What To Expect From Oppenheimer? Christopher Nolan’s 2nd WW-2 Film Set For Big India Opening
Oppenheimer's India release is awaited by Christopher Nolan fans. Starring Cilian Murphy, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh, the film will be released alongside Barbie on July 21.
New Delhi: ‘Oppenheimer’, starring Cilian Murphy (of Peaky Blinders fame) in the titular role, is filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s second film in the World War 2 movies sub-genre after ‘Dunkirk’. What makes ‘Oppenheimer’ even more interesting, from the material out there, is the stark contrast between ‘Dunkirk’ and this one.
Critics like Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called ‘Dunkirk’ 'maybe the greatest war film ever', or Manohla Dargis of The New York Times 'the best film of 2017’; ‘Dunkirk’ was out and about a critic’s baby.
The film earned Nolan his first Best Director nomination at the 90th Academy Awards (Oscars) where it won Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing.
Despite being a Word War 2 film, ‘Dunkirk’ was majorly silent, complemented by a Hans Zimmer background score as a narrative device.
‘Oppenheimer’, on the other hand, being a biographical film set in a similar time zone (despite a completely different context and space) is expected to have lots of dialogue.
While a comparison between the two films is natural after the film’s release on July 21, let's discuss more of what Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ is likely to be about.
What Is The ‘Oppenheimer’ Story?
'Oppenheimer' is based on the 2004 biography, American Prometheus, by Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin of J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is known as the "father of the atomic bomb".
Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist who had a pivotal role in developing the first nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project. He led the Manhattan Project laboratory and since the late 40s, various art forms like theatre, books, films, TV miniseries and opera began to explore the scientists' legacy, work and the haunted genius himself who regretted his own invention.
In the biography by Bird and Sherwin, the angle of regret changed to more about the man himself, as the biography quotes 'But the real arc in the story is the tragedy'.
Interestingly, Nolan has adapted the biography and written the screenplay for 'Oppenheimer' in the first person — an unusual decision that depicts the event from the POV of his lead character.
In a behind-the-scenes sneak peek video of ‘Oppenheimer’, the director explained the thinking about the decision: "In the case of this film, I wrote the script in the first person. It's the only time I've done that. It made it clear to anyone who read the script that we're on this ride with Oppenheimer."
- I think of any character I've dealt with, Oppenheimer is by far the most ambiguous and paradoxical. Which, given that I've made three Batman films, is saying a lot. — Christopher Nolan, Total Film
Reuniting With Acclaimed Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema For ‘Oppenheimer’
Swiss-born Dutch-Swedish cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema will be reuniting with Nolan, having shot 'Interstellar' in 2014, 'Dunkirk' in 2017 and 'Tenet' in 2020. Hoytema is a master of the large format and IMAX cameras as his previous stint with Nolan has proved.
Not characterised by a particular style, he produced widescreen spectacle using anamorphic lenses in 'Interstellar', but with a balance of the micro and macro levels involving love between a father and daughter and the larger quantum time and space, which love can transcend.
His style largely knows how to mix the intimate and relatable with over-the-head existential stuff that needs grander sequences in space and time to show what they mean.
Key elements of Hoytema's cinematography are innovative lighting, using IMAX cameras (in unheard of places to create memorable scenes long after the movie-watching experience is over) and intimate lenses; all of which only help achieve a greater level of cinematic realism.
Perhaps, we can expect the same from ‘Oppenheimer’ with Hoytema as the cinematographer.
Filming Of ‘Oppenheimer’
Like most Chirstopher Nolan’s big spectacle films, ‘Oppenheimer’ has also been shot with IMAX cameras.
The grand American biographic tale of a thriller has been filmed using both coloured and black-and-white IMAX to alternate between scenes in order to convey both an objective and subjective perspective; perhaps, one from people around Oppenheimer and another from Oppenheimer's perspective.
In fact, it has been reported that for the black and white sections of the movie to be shot in the same quality as the rest of the film, Kodak developed the first ever B&W film stock for IMAX.
