Movie Review - Oppenheimer

Director: Christopher Nolan
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 180 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Alden Ehrenreich, Jason Clarke, Kenneth Branagh, David Krumholtz, Alex Wolff, Matthew Modine, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, Josh Peck, Casey Affleck, Gary Oldman
 
Description: The story of American scientist, J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.

Review: The life and work of J. Robert Oppenheimer is the subject and object of Christopher Nolan’s twelfth feature film. Where his “Tenet” already got the brain cells working hard because of the almost inimitable plot and juggling with timelines, the same may be said of this three-hour-long yet satisfying war of attrition. To temper expectations immediately: “Oppenheimer” is driven by dialogue, has a killer pace and an almost endless array of characters played by A-listers.

We are introduced to Oppenheimer who, as a young student at Cambridge, becomes inspired by peers such as Albert Einstein and Niel Bohr. Soon the young scientist turns out to be more drawn to theory than practice. He develops in quantum mechanics, at the time an unexplored branch of physics. In parallel, we see the questioning fire that an older Oppenheimer gets thrown at him because the FBI has been tipped off. The physicist is accused of communist sentiments and poses a danger to national security because of his extreme views.

A third storyline, shot in black and white, revolves around a former soldier and director of the renowned Princeton University. A hard-to-recognize Robert Downey Jr. shapes Lewis Strauss, who enlists Oppenheimer after the war. before a Senate committee, Strauss must prove his suitability as Secretary of Commerce in President Eisenhower’s administration.

Only in the last hour does it become clear how these matters relate to each other. Here, some knowledge of the McCarthy era and his pursuit of communism, would come in handy. Director Nolan provides little to no context and focuses entirely on his characters. Oppenheimer and his immediate colleagues have the hopeful but naïve attitude that with the detonation of the atomic bomb, wars will be a thing of the past. In reality, the theoretical physicist created a weapon of mass destruction, opening the door to the Cold War.

If you intend to watch it, be aware that “Oppenheimer” is a long sit that requires you to constantly keep your head up. The intelligent, thoughtful writing makes this anything but a punishment, but Nolan feeds us so much that this alone warrants a second viewing. Truly magisterial is the build-up to the aforementioned trial under the name Trinity. We all know the direction the experiment took world history. Nolan builds it in such a way it feels like we are learning about it for the first time.

Nolan sees himself backed by a large list of big names, with lead actors Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. not only getting the most screen time but also leaving the biggest impression despite sharing few scenes. The female characters, such as Oppenheimer’s wife Kitty, are sidelines. Their relationship is touched upon, not explored.

“Oppenheimer” is a perfect blend of an actor’s drama and political thriller, like Oliver Stone used to make them. Nolan’s twelfth movie requires considerable investment, constant attention and patience. It is impossible to fathom everything in detail. Damn, what a good movie.

Rating: 5/ 5