Christopher Nolan's upcoming biopic, Oppenheimer, may prove to be one of the iconic director's most ambitious films yet, as hinted by the film's CGI-free nuclear explosion. Nolan, renowned for blockbusters such as The Dark Night, Inception, and the mind-melting Tenet, is well-known for his creative and innovative cinematography. Oppenheimer, which will follow theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer as he leads the team that would eventually develop the first nuclear weapons -- namely, the atomic bomb.

During World War II, the brilliant Oppenheimer led the Manhattan Project, which culminated in the Trinity Test in July of 1945, when a nuclear bomb was first tested in New Mexico. Nolan recently announced that some of the most intense effects involved in recreating the Manhattan Project would be done without CGI, a feat both ambitious and familiar for a director like Nolan. Despite his previous forays into practical effects, Oppenheimer could represent Nolan's greatest undertaking yet.

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Oppenheimer's Trinity Test Without CGI Would Be Amazing

A nuclear explosion behind the character in Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan announced that Oppenheimer recreates the first nuclear blast without CGI. The blast, known as the Trinity Test, was the first nuclear explosion ever, and it closely preceded the use of two atomic bombs on Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The actual test yielded now-infamous photos of an immense mushroom cloud billowing into the sky. The recreation of this explosion, particularly with the use of practical (non-CGI) effects, will certainly immerse the audience in the film more so than any CGI could.

One of the great benefits of practical effects is its ability to depict a certain raw, truthful realness for viewers; Oppenheimer audiences who feel as though they're actually witnessing a nuclear explosion on-screen will understand why Nolan undertook such a logistically challenging scene. Oppenheimer, which Universal has slated for Summer 2023, may feature the most intense of Nolan's multitude of exacting practical effects.

Why Oppenheimer Has So Much Buzz (Despite Tenet)

Cillian Murphy Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan's previous movie, Tenet, was also an enormously challenging film in terms of practical effects, and it too featured a star-studded cast. Still, Oppenheimer has generated more buzz than perhaps any Nolan film since The Dark Knight Rises. This fanfare can be contributed to a few different factors, including the historical precedent of the film and its star-studded cast.

Nolan doesn't often venture into the biographical or historical realm in his films. Besides Dunkirk, all his films have been purely fictional. Oppenheimer is not only both biographical and historical, but it also tells the beginning of a story that remains highly relevant today. Nuclear proliferation remains a worrying and present threat to the world, and audiences will likely be interested to discover its origins. Oppenheimer will likely be less divisive than Tenet, which suffered due to its often confusing and contrived storyline.

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Oppenheimer, though it tells a thoroughly immersive and intriguing story, also has a clear beginning, middle, and end, and is unlikely to befuddle audiences in the same way for which Tenet was criticized. Ultimately, Oppenheimer will represent a huge test for Nolan, and will answer the post-pandemic question of whether promises of a great story, outstanding special effects, and a highly-decorated cast can still equal a blockbuster film.

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