I'm going to see every Nolan movie the first chance I get, no questions asked. Not only is he the best current director but he's one of the best of all time. He's rivaling Spielberg at this point with his consistency and originality. I've loved all of his movies except Dunkirk. His movies are either action or thriller or both so I was wondering what this one was going to be like. I thought this may be his "serious drama," like his Schindler's List or something, but I had no idea.
Nolan is as Nolan as ever and only expands on his style. This movie is made like an action movie. It's fast, with quick cuts and pounding music. I read that with Dunkirk he wanted to maintain the same tension throughout the entire movie, I think he failed but he succeeds here. And at three hours, it's all the more impressive.
The movie is jumping back and forth from many different timelines so there is never a dull moment. Nolan has done this before but never for the whole movie. The story isn't linear, and you are shown what's important for the subject at hand. Thinking about it now, I guess it does basically go in order, but there are a lot of sidetracks along the way. I wasn't sure exactly where we were in the chronology all the time, but it didn't matter because I understood what was happening.
Nolan has an amazing ability to know what the audience is going to pick up on. He doesn't over explain and he doesn't under explain. Tenet put this to the test. With so much information that the human mind can't take it in in one viewing. Sorry Nolan we're just not on your level. This movie gives you a lot of info really quickly and never lets up for a second and it all makes sense. I never felt lost.
The black and white was a very simple and effective way to let you know that you are in a different POV. I figured it out like half way though. Maybe a little too long but the movie doesn't give you any time to think.
Of course the acting is great. And a great cast as well. A lot of familiar faces with a lot of unfamiliar. And a lot of people cast in roles you wouldn't think of them for. And a lot of people that I really like but don't even know their names. Robert Downey Jr was really good. It was good to see him in something substantial. His usual Iron Man thing he does really well, but I've soured on it. Cillian Murphy was great and it was good to see him front and center. Alden Ehrenreich is someone that I think should be better known. I've seen him in very little but this guy's got it.
One of the coolest things was the delayed sound of the explosions. Realistic and scarier actually. When the nuke goes off and they're watching the fire, it's obviously a big moment, the only time the movie kind of stops, there wasn't an explosion sound. I kept waiting and waiting and it didn't come. It made me think, "Oh, I guess they're not going to do it for dramatic effect." Then a voice over of Oppenheimer saying, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds," and then the explosion sound comes in was very cool.
The opening quote, "Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. For this he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity." Was very good and set up the direction of the movie. Usually quotes happen and you don't know what the hell their relevance is.
The part that really sticks out is the end. The close up of Oppenheimer as Einstein is talking to him is very cool. And he says something like, they'll forgive you but it won't be for you, it'll be for them was kinda scary and an ah-ha moment. This scene is built up very well because it's in the movie a few times and you don't know what was said and you want to know, so when you finally get to hear it, it's not what you thought and it's very true. And it's true to what happened to Oppenheimer.
This was a very important story about a very important man. I'm 37 years old and I didn't know much about him. People I talk to don't either. So I'm assuming that most people are in the same boat. I knew he made the A bomb and that he might have regretted it. The complexity of his character and his thoughts about making the bomb feel very realistic.
For generations like mine and a few others who grew up in a nuclear world, I found it interesting to see how much this changed the world and the fear of the intellectuals of what this would create. And the nativity of the politicians and military is scary. I don't know if the scene with Truman is accurate but if it is, it's scary. But then of course their thinking to end the war makes sense. And it did work, it did end the war.
Who knows what Oppenheimer could have accomplished if Lewis Strauss didn't screw him over because of a personal vendetta? He could have advocated for responsible use of weapons of mass destruction or who knows? A man of this intelligence wasn't allowed to rise to his full potential and cash in on his accomplishments because of a petty individual.
It was strange to see a three hour, drama as a summer blockbuster. That alone was a blast from the past. I can't wait to see it again.
Nolan is as Nolan as ever and only expands on his style. This movie is made like an action movie. It's fast, with quick cuts and pounding music. I read that with Dunkirk he wanted to maintain the same tension throughout the entire movie, I think he failed but he succeeds here. And at three hours, it's all the more impressive.
The movie is jumping back and forth from many different timelines so there is never a dull moment. Nolan has done this before but never for the whole movie. The story isn't linear, and you are shown what's important for the subject at hand. Thinking about it now, I guess it does basically go in order, but there are a lot of sidetracks along the way. I wasn't sure exactly where we were in the chronology all the time, but it didn't matter because I understood what was happening.
Nolan has an amazing ability to know what the audience is going to pick up on. He doesn't over explain and he doesn't under explain. Tenet put this to the test. With so much information that the human mind can't take it in in one viewing. Sorry Nolan we're just not on your level. This movie gives you a lot of info really quickly and never lets up for a second and it all makes sense. I never felt lost.
The black and white was a very simple and effective way to let you know that you are in a different POV. I figured it out like half way though. Maybe a little too long but the movie doesn't give you any time to think.
Of course the acting is great. And a great cast as well. A lot of familiar faces with a lot of unfamiliar. And a lot of people cast in roles you wouldn't think of them for. And a lot of people that I really like but don't even know their names. Robert Downey Jr was really good. It was good to see him in something substantial. His usual Iron Man thing he does really well, but I've soured on it. Cillian Murphy was great and it was good to see him front and center. Alden Ehrenreich is someone that I think should be better known. I've seen him in very little but this guy's got it.
One of the coolest things was the delayed sound of the explosions. Realistic and scarier actually. When the nuke goes off and they're watching the fire, it's obviously a big moment, the only time the movie kind of stops, there wasn't an explosion sound. I kept waiting and waiting and it didn't come. It made me think, "Oh, I guess they're not going to do it for dramatic effect." Then a voice over of Oppenheimer saying, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds," and then the explosion sound comes in was very cool.
The opening quote, "Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. For this he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity." Was very good and set up the direction of the movie. Usually quotes happen and you don't know what the hell their relevance is.
The part that really sticks out is the end. The close up of Oppenheimer as Einstein is talking to him is very cool. And he says something like, they'll forgive you but it won't be for you, it'll be for them was kinda scary and an ah-ha moment. This scene is built up very well because it's in the movie a few times and you don't know what was said and you want to know, so when you finally get to hear it, it's not what you thought and it's very true. And it's true to what happened to Oppenheimer.
This was a very important story about a very important man. I'm 37 years old and I didn't know much about him. People I talk to don't either. So I'm assuming that most people are in the same boat. I knew he made the A bomb and that he might have regretted it. The complexity of his character and his thoughts about making the bomb feel very realistic.
For generations like mine and a few others who grew up in a nuclear world, I found it interesting to see how much this changed the world and the fear of the intellectuals of what this would create. And the nativity of the politicians and military is scary. I don't know if the scene with Truman is accurate but if it is, it's scary. But then of course their thinking to end the war makes sense. And it did work, it did end the war.
Who knows what Oppenheimer could have accomplished if Lewis Strauss didn't screw him over because of a personal vendetta? He could have advocated for responsible use of weapons of mass destruction or who knows? A man of this intelligence wasn't allowed to rise to his full potential and cash in on his accomplishments because of a petty individual.
It was strange to see a three hour, drama as a summer blockbuster. That alone was a blast from the past. I can't wait to see it again.