Any mention of the name Christopher Nolan evokes the image of films with deeply constructed plots dealing with time, unbelievable practical action shots and a bombastic score whose loudness is only matched by its richness. With these trademarks and many more, Nolan has undoubtedly cemented himself as one of the greatest directors of his generation. However, despite his status as a true auteur filmmaker, his upcoming film “Oppenheimer” has the potential to change his legacy.
“Oppenheimer” is Nolan’s first foray into the world of cinematic biopics. The film will cover the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project and is often touted as “the father of the atomic bomb.” The Manhattan Project was a special project sponsored by the U.S. government from 1942 to 1945 that was tasked with creating the first atomic bomb, eventually leading to two atomic bombs being dropped on Japan in 1945.
The hype for “Oppenheimer” has steadily built in recent months as casting announcements and set photos have emerged. Frequent Nolan collaborator Cillian Murphy will star as the titular Oppenheimer, but the cast also includes Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt and Kenneth Branagh. Currently, the film is set to release July 21, 2023.
There is no argument that Nolan is a truly special director given hits like “The Dark Knight,” but his status as a screenwriter is on shakier ground. “Oppenheimer” gives him a chance to redeem some of the flaws of his previous films. But let’s first take a look at the history of Nolan’s career to understand why “Oppenheimer” is so crucial to Nolan.
Nolan’s debut as a feature-length screenwriter and director was the 1998 film “Following,” a crime thriller that he made on a shoestring budget. The film was met with surprisingly positive reviews for such a low-budget film, as critics saw the potential of Nolan as a filmmaker (5). However, an important pattern was established with “Following” — Nolan’s character problem. The main criticisms levied against the film center on the characters, as they did not fit with Nolan’s rich plotlines.
While “Following” was written solely by Nolan, he has collaborated with his brother, Jonathan Nolan, to write many of his other films. Together, they co-wrote “Memento” (2000), “Batman Begins” (2005), “The Prestige” (2006), “The Dark Knight” (2008), “The Dark Knight Rises” (2012) and “Interstellar” (2014). This leaves “Inception” (2010), “Dunkirk” (2017) and “Tenet” (2020) as the Nolan-directed films he wrote by himself.
These three films exhibit similar problems to “Following” as they struggle with creating emotionally resonating characters. “Inception” was a massive success critically and financially on its release, but was criticized for focusing too heavily on plot instead of characters. David Denby of The New Yorker wrote that “‘Inception’ is a stunning-looking film that gets lost in fabulous intricacies, a movie devoted to its own workings and to little else.”
Similar comments have been made about “Dunkirk” and “Tenet,” as both films are visual masterpieces that often forget about making their characters compelling. Editor Matt Zoller Seitz for rogerebert.com noted that one of the “stumbling blocks” of “Dunkirk” is the lack of development for any of the characters. Likewise, “Tenet” was praised for its visuals, but The New York Times critic Jessica Kiang described the film as lacking in the heart department. Still, Nolan’s other films have not all had the same problems. “The Dark Knight” is a great example of this, as the character of the Joker was powerful enough for Heath Ledger to win an Academy Award.
Nolan may have his flaws as a screenwriter, but what does this have to do with “Oppenheimer” itself? “Oppenheimer” marks the third-straight film Nolan has directed that he is also the sole screenwriter for. After his failure to create resonant characters in his last two films, “Oppenheimer” is the perfect opportunity for Nolan to redeem his mistakes. As the film is a biographical drama, the characters will have to be strong in order for the film to succeed, because the story is based on the life of Oppenheimer.
If Nolan opts to once again focus on visuals and plotlines over character, like he did in “Dunkirk” and “Tenet,” then “Oppenheimer” will be a disappointing film. However, I am confident that Nolan will deliver another great film that will go up on the pantheon of great films, and that “Oppenheimer” will be the film that will finally demonstrate his otherworldly skills as both a director and writer.
Elijah Engler is a freshman majoring in chemistry.