Quick Take | Oppenheimer Review: Christopher Nolan delves into enormous burden of genius in stunning visuals

The emotional explosion of Oppenheimer (a magnificent Cillian Murphy) after he fully realises that he has helped to unleash an uncontrollable monster upon the world is the main subject of this film.

Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer.

A common complaint of the critics of Hollywood director Christopher Nolan is his films are "cold and heartless." While his films push the boundaries of technology, storytelling and larger-than-life cinematic experience in all conceivable aspects, he's considered, by some, incapable of dealing with matters of the heart. And his latest film, Oppenheimer, will invalidate the critics who think his gigantic IMAX cameras fail to capture the depths of human emotions.

It doesn't mean that Nolan has indulged in sentimentality in Oppenheimer. But, moment by moment, he builds a portrait of a man who is so devasted by his ground-breaking invention that gave the world the power to destroy itself. The human experience in the movie encompasses a range of emotions and feelings that beautifully complements the movie's visual depth that offers a surreal experience to the audience.

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Oppenheimer is based on American Prometheus, which is a biopic on J. Robert Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist, who is celebrated as "the father of the atomic bomb." The film's reputation for using practical effects to recreate the first detonation of a nuclear weapon, code-named Trinity, instead of CGI, precedes Oppenheimer. And along with Nolan's track record for creating ecstasy-inducing visuals, you might think this film is all about that historical explosion scene. But, this movie is more than that.

The emotional explosion of Oppenheimer (a magnificent Cillian Murphy) after he fully realises that he has helped to unleash an uncontrollable monster upon the world is the main subject of this film.

The film opens with Oppenheimer lost in his thoughts, staring blankly into space. It's as if he knows the incredible power that he possesses — his mind — which could open up the world to different possibilities. But, somewhere, deep down in his heart, he knows that once he opens some doors, he cannot control the forces that emerge out of them. These forces could advance the human species, or fall into the hands of men driven by insatiable urge for power and greed, and wipe out all lives on this planet. What should he do? Should he keep his genius hidden away from the world, so it never gets exploited by political masters? Or he should do his duty without worrying about the outcome?

No wonder Oppenheimer found solace in Bhagavad Gita, which says, "One must do one's duties, but one has no control over the fruits." These words of wisdom must have been so comforting for a man, who was stricken with guilt for playing a vital role in the bombing of two cities: Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Nolan expertly captures the moral conundrum of all scientists, including Oppenheimer, who worked on the Manhattan Project. He dramatises Oppenheimer's mental landscape, which is as devasted as the cities that suffered the enormity of his inventions. At one point in the narration, Nolan drops subtlety and includes a shot of Cillian Murphy sitting naked in front of a committee that has been tasked to determine the quality of Oppenheimer's loyalty to his nation. The fleeting moment capatures the systematic undressing and humiliation of a man, who played a vital role in establishing the United States as a superpower on the global stage and greatly influenced the geopolitical landscape.

Nolan infuses the movie with great visual style giving it a dream-like quality, enriching our viewing experience. While the actual war comes later, the battle never stopped ragging in Oppenheimer's mind as he continues to wrestle with unknown and abstract forces. And Nolan does a swell job of visualising his subject's chaotic mind, blending physics and art. And the result is a visual spectacle.

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