'Oppenheimer' Nolanfans User Reviews

Silfan

Posts: 139

Joined: September 2018

When It was announced that Christopher Nolan was making a film about the life of Robert Oppenheimer - based on the book American Prometheus - Being a big of a nolan fan I am, I immediately bought the book and started reading it. But I didn't do it just out of sheer curiosity. I did this, when a puzzling, even delusional thought began to introduce itself into my mind. I decided to play some nasty little game with myself; After I'll read the book, I will think with myself, and try to guess with myself how this story will look - in the hands of my role model - to what extent can I match his vision - and is it possible that my vision will even surpass his?
Of course I didn't write an actual script. It was a colossal waste of my energy and precious time on a project that would also potentially yield me nothing. Not that a little synopsis will bring me money, recognition, or appreciation. But, nevertheless, I decided to do it, at least a little synopsis - because sometimes the most correct and beautiful things are things you do for yourself.

I divided it into four different linear lines. A, B, C, and D.

1:
A - Oppenheimer as a child. Learns about the story of Adam and Eve, and the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge.
B- Oppenheimer meets Jane Tetlock, a little bit of talk about Communism.
C- World War II starts.
D- The beginning of the political persecution.

2:
A- It is emphasized that the young Oppenheimer is ashamed of his Jewish origin (something that is clarified in the book but not in the film).
B- Oppenheimer is disillusioned with communism, due to the revelations about the practical implementation of the ideology in the Soviet Union. It is made clear that his relationship with Tetlock is also shaken.
C- Oppenheimer realizes that he must take the atomic project on his back - his re-acceptance of being Jewish. The understanding that life cannot be lived as a hermit, but that the world has always been and always will be divided into different groups fighting for survival and reproduction. The absolute negation of the naive communist idea of youth, and the practical eating from the tree of knowledge. The beginning of the Manhattan Project. Teller and the hydrogen bomb are highlighted.
D- Persecution progress. they talk about the 'spy', about all kinds of suspicious situations. Strauss and the like. Media panic. Shame.

3:
All of the story points are about to reach their end and climax, as the scientists prepare for the first atomic experiment, Trinity. The personal life of Robert Oppenheimer, with all its key moments, from being a boy to becoming a bitter old man, swirls together with the fission process of the atomic bomb, the first weapon of mass destruction in history, as if it were the same. this climax occurs as a montage of at least thirty minutes. in the style of the Astronaut's journey through the lights in 2001: we go deep into the bomb and into the atoms when they begin to move and shatter; Oppenheimer tries to poison his teacher with an apple; Neurons escape from each other, moving in a black space; Jean commits suicide, leaving Robert broken; Back into the atoms, they move, they slide, they look like dead stars (these segments are not supposed to happen in seconds, but over long minutes); Oppenheimer is denounced as a traitor, grows old, and dies; The cigarette smoke that led to his early death turns into red gas, into quantum particles - the atoms are compressed and finally condense, creating a massive explosion that kills tens of thousands of people in Hiroshima. THE END.

The thematic emphasis in the story is on the destructive instinct in man and humanity. And the goal is to draw a parallel between Oppenheimer's life and the story of humanity in the twentieth century; which began with the pure and beautiful curiosity of youth, to a journey of no return into the abyss and destruction.

What do you guys think about this concept?

dissonance

Posts: 52

Joined: July 2017

sanford wrote: ↑
July 27th, 2023, 11:06 am
My experience with Oppenheimer has been similar to Interstellar - the first viewing was so overwhelming that I had to see it a second time to fully unpack it. Basically all of the issues I had the first time went away and I was able to just let it wash over me.

I'm still not sure if I think it's his ultimate masterpiece, but I rank it number two on my personal Nolan list. I think it's just incredible for so many reasons (you can listen to me gush and ramble about it here if you truly have nothing better to do).

My second viewing was on 35mm at this really badass arthouse theater in Tulsa, OK, called Circle Cinema with a nearly packed crowd. And it was preceded by two 35mm trailers - Alexander Payne's The Holdovers, which looks great, and the digitally shot The Exorcist: Believer, which looks like dogshit but it was still cool to see Ellen Burstyn with "Tubular Bells" playing underneath through that beautiful projector flicker.

Overall, it just felt like we were back in the 70s or something watching a second-run art film (I especially loved that early black and white Princeton sequence in this format).

I just feel really lucky to live through a time where great work can still be found in mainstream theaters worldwide, and that people are having such a strong reaction to it. I'm just glad movies are making me feel giddy again for the first time in years.

Shame Hollywood's about to completely squander it all. But for now, it's great.

which is your #1 from him?

sanford

Posts: 83

Joined: November 2010

Location: Oklahoma

dissonance wrote: ↑
July 28th, 2023, 1:41 pm

sanford wrote: ↑
July 27th, 2023, 11:06 am
My experience with Oppenheimer has been similar to Interstellar - the first viewing was so overwhelming that I had to see it a second time to fully unpack it. Basically all of the issues I had the first time went away and I was able to just let it wash over me.

