Stepping into an unexplored genre for him, famed director Christopher Nolan tackles a historical drama in his latest release, ‘Oppenheimer’. This marks a departure from Nolan’s standard portfolio of superhero flicks, thrillers, war films, and science-fiction adventures. Despite the distinct shift in genre, the film maintains Nolan’s characteristic narrative pace, which rivals the speed of any blockbuster.
An Unlikely Summer Release
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 2005 biography ‘American Prometheus’ by Martin J. Sherwin and Kai Bird, ‘Oppenheimer’ is an unlikely summer studio release. The extensive, 591-page biography took two decades of research and five years of editing to compile, making the adaptation no small task. Yet, Nolan managed to pack Sherwin and Bird’s comprehensive work into a brisk three-hour and 9-second film, with the meticulous detailing one might expect from the acclaimed director. Despite its focus on conversations among scientists and politicians, the movie maintains an engaging rhythm that holds audiences’ attention from start to finish.
Nolan’s Unique Approach to Scripting
Nolan’s rigorous and methodical approach to scriptwriting stands out. Before writing a script, Nolan dedicates months to meticulous planning, involving copious note-taking and diagram-drawing. The result? A film narrative that predominantly unfolds from Oppenheimer’s perspective, written in an unusual first-person format. This unprecedented scriptwriting method was a revelation even for experienced actor Matt Damon, who portrays Lieutenant General Leslie Groves Jr., the Army officer at the helm of the Manhattan Project.
Visualizing Oppenheimer’s Thoughts
Nolan involved his visual effects supervisor, Andrew Jackson, in the early stages of the script. This was to capture accurately Oppenheimer’s visionary thought processes, given that he was visualizing things like subatomic particles at a time when very few of these phenomena had been observed. Consequently, the visual effects team filmed a plethora of experimental footage capturing the depiction of particles, waves, chain reactions, bursting stars, and exploding molten metal droplets.
In addition, composer Ludwig Göransson was inspired by this footage to create music that reflected the sublime and abstract nature of these visuals. Editor Jennifer Lame also incorporated these visuals alongside real-world images to articulate Oppenheimer’s state of being “troubled by visions of a hidden universe,” which emerge as an important visual motif in the film.
The Foil to Oppenheimer: Admiral Lewis Strauss
As the film delves into Oppenheimer’s conflict with the U.S. intelligence Establishment during the McCarthy period, another perspective becomes necessary. Nolan introduces Admiral Lewis Strauss (played by Robert Downey Jr.), former businessman, and chair of the Atomic Energy Commission, who became an increasingly contentious figure in Oppenheimer’s life post-war.
Nolan draws a parallel between the relationship of Oppenheimer and Strauss with that of Mozart and Antonio Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s ‘Amadeus.’ The brilliant yet troubled mind of Oppenheimer and the admiring yet tormenting petty, powerful man Strauss, echoes the dynamic seen in ‘Amadeus.’
The film skillfully intertwines Oppenheimer’s 1954 security-clearance hearing and Strauss’s 1959 Senate confirmation hearing, using color and black-and-white footage to delineate the two perspectives. This juxtaposition between the two main characters in ‘Oppenheimer’ adds a layer of complexity to the narrative, enhancing the audience’s understanding of the historical and personal dynamics at play.
In conclusion, ‘Oppenheimer’ promises to be an immersive cinematic experience, chronicling a fascinating historical period through the lens of one of the most visionary directors of our time. The film blends the meticulous detailing of its source material with Nolan’s renowned narrative style, promising a viewing experience that is as engaging as it is educational.
