The first trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer was just released. Hollywood and film fanatics alike are already talking about it, even though the film won’t be released until July 7th, 2023.
Nolan’s newest project will tell the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man credited as “The Father of the Atomic Bomb.” This biopic is based on the book American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. Though the subject matter might be quite explosive, Nolan reminds us of the gravity that came with creating such a destructive bomb. The Oppenheimer trailer is embroiled in flames, contained inside heavy metals, and adorned with the dark, foreboding words of Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Nolan has already received a lot of attention from Hollywood about the sheer scope of this project. Though it doesn’t travel through dreams or bridge distant stars, the filmmaker did manage to replicate a nuclear explosion using only practical effects, a method he’s become known for in his pictures. The trailer gives us a sneak peek at just which nuclear detonation Nolan managed to reproduce, and inspires us with the feelings of uncertainty that the physicist must have felt when crafting mankind’s deadliest weapon.
Christopher Nolan and The Historical Biopic
Nolan is often known for making films which focus on the subjective nature of reality, so it may be surprising to some that this director chose a historical biopic. But, Nolan assured the public that the subjectivity of the story was what was most important to him. In telling the tale of somebody’s life, especially in this case, he plans to focus on how the subject moved through history, in a way that is intimate and personal and in a way that affects the big picture. Nolan spoke with Total Film on the film's lens.
"We’re trying to tell the story of somebody’s life, and their journey through personal history and larger-scale history, and so the subjectivity of the story is everything to me. We want to view these events through Oppenheimer’s eyes. And that was the challenge for Cillian that I set him, to take us on this journey; that was the challenge for Hoyte van Hoytema, my designer, my whole team: how do we view this extraordinary story through the eyes of the person who was at the heart of it? All of our decisions on how to make this film were based on that real premise."
The trailer for Oppenheimer showed this by focusing closely on Murphy’s character. As the trailer opens, we see the flames of an explosion, and then a close up on Oppenheimer’s eye as if to say this is what he sees in his mind. All of this is followed by the first words of character’s narration: “We imagine a future… And our imaginings horrify us,” confirming what we’ve just seen. As Murphy speaks these words, we see a little farm on a mesa in New Mexico, likely the McDonald Ranch House where the first atomic bomb was assembled, and the worried face of Oppenheimer looking past the camera.
Next, we see a thin tower standing in an expansive desert, and scientists assembling a spherical object. Over this we hear the ominous words, “They won’t fear it, until they understand it,” as Oppenheimer drops marbles into a glass bowl. Followed by tiny motes of dust in a black space, images of explosions and strings of atomic energy strained as if they couldn’t bear to bind any longer. “And they won’t understand it, until they’ve used it.”
As Oppenheimer and more scientists continue to assemble the bomb, there are more quick images of flashing news cameras, spinning marbles, and atoms floating through darkness. “I don’t know, if we can be trusted, with such a weapon. But we have no choice.” These images are probably meant to represent the nuclear physics experiments Oppenheimer had to perform to make his bomb possible.
Oppenheimer's First Nuclear Bomb
Then we finally get our first look at a military test site in the desert. This thin tower among underground sites and miles and miles of desert is likely the site of the Trinity nuclear test; the first detonation of a nuclear weapon, and the explosion Christopher Nolan used practical effects to recreate. Nolan is known for avoiding CGI in large scenes. The truck flipping in The Dark Knight and the spinning hallway scene in Inception are two of his most notable accomplishments using practical effects.
As the trailer continues, we see shots of nervous soldiers and an unrolling spool of barbed wire, people throwing switches on small machines and more images of explosions. The whole atmosphere of this half of the trailer is overcast with an air of secrecy. Nuclear technology to this day is frightfully hidden, but the Manhattan Project was likely one of the United States’ most clandestine operations to date. We see Oppenheimer with a finger to his lips before more explosions erupt on screen. Finally, a trembling hand lingers over a big red button, and we have our trailer.
Hollywood is certainly excited, as are we, for this bomb to drop. Christopher Nolan has proven himself an amazing auteur and watching him tackle the subject of the world’s deadliest scientist will be nothing less than astounding.