Oppenheimer [DVD] [2023]

A new movie from acclaimed director Christoper Nolan. Who brought us Tenet and Dunkirk. Among others.This film is the story of physicist Robert Oppenheimer. Who during World War Two led the project to build the atom bomb. It is based on a book about him called American Prometheus.Actor Cillian Murphy takes the lead. Emily Blunt plays Oppenheimer's wife.This runs three hours and thirty five mins. It is not a linear narrative. It focuses mainly on Oppenheimer's work on the project. Plus what happened to him in the 1950's at the height of the red scare in the USA. It does jump back and forth between these times. Using different colours to differentiate alternating viewpoints also.It does also show some earlier moments in his life. But not much of that compared to the two main strands.This uses many special film making techniques to try and create something that is an experience. There's some memorable sound design in particular when the bomb is being tested.Oppenheimer was an incredibly smart man. And had his own opinion on nuclear weapons. This does get strongly into that. And his reaction to how they were used and things have turned out since. All this conveyed by Cillian Murphy with body and facial muscle acting.It also doesn't flinch from portraying what a tricky marriage he and his wife had.This is a film endeavouring to be something powerful and memorable and make you think. It as mentioned does all it can with film techniques to create such an experience.You will either find it a thoroughly absorbing and excellent thought provoking cinematic experience. Or you might be left cold and not get into it all. But it's worth a try.It does contain a couple of adult moments. And some scenes with flashing lights so those troubled by the latter please be aware.This is a unique dvd. Something we haven't seen in over six years, if memory serves. It's a two disc one loaded with extras.The first one has just the film.Language and subtitles:Languages: English. German. English audio description.Subtitles: English. German.The second disc has a lot of extras.The front screen of the second disc does offer English subtitles. Either on or off. This is via one of those menus that only has icons no text.Extras:A making of documentary. This runs for sixty seven mins in total. It is divided into seven parts so can be watched all at once or individually. The parts range in length from six to sixteen mins. It is as in depth and interesting as you could hope for.Trailers:five different trailers for the film. Running in length from one to five mins. These can also be watched all in a row or individually.Innovations in film. Sixty five mm film in Oppenheimer. An eight min long look at one of the film techniques it used. Fascinating but a bit detailed so maybe not for the layman.Meet the press: Q&A panel Oppenheimer. A thirty five min long discussion with Christopher Nolan and four others. Not film cast or crew but those who were consulted on the project. This is a terrific discussion really interesting to listen to and well worth a watch.To end all wars: Oppenheimer and the atomic bomb. An eighty five min long documentary about Oppenheimer. It is good viewing as it's in depth and interesting to go over the perspectives of the film this way. This does offer the option of English audio captions when viewing.A very memorable film. A great dvd package for it.

Very good movie. The true stories are the best. Fascinating details about the back story to the Atomic Bomb. Read between the lines, and it is even more interesting .

Love Cillian Murphy in anything and he didn't disappoint as the gifted but troubled Oppenheimer, all the actors were brilliant and the story-line very powerful (well, the love scenes were a bit bizarre but perhaps that's just me). However, found the film to be rather overlong and tortuously dry in places with a confusing time-line. I would have thought the creation of the atom bomb a dramatic enough subject without the hugely irritating stomping of feet to build up the tension. The music overpowered the dialogue which is something that often spoils our enjoyment of films these days. Glad I bought the DVD as we split it up into two parts, my husband was relieved when it was over but I watched it a second time a while later which did kind of clarify some of the more confusing bits for me. All those awards - not an easy or terribly enjoyable watch so not sure.

Good film

What can you say about Oppenheimer main actor plays the part excellent, the story of the Atomic Bomb is good. But on the story you get into the mind of the creator which is quite interesting.

The studio obviously put together a very talented team, everything from actors to photography to wardrobe... but the end result is tiresome. The film spends hours flicking back and forth between cold-war committee meetings. It's light on the science, barely even namechecks the huge industrial efforts like Oak Ridge, "quantum" is just part of dialogue used to move a character forward, and the huge military wrapper around the Manhattan project is reduced to a few lines of banter with Matt Damon. Even Oppenheimer's relationships are primarily something to be sliced and diced in flashbacks from political arguments and committee meetings.There are some really brilliant actors in secondary roles but they don't get a chance to shine because they say six words then, oops, we're in a flash-forward again where Oppenheimer is sitting in front of somebody else having Intense Inner Feelings about whatever the conversation was after it got cut off.It's trying to be a serious, highbrow, oscar-bait film. But giving important figures a simple catchphrase and then repeating the catchphrase back to them an hour later is the stuff of childish superhero films.Surely there's so much source material that could be used to build interesting dialogue and make relatable characters.I'd probably watch it again in a couple of years when it streams for free, but I regret paying full price for a DVD. On reflection, I think Shadow Makers (aka Fat Man And Little Boy) is a better film despite/because it's less pretentious. (Not that Paul Newman is intrinsically a better actor than Matt Damon, for instance, but in the earlier film he's given more space to do his job and play a character)

Great DVD.

Came early and great film