Oppenheimer: The Story of a Tragic Patriot

“Now I am become death. Destroyer of Worlds.”

-J. Robert Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer Movie Review: 5/5 💥 (SPOILERS)
The story of a tragically flawed patriot comes into fruition on the big screen with director Christopher Nolan’s best screenplay to date, Oppenheimer.

Tearful, raw, and visually breathtaking, the film plays with the dichotomy of this multi-layered story by utilizing two color narratives to portray bias, specifically black-and-white and a full-fleshed array of palettes specific to the movie’s aesthetic. The visually cinematic experience alone is one that I expected no less from in the hands of C. Nolan; especially with a brilliant score to back up scenes like the Trinity Test, Oppenheimer’s trials, and the scientist’s speech post Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Nolan takes storytelling to completely new heights.

One of the most underrated elements of this film is the writing. Oppenheimer is incredibly well paced and written to the point where every minute counts. Even with a trial sequence clocking in at over an hour, I found myself basking in every minute of the tension-filled storyline. Oppenheimer’s story is dissected in full to the point where it feels so grimacing, it’s hard to look away. Supporting roles by Marvel’s Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt were spectacular and nuanced, almost paralleling the immaculate performance of Cillian Murphy, one of the greatest male actors of our time.

Oppenheimer made 3 hours feel like 1. In the midst of a creepily still 5 minutes of pure silence while the atomic bomb tore through time and space, I found myself paralyzed to my seat in sheer shock. Christopher Nolan, with his masterful skill as seen with the Dark Knight trilogy and Interstellar, has proven once again that despite technological advancements in CGI, the foundation of a good film lies in its writing and the innate ability to make the audience FEEL. Movies are dominating the global sphere once again, and I’m ecstatic to see what comes next in Nolan’s superior filmography. 💥