Review for OPPENHEIMER:
•REVIEW BY ARUNJYOTHI. R
•Language: ENGLISH
•Duration: 03 Hours 10 Minutes.
•Genre: Biographical Historical Thriller
•Director: Christopher Nolan
•Production: Syncopy Inc. & Atlas Entertainment
•POSITIVES:
1: Direction
2: Story, Screenplay and Dialogues
3: Cillian Murphy’s amazing performance
4: Performance of all actors
5: Cinematography
6: Editing
7: Background Score
8: Production Design
•NEGATIVES:
1: Little Slow-paced
•ONE WORD: A Must-Watch Masterpiece by Christopher Nolan.
•STORY IDEA:
During World War II, a Lieutenant General in the United States Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) seeks the help of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) who is a brilliant theoretical physicist. To defeat the Japanese Army Leslie Groves will ask Oppenheimer to make an Atomic Bomb (A-Bomb category). Oppenheimer will accept the request under some terms and he will organize a team with many intelligent physicists. Within three years Oppenheimer and his team will develop a dangerous Atomic Bomb and the US Government will use it for war. The effects of the Atomic Bomb will destroy places like Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan and the US Army will defeat the Japanese army. After the war, Oppenheimer will be called the ‘‘Father of the Atomic Bomb ” but after some years for the National security of the United States Oppenheimer and his family will be put on trial. Why the trials and what will Oppenheimer do?
•DETAIL REVIEW:
Oppenheimer is written and directed by the veteran filmmaker Christopher Nolan. The movie is based on American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The movie is produced by Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan. Syncopy Inc. and Atlas Entertainment are the production companies and the movie is distributed by Universal Pictures. With a running time of three hours and ten minutes, the film is currently all over the theatres of India with a U/A Censor Certificate in which the nude scenes are trimmed.
We all know the capability of Christopher Nolan and all his previous works are the best examples of different cinematic experiences. Now, he had arrived at the story and life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the great theoretical physicist who developed the Atomic Bomb. Through the film, Christopher Nolan brilliantly portrayed the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer is called the ‘‘Father of the Atomic Bomb” and how he achieved it and all the things he did to make an Atomic Bomb was flawlessly directed by Christopher Nolan. Without thinking much I can say that the film Oppenheimer is one of the best biographical films I had seen in my life. Here, through the well-crafted filmmaking and production design Christopher Nolan is offering a new kind of cinematic experience. The quality-making and the smart script was having the power to influence my mind and I was fully immersed in the world of Oppenheimer.
The various life chapters of J. Robert Oppenheimer were told in a non-linear style, so at the time I was getting the feeling of thrill and also the sense of curiosity to know how the central character Oppenheimer will make the first Atomic Bomb. The movie is not just about the first invention of the Atomic Bomb, the film also largely focuses on the personal life of J. Robert Oppenheimer. His dedication to work, his family life and his commitment to the nation were beautifully directed and written by Christopher Nolan. The film has a long duration of three hours and ten minutes but to be frank I didn’t get a single lag, till the end I was excited to know more about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the first Atomic Bomb. The way Christopher Nolan directed this film is absolutely mind-blowing because the journey of Oppenheimer to the “Father of the Atomic Bomb” has many untold stories and secrets. So the numerous and unexpected incidents which happen in the life of the protagonist were like new information to us. Through this film, Christopher Nolan was literally teaching us how J. Robert Oppenheimer was good in his works. Oppenheimer’s deep knowledge of physics and his various attempts to develop the first and perfect Atomic Bomb were fascinating to my eyes and mind. So the story was strong and dominating to grab my attention and also the brilliantly executed screenplay had given more strength and power for the film Oppenheimer.
