Oppenheimer’s Overlooked Ingenuity

More than two weeks has passed since the movie “Oppenheimer” hit theaters, and surprisingly, 60% or more of the audience has expressed dissatisfaction, finding it boring and even dozing off during the screening. Some are labeling it as Christopher Nolan’s first non-Nolan film. But, let’s pause and consider, is this criticism justified, or is there more to the film that we might be missing?

The Man of the Moment

J. Robert Oppenheimer, revered as an exceptional physicist, he possesses a unique intellect that dances between brilliance and complexity. His life’s narrative has become an enigmatic tale, surrounded by controversies, mysteries and politics leaving a mark on the minds of scholars and thinkers worldwide.

Now, Picture a grand cinematic masterpiece, presenting a fascinating conflict - making viewers oscillate in the moral compass with the gripping narrative of true events. “Oppenheimer,” a precise creation by visionary Christopher Nolan. It is a symphony of light and shadow, carefully crafted to make you feel his psyche.

J. Robert Oppenheimer is particularly complex character to film as said. He is person of unpredictability and extreme impulsiveness. A person capable of committing violence as portrayed in early scene of Oppenheimer attempting to poison his tutor with cyanide in his green apple. Oppenheimer lacks self-control and foresight and regrets his actions later. Same goes with the atomic bomb. He developed the atomic bomb but starts to doubt its use only after it’s unleashed. Oppenheimer shines brilliantly after Trinity Test, but the ensuing shockwave takes him by surprise.

As a young leftist, Oppenheimer never joined the Communist party. However, his strong anti-fascist beliefs motivated him to create the bomb before the Nazis could. He took charge of a large team of scientists, directing their efforts in developing this weapon. In the 1950s, we see a disillusioned Oppenheimer, the McCarthyites relentlessly pursue him, accusing him of communist ties. He is tormented by the fame and regrets his inability to establish international atomic control after the war. Moreover, a haunting thought remain — the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not necessary for defeating the already surrendered Nazis, but rather aimed at intimidating the Soviets with America’s capability of nuclear power.

In the film, Oppenheimer’s manipulation by the US government is apparent, portraying him as nothing more than a disposable pawn in the eyes of numerous bureaucrats. Nolan understands this well and all other contradictions and leaves the audience sympathetic to his struggle against the overpowering anti-communist fervor of the McCarthy era.

The Fragments on the screen

Nolan’s narration of Oppenheimer’s psyche is brilliantly depicted through a propulsive and relentless edit. The early montage in the film is a thrilling ride of a million agonized fragments on the screen and Cillian Murphy’s perfect facial expressions, providing a glimpse into the troubled mind of the restrained persona.

The fiery sparks and the powerful sound design by Ludwig Göransson goes well together, constantly immersing you in its electrifying experience, taking you on a captivating journey through his intense emotions and struggles.

The Cast

Cillian Murphy’s performance as Oppenheimer is a tour de force, effortlessly bringing the character to life. He handles the role’s complexities with remarkable acting, depicting the persona’s isolation and emotional confinement in a saddening manner. Murphy’s striking similarity to Oppenheimer is complete with the iconic hat and pipe, allows him to portray the haunted stare of a man with sunken eyes, anticipating the events beyond his grasp. It is self-explanatory that it is a mesmerizing portrayal that leaves an impact on the audience.

Robert Downey Jr., on the other hand, surprisingly takes the spotlight as the film’s most significant game-changer, delivering one of the best performance as Lewis Strauss, the chair of the Atomic Energy Commission. Strauss is driven to dismantle Oppenheimer’s credibility and loyalty to the United States government.

The film’s ensemble cast delivers an outstanding performance, from Matt Damon as Leslie Groves, Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Emily Blunt as Katherine Oppenheimer, Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence, Benny Safdie as Edward Teller, and, my personal favorite, Rami Malek as David Hill. Each actor brings their A-game, adding depth and authenticity to their roles.

My Favorite Sequence

In the gym at Los Alamos, the rumbling sound gets high with an overwhelming weight in his mind. People cheer as Oppenheimer takes the stage, their excitement filling the hall like a thunderous storm.

Oppenheimer’s announcement — the bomb has been dropped on the Japanese with a pause adds “And I don’t think they liked it!” cheers erupts, but beneath it lies a haunting truth, the bomb’s creation has transformed into a grim reality, intensifying Oppenheimer’s inner turmoil.

As Oppenheimer departs, he steps on something brittle — an incinerated corpse(Portrayed from his vision) A colleague’s vomiting outside the hall serves as a deep portrayal of the bomb’s aftermath. The soundtrack does the work it intends to do — engulfing the darkness exponentially.

Nolan’s decision to focus on Oppenheimer’s perspective increases the emotional impact, instead of showing us the bomb’s effects oh Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The film immerses us in Oppenheimer’s soul-searching journey, leaving an indelible mark of the haunting consequences of his actions.

This is just one of the scenes that is brilliantly executed. The Trial secretly ordered by Strauss and the courtroom sequence does the same work without flaw. Nolan knows how to make the audience feel the gravity of the situation intellectually.

The Ending

The key moment is when the timeline jumps back to Oppenheimer conversing with Einstein (where Strauss mistook that they might be discussing about him). The dialogues conversed was extremely powerful, which could possibly serve as a one liner of the whole movie.

When I came to you with those calculations,” Oppenheimer tells Einstein, “we thought we might start a chain reaction that might destroy the entire world.”

“What of it?” Einstein asks.

“I believe we did,” Oppenheimer says.

The atmosphere becomes eerie with an intense soundtrack and the camera closes on his face. The audience might realize that the final frame mirrors the movie’s opening montage — young Oppenheimer in close-up, looking at droplets of rain in a small pool of water metaphorically depicting the bomb droppings.

This complex drama has often been called Long drag since the release, and that specific audience is very much consumed by action drama expecting the same from biopic. Thus, getting disappointed over this dialogue-driven brilliance. It might take a second watch for certain people to grasp the entirety of everything or reading The American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer — Book by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, which the movie is based on will give them more clarity understanding the root of the very troubled mind of Oppenheimer and the entire political dynamics. However, this is one of the easiest top 3 in my list.