Stanley Scorsese’s review published on Letterboxd:
Christopher Nolan is back with his first film in three years, after his departure from Warner Bros. during the 2020 release of Tenet. This time, he tells the story about how one man made a weapon that was more lethal than a gun.
Oppenheimer is the twelfth film from Christopher Nolan and it is based on the biographical novel, American Prometheus, by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The film follows J. Robert Oppenheimer, a nuclear physicist who became the father of the atomic bomb during World War Two.
Finally, after waiting for a whole week, I have got to see the newest film from the innovative filmmaker! I’ve got to see both this and Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning with my dad, my brother-in-law and his dad while we were on vacation in Panama City. We were on our last night before we had to pack up and head home and I know I wasn’t going to miss a new film from Mr. Nolan. I asked my dad if he wanted to join me for the early screening of Oppenheimer after knowing he wanted to watch it as a history buff. I bought our seats through the AMC app and once we got inside the theater, my dad was surprised to see that there were already many people in there! I kinda had a feeling that many people were going to see it because it’s a new film from Nolan. Anyway, we got out of the theater, talked about what we liked and didn’t like, and it was one of the best father-son moments I had since we went to see Top Gun: Maverick. So let’s talk about the new film, Oppenheimer!
The film has an amazing cast! You have Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, a physicist who was recruited to be in charge of the Manhattan Project. Emily Blunt plays Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer, Robert’s wife. Matt Damon plays Leslie Groves, a General of the Army who oversaw the Manhattan Project. Robert Downey Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, a senior member of the ACE. Florence Pugh plays Jean Tatlock, a communist who had an affair with Robert before her death. And Josh Hartnett plays Ernest Lawrence, a nuclear physicist who was involved with Robert in the Manhattan Project.
Murphy is an actor I usually watch him in supporting roles, (unless you count Peaky Blinders or 28 Days Later) but this is the best he’s ever done for having a lead role. He was able to convey the psyche of Robert Oppenheimer just by giving a stoic and simple mannerisms and behavior as he once did, and there scenes of him giving the look to the camera, it’s like he stared into my soul. One scene may have you admiring his remarkable talents in the field of nuclear physics while another might cause you to hate him for his unfaithfulness to his family. He can be viewed simultaneously as a martyr and a scapegoat for the way in which he helped bring an end to the deadliest global conflict in history.
Let’s not forget that Downey Jr. is back in the spotlight, this is not him expressing himself as a witty man while in character. He picked the right project to work on outside of the MCU, after Doolittle was lambasted by critics and audiences from a few years ago. I loved seeing that he had the ability to do something better with a filmmaker like Christopher Nolan, because he’s simply awesome in Oppenheimer! Strauss was someone who is not viewed favorably by history due to his role in exposing Robert Oppenheimer's ties to communism. He holds such a grudge against the man that you can practically consider him the true villain of this story.
Damon's take on Major General Leslie Groves is more than simply that of a stock military character but rather an important figure who seizes the opportunity to use Oppenheimer's talents to his advantage. We watch as Groves forms an unlikely alliance with the physicist, often questioning the ramifications of the theoretical nature in experimenting with nuclear power. Groves's ignorance to Oppenheimer's extensive scientific knowledge allows the audience to learn along with him when it is explained in basic detail. To that effect, he provides an important third party perspective to Oppenheimer's achievements.
I also loved the women that were portrayed in the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, both Blunt and Pugh didn’t portray the typical women that were seen in Hollywood movies. This has been going on in the media lately because of its criticism of the female characters. Jean Tatlock was an unstable communist and Kitty Oppenheimer was an alcoholic with a sharp tongue, and that’s what they were in the novel by Sherwin and Bird. Both women were just as flawed as Oppenheimer, so I just don’t get the criticism. I really don’t.
Christopher Nolan scored another touchdown for me, personally. This is the first time he has made a biopic. And like his other work, Oppenheimer was straightforward about the man’s life story. He doesn’t tell the story as a conventional biopic but rather as a fragmented, non-sequential series of highlights pertaining to the title subject's life. When we are first introduced to J. Robert Oppenheimer, we see that he is an incredibly intelligent man whose commitment to his craft earned him the utmost respect of many of his peers, especially when you see the success and downfall of him where he is dealing with a situation he created. The direction and the writing Nolan puts into the film is very refreshing as a historical biopic, the dialogue he makes in the film is 100 percent driven by dialogue and I hope to see him get a nomination, mainly for writing the screenplay!
I want to talk about the writing technique Nolan has for Oppenheimer. It’s like if the director watched The Social Network, Lawrence of Arabia, JFK, Malcolm X, and Schindler’s List and cranked it up to 100. Meaning that this film is motivated by Aaron Sorkin’s writing techniques, shoot in actual locations of where the project was held and shot really well based on the cinematography and have it set before, during, and after the historical event. What do they have in common? Having a large cast who can give terrific performances. The writing is what kept me focused and in love with throughout the film. But despite this film being based on a nonfiction book, it’s still a well crafted script put together by Christopher Nolan.
The film editing is very well put together, everything about the editing was filled with so many fascinating and incredible images. There are images of fiery explosions and atomic nuclear popping up every now and then in the film. Jennifer Lame has been working again with Nolan after she edited Tenet, and this is her best work since Hereditary and Marriage Story. Once again, Hoyte van Hoytema joins forces with the filmmaker and he does it again with making every shot look breathtaking. Especially in IMAX! I would be shocked if he doesn’t get an Oscar nod after being snubbed for Nope last year.
Nolan is also very critical about using CGI in his films, so his idea of using practical effects is very incredible. One moment had me on the edge of my seat is when Robert Oppenheimer and the scientists test out the prototype bombs with each explosion proving to be bigger than the last. Very impressive and effective scene in the film! Also the sound effects also produce a feeling for the audience to feel the horror of atomic bomb. The stomping of those feet against the wooden floor couldn't escape my head until now. And finally for my last positive, I have to talk about the score by Ludwig Göransson. He’s also the guy who took Hans Zimmer’s place in Tenet, and he does excellent work in creating the heart-pounding and beautifully sounded music. I hope to see the guy win another Oscar for his work next year!
It might be too soon, but I think Oppenheimer will be another one of Christopher Nolan’s best film. Not to mention today is his 53rd birthday. This is just my opinion, but I think this film is an example of the best feeling I’ve had for a real theatrical experience since Joker and Get Out. If you are a fan of the filmmaker, the cast or if you’re a history buff, then I recommend you to check it out in theaters, especially in IMAX, and then look for it when it’s released on Blu-ray!
I’m giving Oppenheimer 5 stars!
