Oppenheimer Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Oppenheimer Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 28, 2023

Oppenheimer marries one of history's most momentous moments with one of cinemas most masterful magicians. Christopher Nolan's film transcends the typical Biopic and in many ways strives to transcend the film medium, pushing both technical boundaries and narrative barriers to build one of the most spectacularly assembled films of all time, a picture of robust cinematic excellence but just as vital one that aims to tell, and accomplishes in telling, a story of timeless significance that explores the human psyche within the realm of vast intelligence and the vast consequences of pushing the boundaries of human and scientific understandings of the way things work and how that profound knowledge can be used in applications beyond measure. Even today, many decades removed from the film's setting, brilliant minds in many fields continue to ponder the ramifications of the transcendent events depicted in Oppenheimer, making this a film of timeless relevance for its thematic elements and not simply its awe-inspiring technical merits.

Brilliant physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) seeks beyond the established theories and laws in his field. He posits new meanings and ponders new ways of looking at things and yearns to one day see his theories proved in practice. When war in Europe breaks out and it is revealed that Nazi scientists have achieved nuclear fission, Army General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) recruits Oppenheimer to build upon the Nazi breakthrough and build an atomic bomb. As the Manhattan Project gets underway and bears destructive fruit, Oppenheimer finds himself haunted by the power not so much of his own making, but that he has through his greater understanding of the laws of science unleashed upon the world.

What Nolan has achieved with Oppenheimer is nothing short of a movie miracle. He has made a character, and a story, of great scientific depth, extreme emotional intricacy, of grand historic importance, and of tremendous sociopolitical ramifications and built an intimate film that still manages to feel grand in scope. He has taken inaccessible jargon, a complex mind, and incredibly deep and profound scientific elements and made them all accessible without losing any of the technical depth and grandiose narrative components that are a result. The film is long without feeling sluggish. It's a technical marvel, too, a film of great visual power and delight, a treat for film fans but more so a picture that demonstrates a command of the medium's most incredible powers without playing in a way that is showy or stuffy. This is truly the stuff that cinema legends are made of, and while Nolan unquestionably poured his heart and soul into every detail, there is an effortlessness to the movie's structure, visual appeal, story, and pace that keep it fresh and forward moving for the duration.

Much of what sets the film apart is the classic approach to its structure. It's clearly differentiated by three distinct acts with purposeful storytelling, narrative construction, character progression, and visual distinctiveness all at harmonious work. The contrast between the color and black-and-white segments offers viewers a sense of narrative cohesion despite the shifting presentation elements. The film's flow is also seamless in its shifting aspect ratios. The film medium is used to great impact to both define and amplify the film's elegance and grace. The practical visual effects and precise editing and sound engineering further bolster the sense of retro realism at work in the digital age. The movie does everything right.

Of course, it is the lead performance that absolutely solidifies the film as an instant classic. Murphy is at his best in the lead part, inhabiting the title character with a profound depth and soulful effortlessness that captures not just a look or a character flow but rather transfers a total, soulful extension of himself into the character. The work is beyond exemplary not only in speech, physical mannerisms, and eye contact but also in the way he captures both the mind and soul of a man who changes the world and both internally and externally deals with the extreme knowledge that brought him there and the knowledge of what the world would become in the aftermath. It's a full character study and one of the best screen works in some time. Murphy is surrounded by a litany of great actors who, in secondary and tertiary roles, also deliver spot-on wonderful performances, but it clearly Murphy who dominates the film, and rightly so.

Oppenheimer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Universal presents Oppenheimer on Blu-ray with a wonderful 1080p transfer. There are transitions between the wider 2.20:1 format and IMAX 1.78:1 content, but the net result is a seamless transition between the aspect ratios and a crystal-clear picture sourced from the original 65MM film elements. Grain is extremely fine within these parameters but rest assured that this is a very faithfully filmic image to the source. Clarity is beyond exquisite and while 1080p cannot reach the level of visual complexity and majesty with which the film was intended to be seen, there is no mistaking its technical grandeur and perfect attention to detail on all elements, pushing the 1080p content as far as it will go. Rest assured that there is no errant detail or less-than-perfect representation of the film, again within the limits of the Blu-ray format. As the aspect ratio shifts, so too does the film shift between predominant color elements and black and white. The color content is lavishly full and satisfying, with natural depth and tonal nuances that reveal clothes, natural greens, fireballs, and other content with striking depth and precision. Black levels are beautifully inky, whites are robust, and skin tones are spot-on perfect. The black and white imagery delights for the wonderful gradation through the grayscale and offers perfect blacks and good whites at the ends. The image is free of any print wear or encode anomalies. The movie could not look any better at 1080p than this.

