[Spoiler alert]
The scene opened with a reference to Prometheus, a greek mythological figure who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity, and he’s punished for eternity because of that. That single quote is powerful enough to describe the moral altruism of Oppenheimer, who chose to open the pandora’s box to bring advancement and peace. I can’t even imagine the mental burden that he has to carry, to make something unimaginably horrifying in order to reach the utopia we call peace. This movie was so through and through about making you immersed in the perspective of J. Robert Oppenheimer. The crucial decisions that he made, the efforts that he put into the Manhattan Project, the flaws of a human being that he has, the doubts, the thirst of knowledge and wanting for more, it was all projected beautifully in the movie.
I personally won’t ponder this long when I watch a biopic about someone influential, but this one really made me feel like I’m living my life for granted. We, as an Indonesian knows that the 1945 Japan Bombing was a huge historical turning point in achieving our independence. Hell, it ended WW2! Now that I have learned the background, it somehow changed how I felt about the freedom that we have. There’s always someone else who sacrificed for what we have, and I can’t imagine how many people like Oppenheimer out there that we don’t even know existed and sacrificed.
People might think that “ah this movie is a propaganda by the US so that we remember who’s the OG powerful nation” etc. They’re wrong. This movie actually blown up some of the worst nature of the US. The mistreatment of the scientists in the movie was one of the main conflict that impacted Oppenheimer directly after he successfully made the atomic bomb.
Now, let’s talk about Nolan. He’s still as adventurous as ever in making movies (and I bet he’ll always be). Shot entirely in 70mm IMAX camera, having different styles for different perspectives, non-linear plot and timeline, long ass dialogue, practical effects over CGI (he actually blew a bomb), I get it Nolan, you’re a cinema nerd. But that’s what make his movie one of a kind. Getting into the theatre knowing that you’ll be confused for 3 hours and needing a rewatch to grasp the deeper meaning, is the original Nolan experience.
This movie I can say that it’s better than Tenet (his previous work). The plot is more structured (although it’s still confusing because there are barely any timeline indicators except Oppenheimer’s hair), sound design and the score was more engaging and emotional on this one (the build-up and explosion of the Trinity test were brilliant, a freaking jumpscare I can say), and the acting (nuff said, the Oppenhomies ate all the role).
Oppenheimer, is another Nolan masterpiece that brings us another view of his unexplored capabilities. Making exceptional thrillers, comicbook, sci-fi, war, espionage, and now a biopic movie. Although his movie is certainly not for all people (which is a fact that made me not give this movie a full rating), it was a very insightful and thought-provoking movie that will influence audiences. To future me, if you read this because you forgot how good Oppenheimer was, it was so good, and go recommend this movie to anyone asking. But first, tell them it will be a 3 hours long speech and a few minutes of an actual explosion.
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