam narrative style is perfect for a movie that covers so much subject matter. It wisely skips over Oppenheimer’s childhood and elderly years, focusing on the heart of the matter and avoiding anything extraneous that’s not critical to the central themes.
It’s not nearly as preachy as I thought it would be, which was a fantastic surprise. Don’t misunderstand though, it’s a movie about the invention of weapons that could very well cause the end of the world. Watching this is scary precisely because these things really happened 80 years ago, and continue to happen on a much more terrifying scale. Nolan doesn’t shy away from the gravity of these events, nor from the cataclysmic reality of their effects on the world we inhabit today.
There are certain movies you just need to see. Citizen Kane, The Godfather, Jaws, Titanic, The Shawshank Redemption … this is one of those. Oppenheimer is going to be talked about forever. The craftsmanship of the filmmaking, the quality of the performances, and the importance of the themes it covers are too important and entertaining to miss. It will probably stay in theatres for like a year, so do yourself a favor and see it there, on an IMAX screen if possible.
