Written for the screen and directed by Christopher Nolan, OPPENHEIMER, thrusts audiences into the mind of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), whose landmark work as the director of the Manhattan Project’s Los Alamos Laboratory created the first atomic bomb. An unprecedented cinematic event, OPPENHEIMER features an all-star cast that includes Emily Blunt, Oscar® winner, Matt Damon, Oscar® nominee, Robert Downey Jr., Oscar® nominee, Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, and Oscar® winners Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, and Kenneth Branagh. – Synopsis from Universal Studios.
From the writing to the well-selected cast to the way it was filmed, there’s no doubt this is from Nolan. It is broken down into two separate hearings that are important to many of the key players in the story. As the hearings press on with questions, the answers turn into memories of “the main story”. It is a solid way to do character-building so that the audience doesn’t get lost in a sea of incredible actors. There is no shortage of talent here. Maybe it’s Nolan, maybe it’s the subject matter but the cast gives their all. In my opinion, Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt deserve Academy Awards for their performances. As I said, they were perfectly cast for these volatile characters. I would like to mention that two other standouts in smaller roles are Josh Hartnett and David Krumholtz. The pair play the scientists who are the morality counterbalances that Oppenheimer needed in his life. The test of the bomb is an incredible feat of cinematography, effects, and sound but more about the that in the technical sections.
Cast
Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer
Emily Blunt as Katherine “Kitty” Oppenheimer, his wife.
Matt Damon as Gen. Leslie Groves
Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss
Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock
Josh Hartnett as Ernest Lawrence
Casey Affleck as Boris Pash
Rami Malek as David L. Hill
Kenneth Branagh as Niels Bohr
Benny Safdie as Edward Teller
Jason Clarke as Roger Robb
Dylan Arnold as Frank Oppenheimer, Robert’s younger brother.
Tom Conti as Albert Einstein
James D’Arcy as Patrick Blackett
David Dastmalchian as William L. Borden
Dane DeHaan as Maj Gen. Kenneth Nichols
Alden Ehrenreich as a Senate aide to Lewis Strauss
Tony Goldwyn as Gordon Gray
Jefferson Hall as Haakon Chevalier
David Krumholtz as Isidor Isaac Rabi
Matthew Modine as Vannevar Bush
VIDEO RESOLUTION
4k UHD
The video is a 2160p HEVC presentation that has superb images. It was captured in IMAX 65mm and 35mm. Like previous Nolan releases, the IMAX footage is integrated into the film seamlessly. There isn’t a dizzying mess between shots and it feels planned better than when others have tried to duplicate it. The details are crisp and prominent in things such as skin texture as well as fabric. Summer wool in suits and things like Oppenheimer’s “signature” hat has some slight weathering for that lived-in look. The coloring has subtle tones with a solid HDR grading. There are points of color that pop more than others such as Kitty’s lipstick in her testimony. Skin tones are natural and warm. The black and white segments of the film have nice grey tones and shadows. The contrast creates distinction in the images that show off the benefits of the 4k home release format. During the bomb test, there is a mix of lighting changes. There is a blinding white light and when it regulates, the oranges and reds in the practical effect are brilliant.
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray is a 1080p AVC presentation that is a well-authored release. The images are clean and the film looks great. It has many of the same positives as the 4k disc but this is at a lower resolution. The colors are never overly saturated but still bold in the necessary places. Fabrics and skin imperfections are strong. The details in general are sharp with a light grain in the images.
AUDIO MIX
The audio is a lossless dts-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix and it is the same mix on the 4k disc as well as the Blu-ray. With a good percentage of the audio being dialogue, it is clear and easy to understand. A main thing that Nolan’s films are known for is sound design. Luckily, there weren’t any issues like with TENET where certain parts of the dialogue or lost in the track. I believe Nolan took that criticism to heart.
Along with the other layers in the mix, Ludwig Göransson’s score is extraordinarily great. It can build tension along with what is happening on screen. The LFEs are jarring in certain parts with the strongest moments being the “stomping feet” and the bomb test. Both the subwoofer and front channels boom with bass in these scenes.
RELEASE DETAILS
-The Story of Our Time: The Making of OPPENHEIMER: Clocking a little over 1:12 mins, this explores the depth of the making of. Well worth checking out.
01. Now I am Become Death
02. The Luminaries
03. The Manhattan Project
04. The Devil of The Details
05. Walking A Mile
06. Can You Hear The Music
07. We Can Perform This Miracle
-Trailers
Teaser
Trailer 2
IMAX Exclusive Trailer
Trailer 3
Opening Look
-Innovations In Film: 65mm Black and White Film in OPPENHEIMER: 8 mins of knowledge
-Meet The Press Q&A Panel: OPPENHEIMER: 34-minute panel with Nolan, the author Kip Thorn, current Director Los Altos Tom Mason, Carlo Rivelli
-To End All War OPPENHEIMER & The Atomic Bomb: Almost 1:30, this is a documentary about Oppenheimer (the person)
This extra includes an audio selection
English 2.0 Dolby Audio
Español 2.0 Dolby Audio
DVS (Descriptive Video Service)
Disc Details
3 Disc Set w/1 4k UHD and 2 Blu-rays
Slipcover is included with initial release
Running Time
180 mins
Edition Ratings
Rated R
Region Coding
Region Free
4k UHD
Video Resolution
2160p HEVC
HDR: HDR10
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1/ 2.20:1
Audio Mixes
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French DTS 5.1
Spanish DTS 5.1
Subtitles
English SDH
French
Spanish
Blu-ray
Video Resolution
1080p AVC MPEG-4
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1/ 2.20:1
Audio Mixes
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French DTS 5.1
Spanish DTS 5.1
Subtitles
English SDH
French
Spanish
THE WRAP UP
OPPENHEIMER shows that Christopher Nolan takes techniques and skills that he picked up from other productions to apply to his next film. Dabbling with IMAX in THE DARK KNIGHT to now, you can see he has learned and created new ways to make the large format more accessible to creators in cinema. The way this film was captured and edited shows the passion for cinema and respect for the subject matter. The video looks superb on both the 4k UHD and the Blu-ray. The special features are worth watching to understand the passion of everyone involved.
One disappointment is that the audio is not an object-based format. I know it is a Nolan thing rather than a studio decision due to his track record with the 5.1 mix. I will say that this mix doesn’t have the issues with TENET. The layers of sound work together rather than fighting each other.
If you haven’t figured it out, I highly recommend picking this up in your preferred format right away.
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