Oppenheimer (2023)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr.

The story of American scientist, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.

I kept asking myself why I would be interested in watching a movie about the man who invented the atomic bomb if the atomic bomb causes death and mass destruction. Christopher Nolan being one of the best filmmakers of our time is a good enough reason. Secondly, the trailer sold the film to me.

‘Oppenheimer’ can easily be divided into three parts. Part One told us who Oppenheimer was, and his discoveries that lead to the idea of the atomic bomb. Part Two was the implementation, and Part Three was the aftermath and consequences of the first two parts.

Robert Oppenheimer never planned on building an atomic bomb. He studied and then lectured quantum physics. Only when nuclear fission was discovered by chemists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann and physicists Lise Meitner and Otto Robert Frisch, did Oppenheimer realized it could be weaponized. In the race for nuclear weapons, Oppenheimer was approached by General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) to build the atomic bomb. Being Jewish and knowing the weapon was to be used in the war against Germany – and Nazis – he agreed.

Since I have absolutely no knowledge – or interest – on quantum physics, I didn’t understand much of the terminology used during the film’s first half, yet I still found it all very interesting. Hats off to Christopher Nolan for writing such a detailed script. There certainly is a great deal of information to digest. This first part also chronicles Oppenheimer’s life from student to lecturer, from young man to husband and ultimately father. It explores both his success and failures as an individual, allowing an in-depth look into the man himself.

‘Oppenheimer’ somehow reminded me of ‘The Imitation Game’. Only, the latter was much easier to follow and understand, with a subject matter which appealed to me more than that of the design of an atomic bomb.

‘Oppenheimer’ is told in a non-linear manner, which is typical of Nolan’s movies. It jumps between past and present. This is a very long movie and the third act is incredibly dialogue-heavy which mostly sees the characters delivering testimonies to the events of the first two parts. It was nevertheless still interesting, aided greatly by stunning performances from the entire cast. Cillian Murphy was perfectly cast as Oppenheimer. I also really enjoyed Robert Downey Jr in a very different role for him, and I thought he did it brilliantly.

‘Oppenheimer’ has masterpiece written all over it. From the script to the production in its entirety, the memorable score, the dazzling visuals and the incredibly make-up, this film excels on every level. The atomic bomb is best known for the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and although it is mentioned in the film, they did not even give us a glimpse of this event. After the bombing, we see Oppenheimer being traumatized by these events, and I think it would have been more effective had they shown us something about this. I was a bit disappointed in that regard.

The film also poses the thought-provoking question: with technology advancing so rapidly, how big a bomb would they be able to build in the future if they accomplished the atomic bomb way back in 1945?

‘Oppenheimer’ is a cinematic achievement and I believe it will receive several Oscar nominations. At the box office, ‘Oppenheimer’ earned nearly $949 million on a $100 million budget.

Would I watch it again? I don’t think so; a bit too much talk for my liking. Still, it was a good (once-off) watch.