ReelBob: ‘Oppenheimer’ ★★★★
By Bob Bloom
Twice in “Oppenheimer,” Cillian Murphy’s physicist quotes a piece of Hindu scripture from the Bhagavad-Gita, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
The first time is to impress his lover, Jean Tatlock; the second is after the successful testing of the first atomic bomb.
That dichotomy is basically how director Christopher Nolan paints his intellectual giant in this rich bio-pic about the man dubbed “the father of the atomic bomb.”
‘Oppenheimer” is a complex movie, adapted by Nolan from the biography, “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
Nolan shows the audience Oppenheimer’s intelligence, but also his shortcomings, which play out over the movie’s three-hour run time.
Murphy gives a brilliantly nuanced performance as Oppenheimer. He is a genius; he knows and flaunts it, but he also craves the recognition and admiration of his gift from those within and outside the scientific community.
Yet, despite his intellect, Murphy’s Oppenheimer — at times — is a man-child. He is naïve, failing to understand the intricacies of human nature and how quickly people can take advantage of him and how rapidly friends can become antagonists to suit their own purposes.
Nolan and Murphy show how Oppenheimer’s hubris was partially the reason for his later downfall. They also display his contradictory nature. Yes, he led the building of the bomb, but was conflicted about the lives that would be lost in its use and what happens after this atomic genie was released from its bottle.
At one point, Tatlock, a psychiatrist portrayed who is by Florence Pugh, warns Oppenheimer that he should not alienate or drive people away because one day he may need them.
“Oppenheimer” is intellectually stimulating; sequences in which Oppenheimer and his team at Los Alamos debate about how to build an atomic bomb and the consequences of it are not only thought provoking but engaging.
Nolan has filled “Oppenheimer” with actors who command the screen. Emily Blunt as Kitty Oppenheimer brings a three-dimensional intricacy to her characterization. She loves her husband, but at times berates him for his infidelities and secretiveness, while admonishing him to stand up for himself when, during the Red Scare of the 1950s, the apparatus of the U.S. government turns on him.
Robert Downey Jr. gives one of the best performances of his career as Lewis Strauss, head of the Atomic Energy Commission, whose behind-the-scenes machinations lead to Oppenheimer’s downfall. Downey’s portrayal of Strauss recalls Hamlet’s description of Claudius, his stepfather, “That one may smile and smile and be a villain.”
Matt Damon is no-nonsense Gen. Leslie Groves Jr., the military head of the Manhattan Project, who must temper keeping the scientists on schedule and in line because of national security concerns.
Others with smaller roles who stand out are Rami Malik as scientist David Hill, who for most of the movie is in the background, until coming to the defense of Oppenheimer in a very public manner; Benny Safdie as Edward Teller, Oppenheimer’s rival, who created the hydrogen bomb; and David Krumholtz as Isidor Rabi, a scientist who is Oppenheimer’s oldest friend.
The cast also includes Alen Ehrenreich, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Matthew Modine, Jason Clarke, Tony Goldwyn and James Remar, who each receive moments to shine.
The contribution of the sound department, led by Stefan Almqvist, is exceptional, especially the silence after the Trinity test of the bomb, which lasts for several seconds, until the blast wave reaches the onlookers; and the screams Oppenheimer hears in his head imagining the impact of the bomb’s devastation on Hiroshima.
Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, collaborating with Nolan for a fourth time, switching from color to flashback black-and-white sequences, enriches the mood of the film. He also provides us with glimpses of Oppenheimer’s mind and how he thinks outside the norm.
“Oppenheimer” is, so far, the best movie of 2023. It deserves Academy Award consideration for picture, director, sound, cinematography, special effects, as well as acting nominations for Murphy, Downey Jr., Blunt and Pugh.
“Oppenheimer” is provocative and impressive and, despite its massive canvas, intimate and personal. At its core, it is a story about how our country creates heroes, only to tear them down when they get out of step with whatever the current norm or climate happens to be.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.
OPPENHEIMER
4 stars(R), nudity, sexual content, language