Seeing politics everywhere, in the long run, gets tiring
Oppenheimer is a historical thriller directed by Christopher Nolan. It recounts the political events surrounding the scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, which were weaponized against him during his infamous security clearance hearing.
The plot depicts the scientist as a figure caught between a rock and a hard place: on one hand, he would like to support the left-wing and communist ideas he holds dear (which will eventually put a spoke in his wheels during the hearing); on the other, the military stifles his ideologies while leveraging his ultimate ambition: to create a device capable of destroying the world (spoiler: the atomic bomb) and testing it in the field.
Oppenheimer is ultimately left devastated by what he has done, leading to a profound internal reckoning and a shift in his political stance. Fortunately, Albert Einstein steps in (yes, the relativity guy). Acting almost like a wise, old-guard senator, he tries to bring Oppenheimer back to his senses (perhaps even over some "salmon salad").
The film is gripping and features brilliant, fast-paced dialogue that earns my full respect. Furthermore, the acting is excellent, the cinematography is top-notch, and the score is interesting, even if it’s a bit challenging to listen to at times.
Christopher Nolan went all-in on the political aspect, injecting his signature directing and editing style: multiple narrative arcs and timeline jumps unfolding simultaneously.
Watching this film, however, was an arduous task: the overbearing presence of politics made it a heavy and difficult viewing experience. This heaviness is exacerbated by the fact that, however good the writing is, the entire movie turns into an endless, verbose conversational volley lasting three full hours.
Precisely because of this runtime, the pacing occasionally feels like it's falling apart. Some scenes come across as completely static, yet they maintain a constant tension that stretches you tighter and tighter until it wears you out.
Paradoxically, a massive amount of people loved this movie. I found it highly intellectual, but it just failed to entertain me. I have come across much more interesting political media where actual politicians are portrayed in a far better way (not to mention that Oppenheimer, at the end of the day, was a nuclear physicist, not a politician!).