Oscars 2024: As 'Oppenheimer' Scores 7 Wins, A Look At Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy's Cinematic Masterpiece

Christopher Nolan's film 'Oppenheimer' clearly triumphed at the 96th Academy Awards held on Monday, and took home seven trophies. In what is Hollywood's biggest event of the year, the film ended up winning some of the biggest awards of the night, including Best Picture, Best Director (Christopher Nolan) and Best Actor (Cillian Murphy). 

For Nolan, the Oscar win comes as a first despite being nominated seven times earlier for ‘Dunkirk’, ‘Memento’ and ‘Inception’. Robert Downey Jr. bagged the Best Supporting actor award for the Cillian Murphy-starrer. ‘Oppenheimer’ also took home awards for Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score.

Unarguably, the big wins for ‘Oppenheimer’ in primary categories does not come as a surprise, since the film had already dominated at various award shows throughout the season. ‘Oppenheimer’ had won Best Picture not only at the BAFTAs, but also at the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes. 

So as Christopher Nolan's 12th cinematic creation emerged to be a hit, here’s everything you need to know about the film and its cast:

‘Oppenheimer’ premiered on July 21, 2023, and it is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography titled ‘American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer’. In its opening weekend itself, the film broke all box office records and earned $82.4 million, and went on to make over $912 million worldwide in its entire theatrical run. The film is nonetheless the highest grossing biopic of all time.

Plot

‘Oppenheimer’ revolves around J. Robert Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy. He was the scientist behind the Manhattan Project, which aimed to create an atomic bomb during World War II. Hence, the film showcases the efforts behind the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II, and how J. Robert Oppenheimer was responsible for making the Manhattan Project a success.

The first announcement of ‘Oppenheimer’ was made in July 2022, and the film's official trailer later dropped on December 18, 2022. Check it out here:

The cast

‘Oppenheimer’ features Cillian Murphy playing the titular character, J. Robert Oppenheimer. In an interview with Esquire U.K. earlier this year, he had shared how he prepared for the role, and said, “There's a wealth of stuff out there and I will read it all," Murphy said. "I am never, ever going to understand quantum mechanics, no matter how hard or how many times people try to explain it to me. There's 0.0001 percent of the population on the planet who have the brainpower to understand that. But I can begin to understand, conceptually, what those guys were trying to do."

While Emily Blunt played Oppenheimer's wife, Kitty, Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr. too are part of its cast. Downey starred as Lewis Strauss, who served two terms in the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. On the other hand, Damon starred as Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves, who overlooked the construction of the Pentagon and directed the Manhattan Project. Interestingly, Josh Harnett was cast as Ernest Lawrence in the film, as a nuclear physicist. Other members of the ensemble cast include Florence Pugh, as Oppenheimer's mistress, Jean Tatlock; Gary Oldman as President Harry S. Truman; and Jack Quaid and Rami Malek.

Nolan’s direction

As Christopher Nolan helmed ‘Oppenheimer’, it turned out to be his 12th film and sixth time working with Murphy. They had previously worked on three ‘Batman’ films, ‘Inception’ and ‘Dunkirk’. During an interview with Total Film, Nolan has mentioned how the film is one of his "most challenging projects." He was quoted as saying, "There were big, logistical challenges, big practical challenges. But I had an extraordinary crew, and they really stepped up. I'm thrilled with what my team has been able to achieve."

‘Oppenheimer’ hit theaters on July 21, 2023.