'Oppenheimer' has used a combination of IMAX 65 and 65 mm large-format film along with the first film to shoot sections on IMAX black-and-white photographic film. As audiences, we can expect a visually-enticing experience when it is released in various film formats including IMAX 70 mm (30 prints), standard 70 mm (113 prints) and 35 mm (around 80 prints).
Music Of 'Oppenheimer'
As audiences, many of us are acutely aware of the importance of background score in Nolan's films. In his last WW2 film 'Dunkirk', Nolan's frequent collaborator Hans Zimmer composed the score which went on to receive a lot of appreciation. In fact, 'Dunkirk', which was majorly a silent film with minimal dialogue, had music as a prime narrative mover.
In regard to that, 'Oppenheimer', a socio-political cultural text set again in the WW2 era, is also likely to deploy a background score that compliments and tones the dense material of the film.
However, for 'Oppenheimer', Ludwig Göransson has composed the score for the film. Göransson has previously worked with Nolan on 'Tenet'.
'Oppenheimer' In Nolan Style
Interestingly, 'Oppenheimer' as a biographical tale fits into Nolan's filmmaking style which revolves around metaphysical elements like concept of time, memory, personal identity, ambition of another scale, mathematically inspired ideas and non-linear narrative structures.
Audiences can expect another ride into the auteur's work which is largely characterised with epistemological debates and existentialism.
'Oppenheimer' Cast
Christopher Nolan has previously worked with actors whom he reunites with time and again in his films. With Cilian Murphy, Nolan will be reuniting for the 6th time (after ‘Dunkirk’, ‘Inception’, ‘The Dark Knight’, ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, ‘Batman Begins’). Only this time, Murphy will be playing the lead.
Besides Murphy, top billing includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, all of whom reportedly took pay cuts to work in this film. As per a Variety report, all three cast members earned $4 million each as against their usual $10-20 million takehomes.
‘Oppenheimer’ India Connection
Though in passing, Christopher Nolan’s films in the past had an Indian connection.
Remember the beginning of ‘Interstellar’ when a drone from Delhi base that set out 10 years ago finds its way to Matthew McConaughey in the US or filming of the ‘Dark Knight Rises’ scenes in Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh Fort.
Dileep Rao, of Indian-origin, played the role of Yusuf in Leonardo DiCaprio starrer ‘Inception’ and not to forget Dimple Kapadia in ‘Tenet’.
Despite these passing references, during his 2018 India visit, Nolan had shared in multiple press meets about Indian film cultures being one ‘of the greatest in the world’ and Satyajit Ray’s ‘Pather Panchali’ as one ‘of the greatest films ever made’.
Interestingly, in ‘Oppenheimer’, the India connection is very genuine. The American physicist Oppenheimer was influenced by the ‘Bhagvad Gita’.
There are numerous contemporary representations of Oppenheimer reading quotes from the Gita which is said to have influenced the physicist at the time. Even Cilian Murphy read the Hindu scripture while preparing for his role in the film.
‘Oppenheimer’ release in India
As per a report by 123Telugu.com, 'Oppenheimer' is set for a box office collection of Rs. 10-15 crores on the day of its release.
The film is expected to outdo Tom Cruise' 'Mission: Impossible-Dead Reckoning Part One'. The advance bookings of 'Oppenheimer' began 10 days before the film's release and received a tremendous response.
As per a film trade analyst, 'Oppenheimer', sold 90,000 tickets across three multiple-screen chains of PVR, INOX and Cinepolis.
‘Oppenheimer’ and Greta Gerwing’s ‘Barbie’; two distinct films from different genres will be released worldwide on July 21 amid a cut throat marketing campaign.
While Nolan’s loyal fans are all in for ‘Oppenheimer’, Greta’s contemporary and satirical approach in her films also has audiences across the world waiting in anticipation.
In the meanwhile, let us know what you think of ‘Oppenheimer’?
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