Oppenheimer
“They need us”
“Until they don’t”
On second watch, this was one of the fresh takeaways. Up to and including Trinity, Oppenheimer always has something to fight against: the science, Groves, his romantic relationships, the challenge of building Los Alamos, recruiting the team, etc. But after Trinity, everything changes not only for the world but within Oppenheimer too. As he watches the trucks drive away with the bombs, I feel like it gets revealed to him the realities of his actions, something that he was able to ignore throughout the process. Without any external obstacles left to fight, he’s left to face himself and his actions. And throughout the rest of his life, it feels like he’s craving that thing to beat against as a way to absolve himself of blame.
Also on second watch, was able to appreciate the editing far more. The intercutting between ‘past’ and ‘present’ feels so smooth and is an important storytelling element. Also the score is exceptional. Jennifer Lame (editor) and Ludwig Göransson (composer) deserve recognition. Also enjoyed the rain drop symbolism that popped upped a few times throughout the film.
Even on second watch, the film still rode on a high throughout the whole 3 hours. Even having watched it just a couple weeks ago, there were many moments that had me hanging on every breath just as much as the first watch. I likely won’t go out of my way to see it in theaters again, but would happily see it a third time if the chance arose.