EditA dramatization of the life story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who had a large hand in the development of the atomic bomb, thus helping end World War 2. We see his life from university days all the way to post-WW2, where his fame saw him embroiled in political machinations.—grantss
Based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, the film revolves around J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy), who is considered the “father” of the atomic bomb . The work covers Oppenheimer’s early research, his leadership of the Manhattan Project, and the controversy of the 1954 security hearings that accused him of being a Soviet spy.
Actor Cillian Murphy plays the “father” of the atomic bomb – Oppenheimer. Photo: Universal
When mentioning Oppenheimer, many people immediately think of the atomic bomb – the most destructive weapon since World War II. Christopher Nolan once said that like many people of his generation, he was haunted by the end of the world when he first heard this name. “When we were about 12 or 13 years old, we were sure we would die in a nuclear disaster. I think that’s similar to how young people today feel about climate change. Whether we like it or not, we have to admit it.” J. Robert Oppenheimer is the most important man who ever lived,” Nolan assessed.
The director brings a multi-dimensional perspective on war, science as well as delving deeply into the psychology of controversial figures in human history. “He made the world we live in better, or worse. The story of Oppenheimer’s life needs to be seen to be believed,” the director said.
Oppenheimer has two parallel story lines throughout the three-hour length. The first is the process from the beginning until Oppenheimer recruited scientists to Los Alamos in New Mexico (USA) – the place where the atomic bomb was created. The remaining story is the hearing when Oppenheimer was under security investigation. With a topic that seems dry and related to academic fields such as physics, chemistry, and astronomy, Christopher Nolan skillfully used a very soft, humorous and humorous cinematic language. detective. Finally, the director put into the film the torment and concern over a historical story to find emotional touchpoints with viewers.
The character Oppenheimer had a complicated life. As a person of Jewish descent, he spent his youth traveling around Europe learning science from the most erudite minds, then went through ups and downs during his adultery, depression, and was considered a hero who ended the war. controversy, and in the end, public opinion dug into his personal life and past to ruin his reputation.
The joys, sorrows and sorrows in Oppenheimer’s life were brought to the screen by Christopher Nolan through the acting of actor Cillian Murphy – who played a supporting role in Nolan’s blockbuster Inception in 2010. From his youthful enthusiasm for science, The secret pain and torment of conscience in many stages of Oppenheimer’s life were all convincingly portrayed by the Irish actor.
Right from the first minutes, the film brings a thick and compressed atmosphere, as if a bomb is waiting to explode and no one knows when that moment will come. Oppenheimer has many characters, lots of dialogue and speaks very quickly, requiring viewers to concentrate throughout the 180 minutes so as not to miss any detail. Christopher Nolan has built a comprehensive “map” in which each character’s appearance, lines of dialogue or even the most awaited moment – the appearance of the atomic bomb – are closely linked together. . The elements together create a cinematic structure that still follows classic Hollywood storytelling principles but has a break in the pace to let viewers find their own perspectives.
Oppenheimer can be considered Christopher Nolan’s work with the most “massive” character system, with at least more than 30 characters playing important roles and appearing one after another alongside the main character Oppenheimer. In addition to Cillian Murphy, the film also brings together a cast of stars, from those who worked with Nolan in previous works such as Interstellar (Matt Damon and Casey Affleck), The Dark Knight (Gary Oldman) to A-list stars like Emily Blunt. , Robert Downey Jr, Josh Harnett, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek…
Robert Downey Jr. impresses as Lewis Strauss in the story about the hearing, which is told in black and white. Photo: Universal
There are a few stars, some who have a lot of acting space, but they all leave their own mark. Prominent in the supporting cast are Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr and Florence Pugh. “Iron Man” Robert Downey Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, historically a founding commissioner of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1947 and who played a key role in shaping America’s postwar nuclear policy. With subtle acting with his eyes, Robert Downey Jr. creates a counterpoint to Cillian Murphy – some hot, some cold – and creates a tense, dramatic storyline about the 1954 hearing.
Many early predictions on film websites say that Cillian Murphy is a candidate for the male lead award, while Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr. could be the best female and male supporting actors of next year’s film awards season.
It’s a film about the father of the atomic bomb, but Christopher Nolan delves more deeply into the psychological changes after the bomb exploded, thereby realizing the sadness of war. “I Am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds” – Oppenheimer’s famous quote rang out at the right important moment. The line between a hero and a villain is indeed thin. A man captivated by the infinite possibilities of science, threw himself into his dedication to creating the future and then created a weapon that could destroy humanity in the blink of an eye.
Is it joy, or sadness? There cannot be an absolutely correct answer.
Christopher Nolan chose an objective storytelling style for Oppenheimer with a cool head, because science will never stop being created. There is no room for the weak hearts.
As the 12th film in the career of famous director Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer is also the work with the longest duration (180 minutes), continuing the World War II theme from Dunkirk (2017). After two weeks of global screening and revenue of nearly 600 million USD, becoming the most popular world war movie of all time, Oppenheimer debuted to Vietnamese audiences on August 11.
