Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer is an otherworldly spectacle that tells the remarkable yet tragic story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man who gave America fire, and the ability to become omnipotent, before they took it from him, and buried his legacy with false accusations and lies. What really makes this biopic stand tall above the rest is the fact that the main character is presented as imperfect. It might be hard to believe, but not all celebrities and legends were absolute saints, as some (music) biopics try to convince you. As such with Oppenheimer, he is often presented as distant from friends and completely useless with women. I think these characteristics really represent his tragic devotion to his craft, which to him is his only legacy. And it’s very true. When you think of Oppenheimer, you don’t think of his ingenious knowledge of Quantum Physics, and the fact he brought it to America. You think of the fact that he built the atomic bomb, and brought the most important manmade item into existence since the wheel. This film really shows how punished he feels at the end of it all. Watching him be initially celebrated by all his colleagues is quite sad to watch, knowing they will all either abandon or betray him. Once the reveal begins, we see a character that we initially think is just an average man be revealed as a villainous and soulless narcissist: Lewis Strauss. Excellently played by RDJ, Strauss is a snivelling, jealous manchild who successfully manages to destroy Oppenheimer’s legacy, all because he was embarrassed many years ago. What’s most painful to see is that Oppenheimer’s craft, and his ability to work with the government, is simply stripped away, permanently blocking him from his artwork. Through all of the explosions and scientific equations, this film is mostly about the severe insecurities in human behaviour. Christopher Nolan was born to work a camera. His ability to do finely focus an object in a shot is just stunning. Whether it be an apple, a structure, or Oppenheimer himself, his ability to completely isolate the background for dramatic effect is something that will go down in cinema history. Ludwig Gorransson on the sound is in his absolute element also, certainly making many scenes incredibly chaotic and suspenseful to watch. It’s really amazing to see both of these people collaborate to make such an epic project. This is one of the only films that has left me partially out of breath after watching it. And you can see why; a project of such magnitude like this is something we only get rarely. Whether it be the fabulous acting by everyone, or the idea to illuminate a story that was once shoved down into the deepest parts of America, Oppenheimer is an incredible landmark in cinema that additionally uses the Nolan fast pacing perfectly, to capture a story so vast.