The best part of the screenplay is the proper explanations, Christopher Nolan had written the screenplay in a neat fixed format. The plot of the story is having numerous events and none of them confused me. For every scene, I was able to see the perfection and everything was explained clearly. So after completing the film I was fully satisfied and the movie had lived up to my expectations. The scientific terms and theories in Physics were explained well in the film and I can guarantee that the movie won’t make your mind and knowledge complicated. The emotional angle in the film was touching, and also the trial scenes were amazingly written out in the screenplay. In the film, many characters come and go and all of the characters were vigorous enough to lead the story. The emotions in the characters also came out accurately, especially the character of Oppenheimer goes through various traumas. So all the emotions presented in the character of Oppenheimer will make us attached and I was able to connect well with the life incidents of him. Also, the character of Emily Blunt as Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer is the best example. The emotions in her character were effectively written out by Christopher Nolan and I loved the way Nolan portrayed her character.
The most intriguing thing about the screenplay is Christopher Nolan divided the writing into three angles. The first is about the life of Oppenheimer, in which he explores the passion of a clever Physicist. The second is about the Nuclear Bomb, where it is made, who all are involved in the process and for what reason they are making it. Third is the zone of thriller atmosphere, in which the legal and political sides are told. So all these spheres are equally balanced in the screenplay and I can assure you that till the end you will be fully engaged with the world of Oppenheimer. When looking into the direction of Christopher Nolan he had done a fantastic job, I can’t find any errors and without thinking much I can confidently say that it’s one of the best works of Christopher Nolan. The visionary of Christopher Nolan is clearly evident in the film because this time he avoided CGI and opted to bring reality and for that he recreated the nuclear explosion. Only Christopher Nolan can do this magic, the visuals and how he composed and arranged the nuclear explosion was mind-blowing. I couldn’t believe my eyes and I was like is it really happening? The entire passionate direction and the filmmaking style which Christopher Nolan implemented for Oppenheimer is an example of the perfect cinematic experience.
•MUSIC AND TECHNICAL SIDE:
The background score in the film was outstanding because the BGM tunes were having a dominating power to pass out the feel and emotions. The music composer Ludwig Göransson had given the authentic background score to lift the mood of thrill and excitement. All the significant scenes in the film had the backup of appropriate tunes and the BGM was able to set the right feel and mood. The cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema was top-class, every single frame and shots in the film made a tremendous impact on showing the authenticity. The entire visuals of the nuclear blast scene will leave viewers in awe because the cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema captures the shots in a way that has never been seen before. The various close-up frames of Cillian Murphy were impressive and it showcased his natural and intense acting skills. The different wide-angle frames of Los Alamos, New Mexico was also impressive. The editing of Jennifer Lame was great and the different transitions of the scene surprised me. The long duration of three hours and ten minutes didn’t bother me and I couldn’t feel any lagging but I am not sure everyone will be able to endure the long-running time of Oppenheimer. The terrific production design and the costume department also deserve special mention.
•PERFORMANCE OF ACTORS:
Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer delivered a magnificent award-winning performance. He had given his best and in the entire film, he was living in the character. His whole acting looks realistic and the dialogue delivery was astounding. The perfect timing in delivering the dialogues and the way he expressed the emotions was to treat to watch. The various emotions in the character of Oppenheimer were brilliantly acted out by Cillian Murphy and the attitude he expresses was also eye catchy. Robert Downey Jr. did the role of Lewis Strauss and it was a negative shade of a character. His acting was convincing and towards the ending, he amazingly handled the shades of a villain. His looks and sharp way of speaking the dialogue were also good. Emily Blunt played the wife character of Oppenheimer and her performance was fabulous. Her combination scenes with Cillian Murphy showcased the love and affection of a real supportive wife. Also, her emotional scenes and the portions in the trial scenes were incredible. Matt Damon as Leslie Groves did the character of the Lieutenant General and his supporting role was having many good moments. Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock was impressive and her character and acting will impress everyone. There are many other actors in the film and everyone has done complete justice to their respective characters.
- CONCLUSION:
So overall I enjoyed every single bit of Oppenheimer and I will recommend this masterpiece to everyone. It’s a brilliantly executed clever film by Christopher Nolan and I’m sure his script and direction will blow your mind. Also, the realistic performance of Cillian Murphy is a major winning highlight. Through Oppenheimer, I got an unforgettable and different cinematic experience and I can assure you that it’s a film that one has never seen before so please don’t miss it.
•VERDICT: A MUST WATCH BIOGRAPHICAL DRAMA.
•RATING: 4.5/5
