‘Oppenheimer’, Christopher Nolan's atomic bomb drama, is nominated for 13 categories in the 96th Oscars 2024. With victories at the Critics’ Choice, Golden Globe, and Bafta awards, Christopher Nolan's three-hour biography gained significant momentum. With his menacing thousand-yard stare as J Robert Oppenheimer, the brains behind the nuclear weapon, Cillian Murphy won the Best Actor, while Nolan became the favourite to win Best Director. While we watched out who won what in the event, here's our reason as to why ‘Oppenheimer’ bagged the Best Picture Award at the Academy Awards this year.
Since he was a little boy, Nolan has been captivated with Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb, and he has devoted years of study and development to making the movie. He has expressed that Oppenheimer is his most ambitious and personal film to date, having put his everything into it.
The film Oppenheimer is technically sound.
It is a marvel of technology. The movie displays Christopher Nolan's trademark approach of fusing real-world effects with little computer-generated imagery to give viewers a realistic and engaging experience. The film's outstanding editing, sound design, production design, and cinematography all add to its overall impact, both visually and aurally. The movie also makes use of 70mm film and IMAX cameras, which improve the picture's clarity and scope.
It has a cast that is incredible. The cast of the movie is excellent, with Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer at the forefront. As the intelligent but troubled scientist, divided as he is between his scientific curiosity and his moral conscience, Murphy gives a compelling and complex portrayal. In supporting parts, the movie also stars Kenneth Branagh, Elizabeth Debicki, Michael Caine, Tom Hardy, and Robert Pattinson, all of whom provide excellent performances.
Oppenheimer features Ludwig Goransson's compositions
Oppenheimer's score is outstanding. Ludwig Göransson, who received an Oscar for his work on Black Panther, wrote the soundtrack for the movie. The film's narrative is accompanied by a melancholic and impactful soundtrack that blends electronic, vocal, and orchestral components. The sound of a Geiger counter is also included in the music, which heightens the suspense and terror that permeate the whole movie.
It's a topical and relevant movie. Despite taking place in the 1940s, the movie has relevance today since it addresses issues like power, humanity, science, and conflict. The movie considers the possible risks associated with nuclear weapons and technology, as well as the moral obligation of scientists and politicians. The movie also issues a warning on the potential consequences of human activity-caused environmental degradation and climate change.
It is indeed favourite for the Oscars. More than any other movie this year, the movie has garnered 13 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing, to mention a few. With the most momentum and backing from the industry and the Academy, the movie is regarded as the front-runner for the Best Picture Oscar. The movie also appeals to the Academy's taste for big, bold, and technically stunning films that have previously taken home the Best Picture Oscar, such as, “The Hurt Locker”, The King's Speech, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