Oppenheimer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As is the standard for Christopher Nolan films, audio is presented in a 5.1 lossless format rather than the now (somewhat, especially for major new releases) standard Atmos format. Despite the comparative lack of channels, this is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless audio at its peak. Even without the extra channels, there is a sense of total stage fill and complete listener immersion into the material. It's seamlessly engaging and uses every inch of soundstage real estate to deliver everything from subtle ambient support to devastating surround content at prominent volume and extreme subwoofer support with full-on gusto and perfect structure. The audio balances lifelike cues and movie thrilling elements to perfection. Clarity to all elements, from score to explosions and everything in between, is faultless. Front stretch is just as impressive as the back reach, and music is seamlessly integrated throughout the entire listening area. Dialogue is clear, well prioritized, and centered for the duration. 5.1 proves to be plenty here, and even the most discerning of audiophiles should find no fault here.

Oppenheimer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Oppenheimer contains all of its extras on a dedicated second Blu-ray disc. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• The Story of Our Time: The Making of Oppenheimer (1080p): A seven-part feature.
  
  
  • Now I Am Become Death (7:17): Nolan discusses what drew him to the story while additional discussions cover public awareness of nuclear war and how that has changed over the years, personal memories of the nuclear and Cold War eras, the source book, the film's structure and styles, the script, and more.
  • The Luminaries (11:27): A close exploration of the characters, the actors who portray them, and the qualities and characteristics that the main actors brought to the film.
  • The Manhattan Project (16:41): Shooting in IMAX and the great benefits thereof, the film's visuals, the aesthetics, filming challenges, the importance of practical visuals, and more.
  • The Devil of the Details (17:21): Building period-appropriate sets, production design specifics, shooting locations, aesthetics, and more.
  • Walking a Mile (6:28): Wardrobe, hairstyles, and makeup are the focus of this supplement.
  • Can You Hear the Music? (6:48): As the title suggests, this piece explores the film's score: its composition, style, themes, and more.
  • We Can Perform This Miracle (6:49): A look at Christopher Nolan's direction and leadership on the set as well as the high-quality work that the crew performed to make the movie magic happen, including building a White House replica on a time crunch.
• Trailers (1080p): Included are Teaser (1:11), Trailer 2 (2:04), IMAX Exclusive Trailer (2:40), Trailer 3 (3:11), and Opening Look (5:07).
• Innovations in Film: 65MM Black and White Film in Oppenheimer (1080p, 8:21): A fascinating look at the quality of film, why the format remains viable, and the process of building black-and-white 65MM IMAX film, essentially from scratch, just for this picture. It also looks at the challenges of processing the film, editing, and ensuring a proper viewing no matter the projection venue.
• Meet the Press Q&A Panel: Oppenheimer (1080i, 34:36): Filmmaker Christopher Nolan, Author Kai Bird, Physicist Kip Thorn, Los Alamos' Thoams Mason, and Physicist Carlo Rovelli discuss the film, the characters, the history, the science, and more. Moderated by Chuck Todd.
• To End All War: Oppenheimer & The Atomic Bomb (1080p, 1:27:18): A 2023 Documentary, directed by Christopher Cassel, that explores the Oppenheimer story in detail.

Oppenheimer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Oppenheimer represents the pinnacle of filmmaking and stands alongside legends of scope, characterization, and craftmanship such as Lawrence of Arabia and The Godfather as a true cinema experience that transcends its time and hearkens back to an era of artistic excellence that reminds viewers what the film medium can, and should, accomplish beyond today's stale, commercialized, and soulless experiences. It's a special film that truly deserves to be not just seen and heard, but also felt, as large as possible. The Blu-ray does the film justice, but even for all its excellence it simply cannot match the majesty of the intended IMAX projection. Still, within the limitations that the format introduces to the film, the experience is very strong, with top-yield video and audio presentations as well as a wonderful allotment of bonus content. This release comes with my highest recommendation and earns a rare perfect score.