Oppenheimer Trailer: Christopher Nolan is Going Back to Black and White

Oppenheimer is about a man who had the power of the sun in the palm of his hand

The first trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is here. It gave viewers a glimpse of Cillian Murphy as Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who played a key role in creating the atomic bomb. The film revolves around a countdown to an infamous moment in history.

In one of the opening frames, viewers can see the time until the bomb’s explosion. It is revisited in a poignant final shot where the press hounds Oppenheimer. The caption reads, “The world forever changes.” It is likely that the clock is ticking down to the July 1945 Trinity test but not a month later when the bombs were dropped on Japan.

The Manhattan Project’s atomic bomb development during World War II included Oppenheimer’s crucial involvement. He even oversaw the weapon’s successful testing in 1945. A few years later, Oppenheimer opposed nuclear proliferation.

The cast of Oppenheimer is impressive. In addition to Murphy, it includes Emily Blunt, who portrays the character of Oppenheimer’s wife and fellow scientist Kitty, and Matt Damon, who plays the role of Leslie Groves, the military leader in charge of the Manhattan Project. Other names include Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, and Robert Downey, Jr.

The Oppenheimer trailer has made it clear that the film will likely be black and white (mostly). Nolan hasn’t used the minimalist style since his first indie feature, 1998’s Following. However, some shots in the trailer are rendered in vivid colour.

There are no dialogue scenes in the trailer. The only words are conveyed through unidentified, cryptic voiceovers. A male voice asks, “How can this man who sees so much be so blind?” Another voice refers to Oppenheimer as “the man who moved the earth” in the trailer.

The key source material for Nolan’s Oppenheimer is Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. It is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biography that was completed in a quarter century. The book explores the scientist’s personal life, his controversial association with Communist politics and groups, and his anxiety over his own legacy. The film will be released in Australia on July 20, 2023.