I'm still not sure if I think it's his ultimate masterpiece, but I rank it number two on my personal Nolan list. I think it's just incredible for so many reasons (you can listen to me gush and ramble about it here if you truly have nothing better to do).

My second viewing was on 35mm at this really badass arthouse theater in Tulsa, OK, called Circle Cinema with a nearly packed crowd. And it was preceded by two 35mm trailers - Alexander Payne's The Holdovers, which looks great, and the digitally shot The Exorcist: Believer, which looks like dogshit but it was still cool to see Ellen Burstyn with "Tubular Bells" playing underneath through that beautiful projector flicker.

Overall, it just felt like we were back in the 70s or something watching a second-run art film (I especially loved that early black and white Princeton sequence in this format).

I just feel really lucky to live through a time where great work can still be found in mainstream theaters worldwide, and that people are having such a strong reaction to it. I'm just glad movies are making me feel giddy again for the first time in years.

Shame Hollywood's about to completely squander it all. But for now, it's great.
which is your #1 from him?

Man, that's a tricky one, because so many of them have their own unique strengths. To me, Interstellar (my personal favorite) and Dunkirk are the two unimpeachable masterpieces (and the more I think about Oppenheimer the more I'm starting to think it'll wind up alongside them).

And then The Dark Knight, Inception, and probably Memento I'd put the gentlest rung below (my bullshit phrase is I'd call them "impeachable masterpieces," but just barely).

And below them are the really damn exceptional The Prestige, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight Rises.

I think Insomnia is an underrated little gem, Tenet is a fascinating quasi-miscalculation that still yields rewards if you're patient with it, and then Following is interesting to watch just because it's fun to see how he started.

Very long answer to a simple question, but I've been revisiting a lot of his filmography lately, for obvious reasons, and it's always fun to reappraise a favorite director when they've got a new film coming out.

Anyway, what would be your number one from him?

dissonance

Posts: 52

Joined: July 2017

sanford wrote: ↑
July 28th, 2023, 2:50 pm

dissonance wrote: ↑
July 28th, 2023, 1:41 pm

sanford wrote: ↑
July 27th, 2023, 11:06 am
My experience with Oppenheimer has been similar to Interstellar - the first viewing was so overwhelming that I had to see it a second time to fully unpack it. Basically all of the issues I had the first time went away and I was able to just let it wash over me.

I'm still not sure if I think it's his ultimate masterpiece, but I rank it number two on my personal Nolan list. I think it's just incredible for so many reasons (you can listen to me gush and ramble about it here if you truly have nothing better to do).

My second viewing was on 35mm at this really badass arthouse theater in Tulsa, OK, called Circle Cinema with a nearly packed crowd. And it was preceded by two 35mm trailers - Alexander Payne's The Holdovers, which looks great, and the digitally shot The Exorcist: Believer, which looks like dogshit but it was still cool to see Ellen Burstyn with "Tubular Bells" playing underneath through that beautiful projector flicker.

Overall, it just felt like we were back in the 70s or something watching a second-run art film (I especially loved that early black and white Princeton sequence in this format).

I just feel really lucky to live through a time where great work can still be found in mainstream theaters worldwide, and that people are having such a strong reaction to it. I'm just glad movies are making me feel giddy again for the first time in years.

Shame Hollywood's about to completely squander it all. But for now, it's great.
which is your #1 from him?
Man, that's a tricky one, because so many of them have their own unique strengths. To me, Interstellar (my personal favorite) and Dunkirk are the two unimpeachable masterpieces (and the more I think about Oppenheimer the more I'm starting to think it'll wind up alongside them).

And then The Dark Knight, Inception, and probably Memento I'd put the gentlest rung below (my bullshit phrase is I'd call them "impeachable masterpieces," but just barely).

And below them are the really damn exceptional The Prestige, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight Rises.

I think Insomnia is an underrated little gem, Tenet is a fascinating quasi-miscalculation that still yields rewards if you're patient with it, and then Following is interesting to watch just because it's fun to see how he started.

Very long answer to a simple question, but I've been revisiting a lot of his filmography lately, for obvious reasons, and it's always fun to reappraise a favorite director when they've got a new film coming out.

Anyway, what would be your number one from him?

