Christopher Nolan fans would have been excited about his newest project, Oppenheimer, no matter what, but the ominous teaser trailer and unique way of announcing it have left them all the more intrigued. With a live stream now counting down the months and days until the film's July 2023 release, fans have already been airing their thoughts about the movie based on the short teaser.
From delight at how good the casting is to worries about Nolan's reputation for incoherent dialogue, Redditors have a lot to say about Oppenheimer and its innovative marketing campaign.
How Much Of Oppenheimer Will Be In Black And White?
One of the most interesting aspects of the teaser is that its scenes featuring Oppenheimer are all presented in black and white, perhaps reflecting the World War II era in which the biopic is set as well as signaling a return to the use of monochrome colors for Nolan, who also utilized the technique in his 1998 debut movie Following.
One Redditor was curious about whether the entire movie would be presented this way or whether "the whole movie will be in black and white except the explosions." With red fire also an effect that's predominant in the trailer, it could be that Nolan plans to break the black and white convention in order to give those significant moments all the more impact.
Cillian Murphy Has Uncanny Eyes
Thanks to Cillian Murphy's incredible performances in movies like 28 Days Later and A Quiet Place Part II, the Irish actor has deservedly become known as one of the best working today. That's why many were excited to see him reunite with Christopher Nolan, whom he'd worked with before in Dunkirk, Inception, and his Batman movies.
Redditor stnrawabuntu pointed out another reason why Murphy was an excellent casting decision, picking out a moment from the trailer where the "flash lighting Cillian’s eyes at the end was so creepy". The actor looks genuinely haunted as camera flashes illuminate his face and it suggests that his facial acting is something Nolan thought about when casting one of his best collaborators.
Will Oppenheimer Feature Christopher Nolan's Controversial Sound Mixing?
Christopher Nolan is widely considered one of the best directors of the 2000s, but one issue with his recent movies that has been raised by fans and critics alike is that the sound mixing in his movies often makes dialogue all but incomprehensible. In heady thrillers like Tenet, it was an annoyance but, in a likely dialogue-heavy drama like Oppenheimer, fans worry it could be even more of a problem.
Redditor slowmagic24 voiced an opinion felt by many in saying they hope that "the dialogue can be understood in this one". The trailer has moments where lines are very clear but also some moments where loud sound effects render the words inaudible, meaning fans are split between worry and cautious optimism on this matter.
Can Christopher Nolan Live Up To Another Trinity Scene?
Countless movies and TV shows have featured atomic explosions before, including the Trinity nuclear test in which Oppenheimer was involved. Nolan will no doubt want to get across the true impact of such a horrific and monumental event. Some fans feel there's one scene that Nolan has no chance of matching, however, which is the Trinity blast portrayed in the Twin Peaks episode "The Return: Part 8".
Redditor StomachIcy7116 suggests that even with the blockbuster budget and star power Nolan has at his disposal, he's "still not gonna get anywhere close to" the Twin Peaks scene, which came from the mind of Avant Garde director David Lynch. Lynch's scene is a masterclass in making the audience uncomfortable and horrified so some fans think Nolan would be smart to take notes.
Oppenheimer Seems To Continue Nolan's Fascination With Time
Christopher Nolan is an incredibly versatile director, managing to be as comfortable with superhero movies as thought-provoking dramas. Despite that, there are some themes that the director seems to come back to again and again and one of the biggest is time, which features at the heart of the multi-timelined Memento and the time-bending sci-fi epic Interstellar.
Redditor Mossintheback was one of the fans to note that it's also a theme at the center of Oppenheimer's unique marketing. In response to the countdown that's prominent in the teaser, they comment "Man, Nolan is obsessed with the concept of time". Along with the movie being slated for a mid-July release, around the anniversary of the Trinity nuclear test, it's clear it's something that Nolan has put thought into.
Christopher Nolan Is Living The Dream
Not everyone can get into Christopher Nolan films but there's no doubt he's one of the most successful directors of the 21st century and that's why he's rewarded with the chance to make movies like Oppenheimer, which might be difficult to sell to producers normally even in the age of big-budget biopics like Elvis.
That's why Redditors like ThrowawayLazaretto just wanted to take a moment to celebrate that fact, saying that it's "a filmmaker's dream to reach a balance between big budget and classic auteur filmmaking." If Nolan can get the balance right in Oppenheimer, he might just make a classic in the process.
How Historically Accurate Will Oppenheimer Be?
Oppenheimer had a way with words and his "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds" quote is one of the most powerful in history. Unfortunately, it's also led to some misconceptions and fictionalized versions of the events that aren't quite true, which is something that Redditors hope the movie avoids.
User getBusyChild wonders how they'll portray the bunker scene during the Trinity test and whether Cillian Murphy will "say what Oppenheimer actually said" which was reportedly a mundane comment about the effectiveness of the test and not the quote from the Bhagavad Gita which later became famous. It may be a moment where Nolan has to choose accuracy over impact.
Oppenheimer Will Be Perfect For IMAX
Nolan has been on the cutting edge when it comes to creating cinematic spectacles of the highest quality throughout his career. Because of his reputation for putting on the show, the marketing for Oppenheimer even prominently features the fact that it was shot for IMAX, something they know will excite cinephiles.
That includes fans like Redditor Hiddee, who is thankful to see "Nolan again bringing fire to the imax screens, and you bet I will be sitting there to watch the spectacle." With even the trailer having an epic visual quality and some genuinely breathtaking shots, it looks to be another Nolan movie that demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
Some Have Questions About The Countdown Until The Release
It's not particularly unusual for a teaser to show how far away a movie's release is but many were amazed to see that the live stream playing the teaser trailer apparently on a loop is actually showing a different number each time, counting down towards the movie's 2023 release date.
Redditor poland626 summed up everyone's amazement, saying "That countdown is changing!" and then asking if it's "going to stay up until it hits 0?" This would make it a nearly year-long live event that, while not unprecedented on YouTube, would demonstrate a lot of commitment on the part of the movie's marketing team.
Oppenheimer's Release Is Too Long Away
Next year is shaping up to be an award-worthy one for movies so movie buffs have enjoyed discussing and speculating about future titles like Oppenheimer. However, it's true that the marketing for the movie has raised excitement very high considering how long in advance of the movie's release it is.
That's why Redditors like funkhero were left asking the question, "Does no one else find this far too early for this kind of marketing?" The insane cast list for Oppenheimer combined with this teaser event is great for building up hype but there is a concern it might start to run out of steam by the time the movie's release date gets closer.