Contrary to the memes that have taken over social media, individuals flocking to see Oppenheimer will not (all) be dressed in black. Christopher Nolan’s latest magnum opus about the father of the atomic bomb was released in theaters a few days back, and tickets, particularly for IMAX screens, are already sold out for the weekend.
The buzz around Oppenheimer is unsurprising; after all, it’s a Christopher Nolan film with a cast that rivals The Avengers. So, almost. However, with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, starring Ryan Reynolds and Margot Robbie, providing formidable competition, Oppenheimer faces a more difficult decision than normal to command the silver screen.
But statistics are statistics, and according to Forbes, Oppenheimer has sold around 360,000 tickets in advance, compared to Barbie’s 91,000. If you’re one of the 360,000, here’s what you need to know before watching Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’
Ten things you should know before watching Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer
1. Understand the fundamentals
Spoilers are disliked by everyone. However, feeling like a history major in an advanced AIEE masterclass is a tremendous buzzkill. You don’t need a crash course in theoretical physics (despite what Instagram tells you), but it’s a good idea to at least skim through the path of J. Robert Oppenheimer; both hero and villain in his own story.
Oppenheimer was a theoretical physicist who was assigned to a top-secret government project that entailed the development of the world’s first nuclear weapons. His services as project leader resulted in the accomplishment of the Trinity Test in the New Mexico deserts – a feat that is extensively discussed in the film starring Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer. But the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 marked a turning point in Oppenheimer’s life, the beginning of a life of sorrow.
2. Nolan’s first R-rated film in 20 years
Seeing Oppenheimer in theaters on Sunday may seem like a terrific idea for a family outing, but don’t bring your kids. The film has been rated R for “some sexuality, nudity, and language” and stars Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Florence Pugh. It’s also Nolan’s first R-rated film in 20 years (since Insomnia in 2022). Insiders reported that Nolan was “appropriately nervous” about filming his “first-ever” sex scene (with Murphy and Florence Pugh).
3. Filmed in black and white on IMAX film stock
Nolan has purposefully pushed the boundaries of shooting a picture with IMAX cameras with Oppenheimer. The picture was shot on a variety of IMAX cameras with 65mm large-format black-and-white film material, ensuring that it is an IMAX masterpiece.
4. Christopher Nolan selects the best seat
Do you know which seat to choose for the best viewing experience? Nolan is here to assist you. According to a video shared by NowThis, he said: “I like to be in the middle, about a third of the way down from the top. That way you are just above the center line height-wise. The viewpoint is great and the sound, the low end in particular, the bassy sort of notes, it kind of rolls towards the back”.
5. Keep an eye out for Einstein
A video about the world’s (perhaps) greatest famous theoretical physicist would be incomplete without mentioning the Father of Modern Physics. Keep an eye out for Albert Einstein (played by Tom Conti), who appears in the film in portions as a sort of mentor and confidant to Oppenheimer in real life.
6. The well-known Bhagavad Gita quote
Did you know that following the first successful detonation of the world’s first nuclear weapon, Oppenheimer quoted the Bhagavad Gita? J. Robert Oppenheimer had a single verse running through his mind: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” (In Sanskrit, it reads: Kaalo asmi loka kshaya kritpraviddho)
7. Listen to the original soundtrack
Nolan has worked with some of the world’s most renowned composers, but Hans Zimmer remains his personal favorite. Nolan and Zimmer’s renowned cooperation dates back to Batman Begins (2005), after which the duo cooperated on seven additional films. Zimmer’s compositions add a lot of weight to Nolan’s films, so don’t miss out on what will undoubtedly be one of the best OSTs of the year.
8. Adaptation of a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel
Nolan may use his lens to create magic, but his representation of Oppenheimer’s story is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus, which was written over a 25-year period by authors Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.
9. There is no computer-generated imagery in the film
A film about the man who invented the world’s first atomic bomb, which will undoubtedly depict the atomic bomb’s detonation, has utilized no CGI for effect. In fact, the internet began speculating whether the director dropped a real atomic bomb for the Trinity Test part. To clear the air on this ludicrous assumption, Nolan told The Hollywood Reporter, “It’s flattering that people would think I would be capable of something as extreme as that on the one hand, but it’s also a little bit scary.”
10. Christopher Nolan’s longest film
Oppenheimer is Nolan’s first step into the field of biopics, and it is also his longest picture, clocking in at 3 hours and 49 minutes, eclipsing Interstellar’s 2 hours and 49 minutes — which went on to illustrate that time isn’t linear… So, who’s actually counting?