I'm in a similar boat as you. I would put Dunkirk and The Dark Knight and Interstellar in my top for him. The others are just all equally and variably just below those in terms of resonance to me. And to be honest in the past, Inception probably would have been in the "top shelf" too, but I have rewatched and seen it SOOOOO many times. But..... after Oppenheimer, especially seeing my second viewing, and that it being in 70mm IMAX, i would say it has now taken the #1 spot. So many details and emotional beats that were completely missed in the first viewing. For example one of my favorite and most emotional spots was when his Jewish overweight scientist friend with glasses told him to not wear the Military uniform and to "just be himself, but better", and then you see Oppie putting on his outfit looking out the window into the distance, and equipping his trademark Hat and Pipe, all while the music begins to swell. And then cuts to a awe inspiring 70mm IMAX shot of him taking a confident stroll down the main street of Los Alamos, with a large musical climax and crescendo of heroic horns. Man that was a super heroic moment that I for some reason, didn't feel and notice fully the first viewing. And just overall, the immense weight of all the lines and every character interaction is felt so strongly cuz of how all the elements of the film are put together; in addition to the timeless performances of ALL the actors, especially RDJ and obviously Cillian Murphy

sanford

Posts: 83

Joined: November 2010

Location: Oklahoma

dissonance wrote: ↑
July 28th, 2023, 3:39 pm

sanford wrote: ↑
July 28th, 2023, 2:50 pm

dissonance wrote: ↑
July 28th, 2023, 1:41 pm

which is your #1 from him?
Man, that's a tricky one, because so many of them have their own unique strengths. To me, Interstellar (my personal favorite) and Dunkirk are the two unimpeachable masterpieces (and the more I think about Oppenheimer the more I'm starting to think it'll wind up alongside them).

And then The Dark Knight, Inception, and probably Memento I'd put the gentlest rung below (my bullshit phrase is I'd call them "impeachable masterpieces," but just barely).

And below them are the really damn exceptional The Prestige, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight Rises.

I think Insomnia is an underrated little gem, Tenet is a fascinating quasi-miscalculation that still yields rewards if you're patient with it, and then Following is interesting to watch just because it's fun to see how he started.

Very long answer to a simple question, but I've been revisiting a lot of his filmography lately, for obvious reasons, and it's always fun to reappraise a favorite director when they've got a new film coming out.

Anyway, what would be your number one from him?
I'm in a similar boat as you. I would put Dunkirk and The Dark Knight and Interstellar in my top for him. The others are just all equally and variably just below those in terms of resonance to me. And to be honest in the past, Inception probably would have been in the "top shelf" too, but I have rewatched and seen it SOOOOO many times. But..... after Oppenheimer, especially seeing my second viewing, and that it being in 70mm IMAX, i would say it has now taken the #1 spot. So many details and emotional beats that were completely missed in the first viewing. For example one of my favorite and most emotional spots was when his Jewish overweight scientist friend with glasses told him to not wear the Military uniform and to "just be himself, but better", and then you see Oppie putting on his outfit looking out the window into the distance, and equipping his trademark Hat and Pipe, all while the music begins to swell. And then cuts to a awe inspiring 70mm IMAX shot of him taking a confident stroll down the main street of Los Alamos, with a large musical climax and crescendo of heroic horns. Man that was a super heroic moment that I for some reason, didn't feel and notice fully the first viewing.

To be fair, his movies are pretty overwhelming on first watch and always demand a second viewing for me to really start to properly engage with them.

Both times I’ve seen it and it gets to his “Batman suiting up for the first time” bit with the hat and pipe, the group of friends I’m with all giggle because it’s such a joyously cinematic moment.

dissonance

Posts: 52

Joined: July 2017

sanford wrote: ↑
July 28th, 2023, 3:44 pm

dissonance wrote: ↑
July 28th, 2023, 3:39 pm

sanford wrote: ↑
July 28th, 2023, 2:50 pm

Man, that's a tricky one, because so many of them have their own unique strengths. To me, Interstellar (my personal favorite) and Dunkirk are the two unimpeachable masterpieces (and the more I think about Oppenheimer the more I'm starting to think it'll wind up alongside them).

And then The Dark Knight, Inception, and probably Memento I'd put the gentlest rung below (my bullshit phrase is I'd call them "impeachable masterpieces," but just barely).

And below them are the really damn exceptional The Prestige, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight Rises.

I think Insomnia is an underrated little gem, Tenet is a fascinating quasi-miscalculation that still yields rewards if you're patient with it, and then Following is interesting to watch just because it's fun to see how he started.

Very long answer to a simple question, but I've been revisiting a lot of his filmography lately, for obvious reasons, and it's always fun to reappraise a favorite director when they've got a new film coming out.

