Universal Pictures just released a second trailer for Christopher Nolan’s latest film, Oppenheimer. As the name suggests, the movie will focus on the life of American theoretical physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer.
J. Robert Oppenheimer is often credited as the “father of the atomic bomb”. He served as the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory during World War II and played a major role in the Manhattan Project, which led to the creation of the world’s first nuclear weapon.
Oppenheimer’s new trailer reveals what we can expect to see in the movie. The movie will follow the events of Oppenheimer’s life during his involvement in the creation of the first atomic bomb as well as the controversy he faced later on as a result of creating this deadly weapon.
The stunning visuals and star-studded cast have already made this movie one of the most-awaited films of 2023.Keep reading to find out more.
1. It’s a National Emergency
The Oppenheimer trailer opens with Cillian Murphy, who plays the titular character, calling the current situation a national emergency. The Americans are in the midst of the Second World War and they’re in a race against the Germans to create the world’s first nuclear weapon.
We then see Oppenheimer having a discussion with Lieutenant General Leslie Groves, played by Matt Damon, where Oppenheimer suggests that they create a laboratory literally in the “middle of nowhere” to keep their research project a secret.
The trailer shows us scenes of the Los Alamos Laboratory being built, along with some settlements for the scientists to stay in with their families, while they’re working on the atomic bomb, otherwise called the Manhattan Project. The plan is for no one to leave until the project is complete.
They way Oppenheimer talks of the Manhattan Project and the extent to which he goes to ensure it’s a success only proves how crucial it is that they get it right. But like Oppenheimer says, the mass destruction that the bomb could cause is “near-zero” and not exactly “zero”.
Clearly, the stakes are very high.
2. The Power to Destroy
The trailer never reveals any complete clips of the nuclear bomb being tested, but a few visuals here and there of explosions are enough to convince us how massive they can be.
I’m sure Christopher Nolan is keeping those epic sequences for when we actually watch the movie on a big screen.
The atomic bomb was eventually used in the attacks of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which till today remains the most disastrous use of nuclear weaponry.
In the new trailer, we can see Oppenheimer contemplating the effect his invention has had on the world and if what he did was really worth it. He gives the people hope that they have the power to destroy their enemies but in reality, that was never his intention.
The latter half of the trailer then shows us stills from the court, where Oppenheimer is on trial for possibly having connections to the Communist Party.
3. More cast members appear in the trailer
Oppenheimer’s official trailer didn’t reveal many roles that were previously announced. But now that the new trailer is out, we can confirm these characters.
Emily Blunt plays Kitty, Oppenheimer’s wife. She can be seen in scenes with Cillian Murphy, including one with her arriving at the laboratory with their child, where she is visibly concerned for her husband’s safety.
Robert Downey Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, a member of the Atomic Energy Commission. In the trailer, the AEC is seen conducting meetings, possibly regarding the Manhattan Project.
Florence Pugh is Jean Tatlock, who used to be involved with Oppenheimer. In the glimpse that we get of her, she appears exhausted, and her eyes are filled with tears.
Benny Safdie and Michael Angarano play two other physicists, Edward Teller and Robert Serber respectively, who were also a part of the Manhattan Project. Josh Hartnett appears as the Nobel Prize winning physicist, Ernest Lawrence.
There is also a short clip of Albert Einstein, portrayed by Tom Conti, who seems to have a significant role in the nuclear project as well.
4. Significance of B&W scenes
The only black and white scenes in the new trailer are the ones after the atomic bomb was created i.e., the ones involving the AEC meeting and Oppenheimer’s trial.
Although black and white are normally used to show flashbacks, it seems like Christopher Nolan has gone in the opposite direction by using the format to portray scenes from the future.
The intention behind the usage of B&W scenes in Oppenheimer could be to show the contrast between the past and future. In the parts of the movie with color, we are seeing Oppenheimer’s point of view while in the B&W parts, we are seeing the public’s opinion of his actions.
Maybe the flashforwards are interspersed among the scenes showing the development of the atomic bomb and hence the colors have been used to differentiate the time periods.
The trailer for Oppenheimer makes the movie look really promising, not that we expect any less from Christopher Nolan. You can watch the biopic in theatres on July 21, 2023.
5. About Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer is a movie written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It’s based on the Pulitzer-winning book ‘American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer’ by the late Martin J. Sherwin and Kai Bird. The movie is produced by Nolan, his wife Emma Thomas and Atlas Entertainment’s Charles Roven.
J. Robert Oppenheimer was a theoretical physicist who is now considered the Father of the Atomic Bomb. He was responsible for the research and development of the first nuclear bombs, later called the Manhattan Project.
The biographical movie by Nolan sees Peaky Blinders’ star Cillian Murphy essaying the lead role of J. Robert Oppenheimer. The movie released in theaters on July 21, 2023.
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