There's a quote in one of Nolan's films, The Prestige, "You're familiar with the phrase 'man's reach exceeds his grasp'? It's a lie: man's grasp exceeds his nerve." I came back to that quote often after watching Oppenheimer, both in terms of the man himself - a physicist, [dangerously] playing on the boundaries of reality - and of Christopher Nolan - an insanely ambitious director, pushing the limits of his control within a 3 hour epic. Both men, of different eras and different skillsets, harnessing their unique powers and personalities to attempt to create greatness.
It's no secret how highly I think of Christopher Nolan. He's one of the few directors where I've seen his entire filmography (and ranked them) and I will always firmly believe your first interaction with a Nolan film should never be your last AND you'll need multiple viewings. His stories and movies are dense, packed to the seams, over-flowing with things to take in. They're often gargantuan in scope and message, both of which also take multiple sessions to fully appreciate.
Oppenheimer is no different. This massive, jaw-dropping, and fever-dream-esque biopic about the "father of the atomic bomb" is simultaneously Nolan's most ambitious film to date while also being his most "mundane" (for lack of a better word). It's an R-rated, adult drama that is legitimately 3 hours of people talking, often the type of feature you'd think is reserved for only the strictest of cinephiles. But this is Christopher Nolan we're talking about and thanks to the best script he's ever written - fast, punchy, straight forward when it needs to be - Oppenheimer becomes something grander. And, as I write this review a day later, I'm already realizing it's not an experience that leaves the mind easily...
Nolan's direction and ownership over this story is truly his vision. As we begin the pile-on of praise, it should be outright that one of our best directors living today fully takes us on the trip he intended, without sacrifice. The pacing is incredible, if not a little chaotic at times, and it's as dense a film as he's ever made. But it's simultaneously a 3 hour film that felt not a second longer than 2 hours. A talky tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat. How is that possible? The answer, unsurprisingly, is Nolan.
It helps too that the plot is somewhat unknown outside of many history buffs and truthfully captivating. I'll avoid "spoilerish" material, but suffice it to say that this is equal parts a character study of Oppenheimer, a war-time race film, a political analysis, and a courtroom showdown, all rolled into one. I was never once bored - though I'd argue I have a longer attention span than most - and my only gripe aside from some sloppy cutting back and forth here and there is I wish they would have gone further into the psyche of Oppenheimer after the bomb. There are fringe scenes where they go deep, but I have to imagine there could have been more of them to drive home the impact. That's a small qualm however for a story and a script that are otherwise airtight.
And dear God, is this movie well made. Hoyte Van Hoytema creates the colossal visuals through expertly crafted cinematography. Allowing gorgeous New Mexico vistas, a skinny bomb tower, and Cillian Murphy's face to all have the same massive impact, begging you to watch the film in IMAX or some other large format. The sound department delivers bombastic moments of awe, even playing with sound in unique ways during a few moments. And then there's the 3-hour long star of the show with Ludwig Goransson's original score. Similar to how it did in Tenet, it's the lifeblood of the film and he's becoming such a top name in the industry these days, it almost has me asking Hans Zimmer, who? (I kid, I kid...Hans is the GOAT).
Oppenheimer is an experience, as most films by Nolan are. It sits as a towering achievement for him that is near-flawless, even if it's not one of his most rewatchable. Time, and added viewings, will tell how momentous it becomes; there's a world where I see this aging into an American classic alongside of films we still talk about today like The Godfather, and others. It's an important movie for an age where scientific breakthroughs are common and you hope there's an Oppenheimer on the other side asking the right questions. It's a piece of art where, much like Oppenheimer's bomb, Nolan's grasp, reach, and nerve are all fully extended, perilously, but expertly aimed at the same goal.
CONS
- Ever so slightly sloppy in a handful of segments with jumping between scenes
- Famous-person roulette is fun, but can become distracting
- I would have liked more "psychedelic" scenes in Oppenheimer's head
- Christopher Nolan continues to prove why he's in a league nearly of his own. The direction and pacing here is impeccable
- This is also his best script to date, and is largely the pulsing train moving this behemoth along
- A cast for the ages that turn in performances for the ages. Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. are at the top of their very-talented game while Blunt, Pugh, Damon, and others are similarly perfect in smaller roles
- Ludwig Goransson's score is perfect. He is a master and perhaps the best in the industry at the moment
- Stunning cinematography, use of IMAX, sound editing, and visuals. There is no technical stone left unturned here
- A captivating tale with a lot of characters, yet never loses focus. It's truly a blend of many other types of movies that seamlessly weaves between them. Tiktok generation may have a hard time with it, but otherwise this was one of the fastest 3 hours in my life
- Incredibly important as both an entry into the American filmography and as a warning for modern technology. 50 years from now, this could be one of the most important films of the 2000s
Rath's Review Score |
10/10 - Instant Classic
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