Anyway, what would be your number one from him?
I'm in a similar boat as you. I would put Dunkirk and The Dark Knight and Interstellar in my top for him. The others are just all equally and variably just below those in terms of resonance to me. And to be honest in the past, Inception probably would have been in the "top shelf" too, but I have rewatched and seen it SOOOOO many times. But..... after Oppenheimer, especially seeing my second viewing, and that it being in 70mm IMAX, i would say it has now taken the #1 spot. So many details and emotional beats that were completely missed in the first viewing. For example one of my favorite and most emotional spots was when his Jewish overweight scientist friend with glasses told him to not wear the Military uniform and to "just be himself, but better", and then you see Oppie putting on his outfit looking out the window into the distance, and equipping his trademark Hat and Pipe, all while the music begins to swell. And then cuts to a awe inspiring 70mm IMAX shot of him taking a confident stroll down the main street of Los Alamos, with a large musical climax and crescendo of heroic horns. Man that was a super heroic moment that I for some reason, didn't feel and notice fully the first viewing.
To be fair, his movies are pretty overwhelming on first watch and always demand a second viewing for me to really start to properly engage with them.

Both times I’ve seen it and it gets to his “Batman suiting up for the first time” bit with the hat and pipe, the group of friends I’m with all giggle because it’s such a joyously cinematic moment.

Yeah I agree second viewing is where it's been at for all movies, especially after Interstellar. And man I cannot IMAGINE what insane mindblowing filmmaking we're gonna be blessed with when he makes his Bond film (or films plural? :O ). Combine his newfound synergy with Gorranson and his new furthering of his cinematic artform and power over immersing the audience, and his experience with portraying a fictional protagonist as well as this mindblowing deep dive into one singular character of Oppenheimer (arguably his deepest character dive of all his films)..... Just imagine what cinematic profundity and insanity we will experience with a Nolan Bond film. I am stoked. Also, can't wait till he covers the horror genre and also ancient historical epic. He has specifically mentioned he wants to do horror in the future at the right time, but not sure if he has mentioned anything about ancient historical epics.

Nicolaslabra

Posts: 1028

Joined: November 2018

ok so i just arrived home after a digital IMAX showing of this, my head is a mess and my ears are ringing still, what can i say honestly other than masterpiece, a movie with inmense balls, but i struggled with it, i followed Tenet with no problem, at all.

but this movie had me completely lost at some parts what with all the courtroom jargon and absolutely relentless pace to the point that i had to trust in my basic knowledge of the events guiding me and in the end it all made sense for me, im surprised how little of the movie was devoted to project manhattan itself, i had imagined Chris would pull more form the logistics of it all, but instead we got a much much more politically focused film, wich took some adjusting for me, this one has some really strong gut punches, the scene in wich Oppenheimer delivers his post test speech was pure horror, and perhaps that explicit hearing scene was a bit too much for me, but i cant say it wasnt effective, all in all is a film i need to digest, but its at least so far the one that i have struggled most to approach and love, even though i have inmense respect for it, still it will take me some time and more viewings to fully "get" and i cant give it a rating now.

right now i have to say that i still think Dunkirk is really his best work, i find it more elegant and nimble, Oppie feels a bit bloated if at all.

Bacon

Posts: 26414

Joined: June 2011

Cilogy wrote: ↑
July 27th, 2023, 10:12 am
Second viewing was pretty magical. Many of the perceived flaws seemed to disappear and I felt even more engaged this time around.

Murphy and RDJ felt even more prominent somehow. Both deserve accolades.

Safdie's performance seemed to stand out too. Nolan always manages to get these unexpectedly good performances from "minor roles" in his films. David Gyasi in Interstellar is a good example.

This time also clarified the need for the hearing/trial sequences. It is effectively the "fallout" of the Trinity Test. You really can't skip any of it, and it's in complete service to the title character.

Nolan gave us a supremely complex portrait of a man who seems to be perptually caught between two worlds; US and Europe, his wife and his lover, science and politics, democracy and communism, truth and fallacy. We see a man who is always trying to follow his passions but also do the right thing. That battle is central to the film and it's one of Nolan's greatest achievements in his career. I can definitely see why this is being considered his best effort yet.

Glad you liked it more the second time.

radewart

Posts: 1519

Joined: January 2013

Finally say this today at the Indy IMAX, which thankfully went off great...no big long review, just add that that it absolutely lives up to the hype. Murphy was outstanding, but the whole cast was tremendous. Not a misfire performance at all. The Trinty Test was one of the most thrilling sequences I've ever watched in the theater. The Dark Knight is still number 1 for me (largely due to my love of Batman), but likely put Oppenheimer number 2, slightly over Inception.

Demoph

Posts: 1230

Joined: January 2019

Reading about the life of Gödel, Feynman or Szilard, there are so many fascinating figures in the film.
I think the performance that makes me cry most is Krumholtz because he incarnates in the film how emotionnally broken and desperate the scientists were. They were mostly Jewish and often had family in Europe they knew they had very little chances to ever see again. Without this despair, it's hard to understand why someone like Szilard both worked on the project and opposed using the bomb.
The lives of all these people, Fermi, Szilard, Gödel,... are all so tragic.