The movie Oppenheimer, which we wrote about in this issue, was the hottest movie of 2023, winning seven awards at the 96th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. In particular, the meme “Barbenheimer” was created in collaboration with the movie Barbie, which was released in the same year.

What does ‘Barbenheimer’ really mean?

The meme-filled pop culture phenomenon has deeper reverberations, “more like a celebration of the past than the dawn of a bright new future”, writes Nicholas Barber.

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As the title suggests, “Oppenheimer” is a biographical film about the life of Robert Oppenheimer, the scientist who led the development of the atomic bomb. The film follows his glorious and painful story, especially noteworthy because it always proceeds from Oppenheimer’s first-person point of view.

Known as the “father of the atomic bomb,” Oppenheimer made his mark on history by leading the Manhattan Project and developing the atomic bomb. This film depicts how he was at the forefront of science and contributed to the end of World War II, as well as his postwar struggles with the effects of the atomic bomb and the hardships he faced during the Cold War.

A film that shows off director Christopher Nolan’s attention to detail.

Speaking of Christopher Nolan, the director of this film, the author had a strong image of him as a science fiction director. Mainly since 2010, he has produced several films such as “Inception,” “Interstellar,” and “Tenet,” in which he pursued a complex story structure and unique visual beauty. His work on “Oppenheimer” differs from his previous science fiction lines and has a realism similar to that of 2017’s “Dunkirk.”

Christopher Nolan – katsumascore

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The film Dunkirk was set during World War II and depicted the vividness and human drama of the war, while this film, Oppenheimer, focused not on such World War II battlefields but on human drama. In this film, the story is spun through the perspective of one scientist, Robert Oppenheimer, who was involved in developing the atomic bomb. It is an unusual biographical work for director Nolan. However, his particulars are scattered throughout the film.

That would be the visual expression.

For “Oppenheimer,” we developed the world’s first black-and-white film for 65mm cameras and realized IMAX black-and-white analog filming. This thorough commitment to film photography is an extremely rare technique in today’s digital-dominated world. The beauty of the old-fashioned and profound images made the audience feel the old atmosphere of the era throughout the film and drew them into the 1940s.

Nolan’s obsession with “time” and the precision of the storyline were also present. Although the complex time axis of “Inception” and “Tenet” is not as complex as in “Inception” and “Tenet,” Nolan’s skill shines through in the structure of the film, which allows the viewer to relive Oppenheimer’s struggles and decisions as a scientist from a first-person point of view. There are also aspects of the film that are reminiscent of the gravity and tension felt in the past “Batman: The Dark Knight” series, giving the impression of a new challenge while following his style.

Killian Murphy plays Robert Oppenheimer, the protagonist of Oppenheimer. His best-known roles include playing the Scarecrow in Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” series and the cold-hearted Timekeeper in the film TIME. Of these roles, this one demanded a depth and complexity that was a departure from his previous work.

A society where the difference between rich and poor is expressed in the currency of time – TIME

The setting where time has replaced currency is attractive. People in the slums constantly struggle, managing their lives minute by minute, while the wealthy, in stark contrast, waste time. This resistance to capitalist society is depicted in a manner that highlights the injustice of the situation.

Oppenheimer as a Scientist

Oppenheimer, the main character, is portrayed as a scientist whose intellectual inquiry is intertwined with his human conflicts. In history, he is remembered as the central figure in the “Manhattan Project” that led to the development of the atomic bomb. After the war, however, he was troubled by the ethical problems posed by the existence of that weapon. He took a stand against the development of the hydrogen bomb. His contradictory behavior in developing the atomic bomb and opposing the hydrogen bomb, which was an evolution of the nuclear bomb, made him an ambiguous figure in the work, whether he was a hero who ended the war or a traitor to his nation.

Director Nolan’s ability to express the inside of his head with images

In the film’s middle, Oppenheimer’s thinking as a scientist is vividly expressed through visual images. It was especially true of the structure and motion of atoms and the collisions and splitting of particles, which were visualized using VFX, giving the audience the sensation of glimpsing into Oppenheimer’s mind. This scene is where Director Nolan’s passion and commitment to visual expression are evident. It is not only the VFX but also the flickering of bonfires and images reminiscent of solar flares that simultaneously suggest the beauty of physical phenomena and their dangers.

At the same time, his human anguish and contradictions are delicately depicted. In the film’s second half, the scene of the hearing held in a small room was awe-inspiring. The relentless questioning, attacks on his private life, and even the unrelated issue of adultery being brought up are reminiscent of contemporary politics and power structures. Through these oppressive scenes, the isolation and anguish of the scientist Oppenheimer came through realistically.

Behind the scenes of the grand Manhattan Project

The grandeur of the Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb is one of the most appealing aspects of this work. The project was to build a single city in the vast desert and was carried out under thorough information control.

Manhattan Project | Definition, Scientists, Timeline, Locations, Facts, & Significance | Britannica

Manhattan Project, U.S. government research project (1942–45) that produced the first atomic bombs. The project’s name was derived from its initial location at Columbia University, where much of the early research was done. The first bomb was exploded in a test at Alamogordo air base in southern New Mexico on July 16, 1945.

What emerges through this project is the destructive power of human desire and contradiction. While Oppenheimer, as a scientist, is fascinated by the mysteries of quantum and makes discoveries one after another, his achievements are exploited by the ruthless reality of war. Sublime intellectual pursuits and everyday human desires. What is created when these two intersect may have been the most significant remaining contradiction of our time: nuclear weapons.

A complex character portrayed by a masterful performance.

Killian Murphy embodied such a complex character with an overwhelming performance. His sharp eyes and subtle changes in facial expression perfectly reflected the anguish and conflict of Oppenheimer’s character. I believe that watching this film will make you think deeply about the contradictions of matter and human beings.

The movie “Oppenheimer” is not just a biographical film. Director Nolan’s attention to visual expression and storytelling, which asks questions of the audience, elevates the film to a unique experience.

Achievement and tragedy created by scientists

The human drama leading up to the creation of the atomic bombs and his viewpoint as a scientist are fascinating to watch. On the other hand, it is regrettable that the film does not delve deeper into the effects of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. There is a part in the movie that touches on this, but it is only for a few minutes.

It may be because the author is Japanese.

While the film emphasizes the “sense of accomplishment” as a scientist, the tragedy it caused is horrific. After watching this film, I recommend browsing the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum database.

This site will give you a glimpse of what scientists pursue as their academic pursuits.

Photos – Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Peace Database (Japanese Site)

You can search the collection of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, including photographs of the city after the atomic bombing.