In a PVR INOX exclusive, Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy open up about their experiences and insights about Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy, in an exclusive interview for PVR INOX, talk about their experience of filming alongside Hoytema and portraying the character of Robert Oppenheimer.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, PVR INOX deputed a renowned film critic to interview the entire cast of Oppenheimer in New York. The series of interviews, featuring Director Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy, Emily Hunt, and Matt Damon, is posted on PVR’s YouTube channel. Exciting snippets highlighting exclusive insights and anecdotes from the conversation with the celebrated talent will also be shared on the social media pages of PVR and INOX.

When asked about the special effects created for Oppenheimer and filming alongside Hoytema, Christopher Nolan said, “Hoytema and I used IMAX technology for vast landscapes and action sequences. In the case of Oppenheimer, we knew that for the trinity test, the level of immersion to really bring in the audience to that first experience of atomic fission, I am actually very important to that. Hoytema was excited about the intimacy, using these cameras more intimately and trying to get inside Oppenheimer’s head. I had written the script in the first person, given it to Cillian, and told him to open himself to the audience. We must see things from Oppenheimer’s point of view. IMAX and the large screen turn out to be very important in bringing the audience in and having the screen disappear and being immersive in not just the excitement of the view but also his viewpoint, his thought process.”

When questioned about the responsibility of cinema to bring almost forgotten stories like these to the screen that talk about the impact of people like Oppenheimer and how it continues to impact our world, Christopher Nolan mentioned, “Cinema doesn’t have the responsibility, but I’d say it has the opportunity. Oppenheimer’s story is the most dramatic I have come across, so it’s a wonderful opportunity for a filmmaker to take it on and for audiences to experience something perhaps that they don’t know anything about and yet be engaged with an extraordinary piece of history that’s as dramatic, as paradoxical, and tense & exciting as anything that I could invent as a version of fiction. That’s what history has to offer filmmakers. I view it as more of an opportunity than a responsibility, but certainly, looking at the past and seeing how we can engage audiences with it and see its relevance to our current moment. That’s an exciting thing!”

Also Read: Oppenheimer review: An enigmatic story about a man’s genius and its impact on generations

When Cillian asked how he prepared to portray his character on screen, he revealed, “It was challenging and complex. He was so kind of contradictory. The second war became opaque and muddy around the time when Germany surrendered, and they still went forward with producing the bomb, and then we know what happened in Japan. It was exciting to play the character and try to portray a protagonist that is so complicated.”

This is Cillian’s 6th film with Christopher Nolan. When asked if he is still surprised by the filmmaker, he mentioned, “I think trust is the most important thing we have. I trust him and hope he feels the same. He’s continuing to refine and improve his work. Oppenheimer might be his finest film; I’d say his magnum opus.” Cillian also said, “I think Oppenheimer is an experience and more than a film. Chris likes to compare IMAX to 3D without the glasses because it is so immersive.”

Oppenheimer delves into the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, an American physicist known as the 'Father of the Atomic Bomb.' He famously created the first atomic bomb and other nuclear weapons during WWII. The film depicts how one man's genius and ambition radically altered the nature of war, resulting in the mass annihilation of millions of people and the ensuing public hysteria. We witness Oppenheimer's reaction and struggle to cope with the reality of his creation, which has the potential to wipe out humanity in minutes. The film released on July 21, 2023, and can be watched at your nearest PVR INOX cinemas.

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