Oppenheimer (2023)

[Lyle Romer]

I'm surprised that I am the first to review this film. My review can be summed up in one word, "masterpiece."

THIS is what a movie is supposed to be. I saw it in 15/70 IMAX which was close to flawless after a sound sync glitch (of a few seconds) when the film first started. They stopped the show and reset, I assume by cutting off what had run and splicing it back to the beginning unless IMAX has rewind ability. After that, there were two or three times that there was a perfectly straight vertical scratch that didn't move from frame to frame and lasted for a second or two. I'm guessing it wasn't actually a scratch but some kind of lab error because I can't fathom how there could be such a stable, perfect scratch perpendicular to the film movement.

On to the review:

Everything was near perfection from the writing, to the directing to the outstanding performances of the ensemble cast. If Cillian Murphy doesn't win Best Actor there is something wrong with the world. This is probably the only three hour movie outside of The Godfather and The Godfather Part II that didn't drag at all. My eyes were glued to the (80 ft wide) screen the whole time. Sequences of dialog were able to create the pulse pounding excitement of an action sequence. The scenes leading up to the Trinity test truly felt like the chase sequence in The Dark Knight. In addition to excitement and anticipation the film also evoked emotional responses. I don't know how anybody could possibly have a negative reaction to this film.

Honestly, the only negative thing I can possibly say is that I wish Nolan could have shot the whole thing on 15/70. It's amazing how "bad" the footage shot on 5/70 (5/65 I guess) looks in comparison to the 15/70 footage projected on a screen that size. Essentially, I could not see the grain in the 15/70 footage but could easily see it in the 5/70 stuff. It was more noticeable in the black and white portions.

Not only to I highly recommend this film but I HIGHLY recommend that you find a way to do whatever you have to do to see it presented in IMAX 15/70. It was such an incredible experience that can not really be put into words.

6 out of 5 stars (I had to give extra because it is probably the best movie I've seen in 15 years)

[Harold Hallikainen]

We saw a 70mm print at the Loft Cinema here in Tucson. Truly an amazing film. I look forward to it getting lots of awards. Cillian Murphy was amazing.

We saw one scratch in the film and, of course, the end of reel cue marks in the upper right corner. It's been a while since I've seen those.

How is the sound recorded on the 70 mm prints? Optical Dolby Digital?

[Sascha Roll]

DTS Timecode and plain old DTS 5.1

[Lyle Romer]

How is the sound recorded on the 70 mm prints? Optical Dolby Digital?

DTS has been the only option for sound on 70 mm for quite a while. I remember Dolby had patented printing the 35mm Dolby Digital data blocks but with each spot stretched vertically 25% so that when it passed through the reader it would "look" the same as the 35mm track to the processor. so the only new thing would be a reader with 70mm rollers and making a printer to print the stretched track. They never bothered to make it.

[Harold Hallikainen]

Thanks! Is any of the DTS equipment still supported? But I guess support on film projectors may also be limited.

[Chris Haller]

Oppenheimer is a tremendous movie that is perhaps a little bit too non-traditional with its sense of time and place like Nolan's previous work in Dunkirk - it jumps around in time and perspective using color and black and white film to cue the viewer up to determine who's perceiving what at different times. I've now seen it twice and the second pass through the movie, much like it did with Dunkirk, really glues everything together in a wonderful way. The relentless pacing and top notch performances from every in the cast really keeps the 3 hour run time engaging from start to finish, as does the spectacular visual effects of the Trinity bomb detonation test that stands at the heart of the movie.

I also think my first viewing of the movie was marred by the fact that I drove six hours to see it in IMAX 15/70 at Regal's King of Prussia theater only to have their platter system fail less than 2 seconds into the movie. This prompted a quick change over to the IMAX Single Laser 4K digital system for playback which, which sporting excellent contrast on screen, just didn't have particularly vibrant colors or decent texture to the image.

My second time around was at a local independent theater here in Rochester on standard 35mm scope. It was absolutely wonderful - the image was steady, flicker was minimal, and the color and texture of film was very present. You could tell it was sourced from a nice 65mm negative that was printed down to 35mm due to its high detail and fine grain from start to finish. The print ran in Dolby SR which was, at times, much more difficult to understand than its IMAX Digital counterpart, but that SR track really had me fooled into thinking it was a digital system for much of the show. Oddly enough, there were only 3 changeovers - I guess, according to our projectionist, Universal is sending the 35mm print out in 6000ft reels for playback? Either way, it was in stellar condition after a week of normal play. It really felt like a new movie after the disappointment of my PA trip.

[Kyle Mikolajczyk]

I saw the same thing on the 15/70 print! Several vertical lines, I was dumb founded. Otherwise what a clean print.

[Peter Mork]

Wait, how could a print that runs horizontally get vertical lines?

[Lyle Romer]

Wait, how could a print that runs horizontally get vertical lines?

The few that I saw almost had to be a printing error. They were rock solid in location through a second or two period and were vertical. I saw one slight horizontal scratch that lasted a fraction of a second that could have been done while building the print. I can't see any way how handling or the projector could possibly cause the vertical lines I saw. They were dark brown in color IIRC.

[Harold Hallikainen]

I also saw a vertical scratch on the 70mm show I saw. Is all 70mm run horizontally (like Vista Vision), or just IMAX?

[Randy Stankey]

I liked the way Nolan handled the sound during the explosion of the Trinity bomb test.

When the movie started, I was wondering how they were going to portray one of the loudest sounds in recorded history...a sound so loud that it can't be measured in decibels.

When the bomb scene finally came around and I saw (heard) how Nolan did it, I thought, "How else could he have done it? Brilliant!"

[Harold Hallikainen]

I agree, that was very clever. I guess they could have used Sensurround. I do see DBOX is available.

[Lyle Romer]

I also saw a vertical scratch on the 70mm show I saw. Is all 70mm run horizontally (like Vista Vision), or just IMAX?

5 perf 70mm runs vertically so vertical scratches make sense.

[Randy Stankey]

I guess they could have used Sensurround.

That's what I was thinking, too. In the same vane of humor.

I don't want to make too much of a spoiler but, when a movie is entitled "Oppenheimer" you know there's going to be a bomb. Right?

While I was waiting for the movie to start, I was thinking of all the ways they could do that scene. There just ISN'T any good way to protray that sound using the equipment available in your average theater. Is there? (Or ANY theater for that matter.)

The other thing I found interesting is the conspiracy theory that it was Lewis Strauss who orchestrated the Kennedy Assassination because Kennedy was one of the senators who down-voted Strauss' appointment to Secretary of Commerce.

Do I believe it? Well, I think it's plausible but not likely. But, when the point was brought up, I thought, "Hmm... Interesting!"

[Lyle Romer]

I don't want to make too much of a spoiler but, when a movie is entitled "Oppenheimer" you know there's going to be a bomb. Right?

I can't believe you gave that away! Now people won't be shocked by that scene. :-)

I agree that he was able to portray that scene in a perfect manner. Having viewed 3 Space Shuttle launches from 6 miles away, the portrayal was very reminiscent of that real life experience.