I’ll admit from the outset that the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer was not a topic that I ever paid attention to all that closely. I knew the basics, of course; I knew that Oppenheimer was the head of the Manhattan Project, that he created the first atomic bomb, and that he later had regrets over the weapon that he built. However, I was not familiar with the small details or the general path of Oppenheimer’s life until after the movie came to my attention. In retrospect, that was a mistake, because Oppenheimer is a fascinating and complex figure with a story that has taken on new relevance in modern times.
It took a visionary director like Christopher Nolan to shed new light on a story that the world thought it understood. It should be said that the story of Oppenheimer is not Nolan’s; he drew influence from the biography American Prometheus by authors Kai Bird and Martin L. Sherwin. What Nolan has done with this movie is bring the vision of that biography to life, offering both the objective facts of what took place with subjective interpretations of those events. That makes Oppenheimer a film that works both in telling the story of Robert Oppenheimer and in offering possible answers to some of the unanswered questions of his life. Nolan himself remains relatively hands-off in terms of adapting the story, while bringing the movie together in his signature style. The very deft handling of the historical material, the light touch Nolan brings to the story, blends very nicely with the Nolan signature techniques we see later in the film.
One point that truly impressed me about this movie is how true to historical fact the movie ultimately is. Too often, modern Hollywood takes liberty with the source material, often to the point of making the film unrecognizable compared to the source. In this case, Nolan takes great care in portraying his subject accurately, relying on biographical and historical facts to inform his take on Oppenheimer. Even small details of Oppenheimer’s life are surprisingly accurate, such as the fact that Oppenheimer studied Dutch in six weeks to give a speech on quantum physics. Likewise, the movie shines a light on aspects of Oppenheimer’s life that most casual viewers might not have known—his affair with Jean Tatlock, his political activism while teaching at Berkeley, and the loss of his security clearance at the hands of Lewis Strauss. Rather than changing the history to suit the story, Nolan builds on the history to tell the story of Oppenheimer’s life. This approach allows for some dramatic license in the telling of those details, while remaining generally true to the historical record.
The technique employed in this film is also quite masterful. Nolan has always excelled in telling effective stories out of order, and he has only improved at this since Memento. Oppenheimer feels like a refinement of the kind of storytelling he began with that film, rather than a reinvention of the wheel, and yet it completely works. Using the investigation of Oppenheimer’s security clearance and the Lewis Strauss confirmation hearing as concurrent framing devices allows the movie to jump back and forth through time without seeming jarring or off-putting at all. The use of black-and-white to portray the objective facts while using color scenes to present subjective interpretations is a good narrative touch as well, providing a clear distinction between the historical record and Nolan’s interpretation of those events. I’m also struck by the use of practical effects in this film, especially with the Trinity site explosion. It would be simple for most directors to use CGI, but Nolan creates a stronger sense of reality through practical effects in this film.
Christopher Nolan has assembled one of the most impressive casts in modern film history with Oppenheimer. Cillian Murphy headlines the group in the role of Robert Oppenheimer, and he does so convincingly opposite a host of impressive names. Murphy effectively captures the mannerisms and voice of the real Oppenheimer, reflecting the face of a man haunted by the weapon he created. Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss is likely going to be the standout among this cast as the film’s main antagonist, capturing the narcissistic ego as well as the petty vindictiveness of Strauss as presented in this film. Emily Blunt presents a solid presence as Oppenheimer’s wife Kitty, bringing the quiet strength of her character to the screen. The other most notable performance is Matt Damon as General Rhodes, capturing the no-nonsense soldier who grows to respect Oppenheimer. Damon’s charisma sparkles in the role as Rhodes, and some of the most memorable moments of the film are those where he plays off against Murphy as Oppenheimer. However, there are many more actors who all manage to be memorable in the limited time they have on screen, including legendary actors like Kenneth Branagh as Niels Bohr and Gary Oldman as former President Harry Truman. But even the lesser-known actors get time to shine as well. Tom Conti, for instance, has some strong moments in the role of Albert Einstein, capturing the complex friendship between Einstein and Oppenheimer. Alden Ehrenreich (best known for Solo) is surprisingly good in the role of Strauss’s advisor, especially in his final scenes opposite Downey. Every member of this cast succeeds in bringing a colorful cast of historical people to the screen, and all of them are worth mentioning in their individual performances. At the same time, they all come together as an effective ensemble, and the focus never slips away from Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer.
In fairness, it should be said that Oppenheimer is a very somber film about a challenging moment in American history, and it may not be for everyone. If you’re not interested in biopics or historical films in general, this movie may not appeal to you. That said, what this movie does, Oppenheimer does exceptionally well, and it succeeds at inspiring interest in its subject matter in a way that only the best biopics do. The movie will also leave a lingering impact after you see it, hitting some strong emotional chords. Oppenheimer may be a strong contender for one of the year’s best films moving forward, and it may have lingering impact long after it hits.
Score: 5/5
Writer/Director: Christopher Nolan (based on American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin)
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Alden Ehrenreich, Jason Clarke, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Conti, Rami Malek, David Dastmalchian, Dane DeHaan, James Remar, Gary Oldman
Author Profile
- Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).
