Christopher Nolan brings the story of Robert J. Oppenheimer and the invention of the atomic bomb to the big screen in his mammoth three-hour epic “Oppenheimer”. After five previous collaborations with the applauded director, Cillian Murphy finally takes the lead role, helming a cast packed full of famous faces. Nolan takes audiences on an adventure through one man’s life, switching between black and white and coloured film and between the perspectives of Oppenheimer himself and Lewis Strauss (portrayed by Robert Downey Jr.)
Stretching across multiple decades, “Oppenheimer” opens in 1926 where we’re introduced to a 22-year-old J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) as he studies at Cambridge. After narrowly avoiding poisoning scientist Niels Bohr (Kenneth Branagh) Oppenheimer continues his education, getting a PhD in physics and ends up becoming a professor himself. He soon meets his future wife Kitty (Emily Blunt), whilst also beginning an affair with communist Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh). When 1942 rolls around America finds themself involved in World War 2 with the Nazis appearing to have near-completed their own nuclear weapons program. Oppenheimer is recruited by Army General Lesley Groves (Matt Damon) to lead the Manhattan Project, and develop an atomic bomb. A top secret base is built in the deserts of Los Alamos, New Mexico with Oppenheimer assembling his own team of scientists to create the bomb. The events that follow will forever change the world, placing America in a new position of power and unleashing a whole host of new dangers.
Irish actor Cillian Murphy takes on the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the “Peaky Blinders” star is an absolute revelation in the titular role, delivering a magnificent performance that is easily one of the best of his career. Murphy skillfully walks the line between Oppenheimer’s loyalty to the U.S. and the myriad of moral qualms he must face along the way. He fully immerses himself into the role and the results are nothing short of incredible, adeptly anchoring the film and breathing life into this stellar character study. Murphy leads the massive ensemble cast who all give strong performances while bringing Nolan’s screenplay to the screen. Robert Downey Jr., shines in his role as failed Secretary of Commerce Lewis Strauss, marking his second acting role following his 11-year tenure as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The two-time Oscar nominee gives a powerful performance that feels worthy enough to land him his third Oscar nomination in the coming awards season. Downey Jr. excels in the third act of the film in the scenes he shares with Aldren Ehrenreich (“Solo: A Star Wars Story”) which give audiences an insight into life and politics post-Oppenheimer. Finally, while only appearing in the second half of the film, Jason Clarke, who portrays Roger Robb, does a stellar job creating an unnerving and intimidating atmosphere for not only Oppenheimer himself, but also for the audiences watching his verbal tirades during numerous scenes.
The film tightly walks the line between being an informative biopic about the father of the atomic bomb and a dread-fuelled, thriller/horror. Its ghastly subject matter and chilling warnings about nuclear warfare allow audiences to understand the history, and the man behind this part of history, while also giving warnings that are eerily relevant to today’s society and the present threat of nuclear warfare. Nolan skillfully weaves emotion and ethics through his portrayal of these historical events, creating an eye-opening depiction of this chapter of history that sends chills through the audiences. The British-American filmmaker once again asserts himself as someone who can deliver stunning feats of cinema again and again without flaw, making “Oppenheimer” the latest stunning edition of his applauded filmography. The film forces its audience to confront the sheer danger and destruction that occurred during this period of history and shows just how close these scientists came to potentially ending the world and the entity of mankind. “Oppenheimer” covers a myriad of heavy themes throughout its three-hour runtime, including loyalty to your family and your country, destruction of both one man and the entity of mankind, and the dangers of science. The themes blend together with the performances and stunning technical aspects to create a thought-provoking film that raises its own questions.
Typical of Nolan’s films, “Oppenheimer” is bolstered and bettered by its marvellous technical aspects on show throughout the film. Nolan reunited with Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson for the film’s score after previously working with the Swedish composer on the score for his previous film “Tenet”. Göransson crafts a magnificent score that builds tension and dread in all the right places with a constantly changing tempo that reflects the tone flawlessly. Nolan’s long desire to make a film about Oppenheimer translates into a stunning film powered by a compelling screenplay. His decision to portray some parts of the film directly from Oppenheimer’s perspective, as well as write the script from his POV, is met with stellar results as it brings a unique look at one of the darkest chapters of modern history. Frequent Nolan collaborator Hoyte van Hoytema provides the film with gorgeous cinematography that makes “Oppenheimer” a visual feast and easily one of the best looking films of the year.
Performances and technical aspects marry together in “Oppenheimer” to create a masterful piece of cinema fuelled by a powerhouse performance from Cillian Murphy. Nolan’s monstrous affair tells the story of how one man and a group of scientists forever changed the world in 1945 from a makeshift town located in the middle of the Los Alamos desert. The culmination of people’s work on the film results in a mammoth three-hour biopic that can easily be considered one of the best films of this year.