Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer

I don't often go to the theater but I knew I had to be sitting in the cinema when I watched Oppenheimer. That dark room, that large screen just elevated the tension and splendor that was on display.
Nolan crafted an enthralling depiction of an immensely complicated life; and I could not feel that 3 hour run time at all.
I could hear my heart beating in my chest during that Trinity test scene. Seeing that countdown and achingly following it to 0 felt so stressful and then to be met with such an explosive silence. The sound of Oppenheimer's breathing was in tune with my own as that beautiful fiery inferno was unleashed, and that delayed massive boom shook me in my seat. It was astounding and a true testament to what film is capable of and what it should do; for a few minutes I felt removed from my own body, my own time. The visuals and sound design of this movie were immaculate.
I am also greatly appreciative that Nolan tackled this subject the way he did. He did not shy away from depicting Oppenheimer's conflicted and guilt ridden feelings towards his role in the creation of the atom bomb but neither does the film devolve into the shallow simple statement of "Oppenheimer is sad and everything he and his team did was bad". His was an immensely complex life and he and many others were dealing with immensely complex issues within and influenced by a convoluted social and political context. By the end of the film you yourself are left to ponder on the magnitude of these events and the trajectory that our future must run on now.
The entire cast was fantastic but of course I have to give major praise to Cillian Murphy. Having seen him in other roles and admiring his work I'm very glad to see him in the lead. He was a powerhouse in this film and he just melted away into this role. The way he is able to convey the storm of emotions on his face was magnificent. A closeup, without any dialogue was sufficient enough to tell me what was going on in his mind. His was a marvelous performance.
I will not lie that the sequencing of timelines and pacing threw me for the loop in the beginning, but I became accustomed to it as time went on. This is a dialogue heavy film, with characters discussing WWII/Cold War politics and heavy scientific theories and while it could be a bit confusing to someone who isn't that familiar with either topics (such as myself) I do admire the fact that Nolan committed to this time period. It would not make sense for characters to provide brief summaries of concepts and events which they themselves would already be familiar with or knowledgeable about. It added a nice sense of immersion.
This was a magnificent film and one that I look forward to revisiting because you can be certain I'll be doing so. A huge thank you to Nolan and everyone who contributed to this project, because what a piece of unadulterated cinema is was.

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