In one of the biggest movie weekends of 2023, film fans had the pleasure of experiencing the long-awaited Oppenheimer, the 12th film from legendary director, Christopher Nolan. While it offers the jaw-dropping spectacle that audiences have come to expect from Nolan, it is also one of his most grounded, human, and thematically layered films to date. My latest video, Oppenheimer Explained, breaks down the key themes, hidden messages, and pivotal symbols of this 3-hour epic.
For decades, fans have appreciated Nolan’s use of non-linear storytelling to subvert expectations, as well as changes in color scheme to differentiate particular points of view. He applies both of these effective tools to give us a peek into the mental illness and societal pressure that J. Robert Oppenheimer suffered as he designed the atomic bomb. And surprisingly, audiences are able to understand–and even empathize with–those who turned their backs on Oppenheimer during some of his darkest moments.
The 3-hour runtime is earned with the complexity and controversial nature of the subject matter. Scientific terminology, religious references, and philosophical questions are beautifully laced into the story to strengthen themes of insatiable vengeance, cyclical self-sabotage, and untamed power. Oppenheimer is ultimately a story about self-destruction: the self destruction of a physicist, of a friendship, and most importantly, of mankind. And what better of a symbol to have it all revolve around, than a ticking time bomb that threatens the fate of us all.
Enjoy the video below to discover so much more.
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