Oppenheimer – The Destroyer of Worlds’ Dilemma

by Anselmo Ngagianto (Jason)

Release: 2023

Runtime: 180 minutes 

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, has become part of the most exciting cinematic phenomenon this year. Dubbed ‘Barbenheimer’, the simultaneous release of Oppenheimer and Barbie (directed by Greta Gerwig) has caused cinephiles everywhere to flock to theatres trying to watch the two films on the same day. 

Oppenheimer tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), an American scientist who led a group of scientists in an atomic bomb development project called ‘The Manhattan Project’ in 1942. Project Manhattan is the biggest focus of this film, and Oppenheimer’s research would later be used in the atomic bombs dropped by the US in the Japanese towns of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Thanks to his immense role in the project, Oppenheimer would later be called ‘The Father of the Atomic Bomb’. 

Aside from this, the film also explores Oppenheimer’s turbulent life outside, inside, before, during, and after the Manhattan Project. It involves the US government’s suspicion on his friendship with notable American communist figures, his affair with Communist Party USA member Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), and his public clash with the chairman of the United States Atomic Energy Commission Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.). On top of that, throughout the film Oppenheimer struggled internally with the destructive nature of his invention and its potential to wipe out the human race.

Without a doubt, the cast’s performance is the highlight of this film. On top of Cillian Murphy’s phenomenal performance as Oppenheimer, every other character in the film added to the protagonist’s complex characterisation in a way that was very thoughtful and intentional. Oppenheimer is a complicated and controversial figure and every scene from the film seemed to support this through a plethora of perspectives. Most notably, Lewis Strauss's perspective, masterfully brought to life by Downey Jr., affirmed the impression of Oppenheimer as a controversial figure.

No matter what, the topic of atomic bombs will always be a matter of debate: who is responsible for the creation of such a terrifying weapon, and how would they be held accountable for the destruction caused by their creation?

Fortunately, those questions were answered in Oppenheimer, not just through Murphy’s fantastic performance, but also through the film’s spectacular visual effects. From the visual cues that helped to depict the internal conflict Oppenheimer would have in the film’s most intense moments, to the practical effects used to achieve the explosion at the climax of the film, it is clear that much thanks should be given to the people behind the scenes. Moreover, it was through these bits of visual storytelling that the audience was able to feel the omnidirectional pressure that Oppenheimer felt, even after he attained one of his life goals. Combined with Ludwig Goransson’s ever-intense musical score, Oppenheimer’s character exploration becomes this film’s main attraction. 

However, outside of the cacophony of Oppenheimer’s life, in a true Christopher Nolan film fashion, this film can cause confusion among its audience. One of the causes was in its non-linear narrative structure. Although Nolan had already divided Oppenheimer’s past and ‘present’ narrative through black-and-white colour shading, the plot’s back-and-forth nature can still lead the audience astray. On top of that, the film’s sound mixing might feel unbalanced to many viewers; the climactic bomb explosion was deafening (rightfully so), but the dialogue felt too quiet at times, leading key concepts within the film to be easily missable. 

Nevertheless, Oppenheimer offers its audience a great time. The dramatic but astounding storytelling, the spectacular presentation, and the stellar performance from its cast made Oppenheimer a must-see film—alongside Barbie, if possible. 

Rating: 9.5/10