Cillian Murphy, the lead actor in the movie Oppenheimer, talked about working with director Christopher Nolan. It made him see the atomic bomb and its worldwide impact in a new way. Murphy spoke at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, where he was honored for his career achievements on Jan. 4, 2024.
At Palm Springs International Film Festival, Cillian Murphy shares how working with Christopher Nolan on #OPPENHEIMER has changed his perspective PIC.TWITTER.COM/WRTESX0WCW
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) JANUARY 5, 2024
Murphy has worked with Nolan for the last 20 years, appearing in films such as Batman Begins, Inception, and Dunkirk. He described working with Nolan as a “mind-bending, life-changing experience” and praised him as “one of the great auteurs of our time.” He also lauded Nolan’s use of large format film stock in Oppenheimer, saying it creates a truly immersive cinematic experience. He thinks Nolan is “improving our bond with movies” with his creative filmmaking methods.
The movie Oppenheimer came out in July 2023. It is about J. Robert Oppenheimer. He was a physicist who led the development of the atomic bomb in World War II. Murphy played the titular role and said it was “an opportunity that comes along probably once in your career if you’re lucky.” He felt the immense responsibility of portraying such a complex historical figure, pushing him to new heights as an actor.
The experience also changed Murphy’s perspective on the creation of the atomic bomb and its lasting impact on the world. He mentioned that,
“the mushroom cloud and the sort of end of the world cliches have been sort of cheapened in movies,”
but Oppenheimer made him realize the true gravity of these events. He said he hopes the film will make audiences think differently about the atomic bomb and its ethical implications.
Oppenheimer is a highly acclaimed film from 2023. It is praised for Nolan’s directing and the star-studded cast, which includes Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and Matt Damon. Critics praised the film. It received many award nominations. One of the nominations was for a Golden Globe for Murphy’s performance. It is expected to be a strong contender at the upcoming Academy Awards. If it wins Best Picture, it will make history as the first film shot entirely on IMAX 65mm film to win.
