Last week, as part of our Best of 2023 series, I wrote about my top twelve films of the year. And although it’s ultimately a massively subjective exercise, I did try to consider some objective factors like cultural impact in determining the list. However, even with factoring this in, there was one very curious omission – Oppenheimer.
It felt very odd to leave off one half of Barbenheimer, one of the highest grossest movies of the year, and the frontrunner for the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Director, and a host of other categories. As much as the story of 2023 in cinema can’t be told without including mention of Oppenheimer, I couldn’t bring myself to include it as one of my top films of the year. Which is why I’m writing this here review.
I’ve experienced Oppenheimer twice so far. Once in the intended viewing format – in 70mm IMAX on one of the biggest screens in the world with a huge bucket of popcorn. And once sitting on my couch on a modestly sized television screen – half paying attention and pausing frequently to get more snacks from the kitchen.
Despite Christopher Nolan’s insistence that this is a movie that must be witnessed in the theaters in order to truly connect to the full weight and gravity of it, I found that I was way more compelled by it on a smaller screen. The promise of grandeur was replaced by the invigorating spirit of the intimacy of the film. The brilliant nuances of Cillian Murphy’s performance and the claustrophobic intensity that the Oppenheimer character feels both shine through with acute clarity.
The indisputable MVP of the film is Ludwig Göransson’s magnificent score. It carries the film fearlessly on its back. This is in no way meant to disparage any of the other aspects of Oppenheimer. It’s simply meant to recognize the emotional centrality of the score; to note that it holds everything together with an unprecedented force of excellence and grace.
Oppenheimer is ostensibly a considerable step forward in Christopher Nolan’s career. He is already one of the most celebrated directors of his time and a unique visionary who has cemented his place amongst the cream of the crop of working filmmakers. If he wasn’t already an all-timer, then Oppenheimer would be the movie to solidify his status as one.
On paper, Oppenheimer is a bold swing for Nolan. A three-hour historical biopic epic that jumps between timelines, black & white and color, and character perspective should be a daring undertaking for any filmmaking. However, Nolan falls into conventionality more than he pushes the limits of his directorial arsenal. I find that works like Dunkirk and even Tenet (which I didn’t love) represent greater artistic steps forward for Nolan than Oppenheimer does.
While I found that this was not the leap forward for Nolan that I thought it’d be, I do appreciate that Oppenheimer allows him to fully lean into many of his existing sensibilities. Allowing the score to soar, while characters explain the plot progressions, and a montage of images fill up the screen is about as Nolan-esque as a movie can get. And Oppenheimer is full of moments like this. The time jumping cross cutting creates thematic continuity and narrative cohesion.
Moments of inspired visual expression are somewhat sparse, but the flashes are as exciting as anything else in the film. And as far as standout moments are concerned, the Trinity test sequence is an absolute masterclass in building tension, excitement, and anticipation. In another version of this movie, it could have easily been the story’s climax. But because of the nature of the film that Nolan set out to make, it comes two-thirds of the way through, with a solid hour of movie left.
To call Oppenheimer anything other than a massive achievement would be a foolish thing to do. It was damn near impossible to find copies of the 4k blu-ray in stores or online. People across the globe dressed up as Oppenheimer for Halloween. The movie’s impact and influence are only beginning to be felt. Its legend will only continue to grow. It’s a monumental film – one I can’t wait to watch on my couch again and again and again.
