Watch the Opening Scene of ‘Oppenheimer’ | Anatomy of a Scene

Raindrops help usher in the opening moments of “Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan’s ambitious, Oscar-nominated biopic about J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” Those simple raindrops give way to high resolution images of bomb detonation that are both sobering and fascinating.
Narrating the sequence, Nolan said that the idea to open with the raindrops came late to him and his editor, Jennifer Lame, “but ultimately became a motif that runs the whole way through the film and became very important.”
The scene introduces us to the two timelines the feature is broken into: fission and fusion, two approaches to releasing nuclear energy. The fission sequences are in color, while fusion segments are shot in black and white on special IMAX film developed expressly for the movie.
The scene, which features Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer and Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, encapsulates the themes of hubris and regret that will be explored more deeply over the course of the film.
Read the New York Times review: nyti.ms/3vKThTn
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[@brucetenet6140]

I waited almost 2 years to watch this movie. It was announced in 2021 that this was Nolan’s next movie, and finally watching the opening scene of Oppenheimer in an IMAX theater was a truly magical experience for me. It was worthy every minute of waiting, and months later, I am still constantly listening to the Oppenheimer’s soundtrack. Great job to everyone involved in this amazing project.

[@soccerguy2433]

magic? what's magical about it?

[@sonishj21]

​@@soccerguy2433if your not a true movie freak guy you can't understand or feel the experience and joyfullness of a movie

[@brucetenet6140]

@@soccerguy2433I will try to explain my dear friend. Even though I patiently waited for almost 2 years to watch this movie, because I’m a huge Nolan fan, I painfully avoided watching the trailers and teasers of Oppenheimer (I believe trailers reveal too much information about the movie or much of the beautiful shots). So, when I finally saw Cillian Murphy’s face on the huge screen of an IMAX theater depicting J. Robert Oppenheimer (his first time as the lead role in a Nolan movie), with Ludwig Göransson’s score playing on the background, it felt like magic to me.

[@twononcriticsandacat]

@@soccerguy2433 everything

[@twononcriticsandacat]

@@brucetenet6140 I watched six times, I so understand brother. What a movie!

[@movieman2782]

Oh my god i would pay everything for a lecture of nolan talking about all of his movies like this😭😭

[@JakeHageman]

Watch the director's commentary!! Pretty much every movie release has one, whether it be on Blu-ray or even with iTunes special features. It's amazing how much you can get out of those!

[@myleschamaa9689]

Nolan usually doesn’t do commentaries

[@TehObLiVioUs]

the 4k blu-ray behind the scenes

[@r3tr0actiongamer24]

Better keep your minimum wage money because this movie sucked

[@Golf05]

@@r3tr0actiongamer24

[@christina-clairegeorges3661]

The opening scene, the ripples, the final scene, simply beautiful. I really love the motif of fire and water.

[@rishibarot4284]

I still have goosebumps watching the opening sequence

[@azimisyauqieabdulwahab9401]

Oppenheimer will win the Oscar in this year

[@K.C-2049]

I really love that Nolan decided to focus on the human aspect and keep the central conflict on Oppenheimer himself, rather than the bomb. humanizing such an almost mythological character who, arguably, committed a horrible act developing nuclear weapons, is such a wonderful, empathetic approach. I like Nolan best when he's getting at the heart of his characters, rather than using them to explain theoretical conceits.

[@rjmacready9828]

Christopher Nolan is one of the best artists of the century, let alone filmmakers. The best director Oscar is his come March...

[@doublecupdreamin]

U called it 🤞🏽

[@billyd5317]

OK dude, who you got on the next Super Bowl?

[@zatrix7400]

yay

[@darylshanley2674]

@@billyd5317lmfao

[@sonicscorpian]

Each short is so carefully designed. Can't imagine the planning they follow to carefully design each and every shot. Hats off..

[@jacksonmaloney8520]

I finally saw the movie in Imax yesterday. The close-ups discussed in this scene are astonishing. You can't appreciate Murphy's performance until you see him in Imax; it's extremely understated and so much is communicated through his eyes.

[@zasta7]

I didn't catch the subliminal meaning of the rain drops in the first watching. It hit me very differently on the second watch. Beautiful.

[@user-vu3ju2vt6p]

the fact that Chris Nolan felt the need to explain who he was at the beginning is funny

[@DJL0455]

One of the best pictures I've seen in my almost 70 years on Planet Earth. A truly epic motion picture.

[@taylormullen2815]

The rain puddle in the beginning was just...wow, I would have never thought of that.

[@hj-ct2qi]

i was completely astonished and audibly when cillian fiest began talking. he embodied oppenheimer so well, the mannerism and speech and oral posture, which you can see if you watch footage of the real man

[@eyesonren]

I wish this was for the whole film

[@vitorbarreto2022]

I'm 100% in for watching the movie with Nolan's comments

[@169ester]

So good to see director's commentary from Chris on Oppenheimer, not that he did not already did a million interviews for the press tour run but his voice is so soothing. i'd pay MONEY for this to be 2 hours long. I am watching oppenheimer again tomorrow again in imax for the 8th time? cant wait. we are less than two months to the Oscars rn so fingers are super crossed lol

[@JakeHageman]

I don't think you have anything to worry about with the Oscars lol!!! I'm obsessed with the Oscars, and I have it predicted to win anywhere from 7-10 awards.

[@zatrix7400]

@@JakeHagemanyou were right with 7 awards

[@twononcriticsandacat]

I hope Cillian wins the Oscar. This media frenzy for Giamatti because they need to drive interest to the race I don’t understand it. I watched the holdovers lovely film lovely performance but Oppenheimer is a masterpiece and Murphy was monumental. He lost 13 kg for it practically isolated himself for 2 months to live the drama of his character learnt 30000 words in Dutch for a scene of 4 seconds. I’m so tired with the narrative ah Giamatti is old is overdue, it’s not a lifetime achievement award, it’s an award given to a specific performance in a specific movie. Anyway hope Murphy wins, politics really frustrates me I like meritocracy more and it would be historic first Irish actor to win an Oscar for best actor.

[@kasimirdenhertog3516]

I also hope he wins the Oscar, and Robert Downey Jr definitely deserves one as well! Though the Dutch was pretty poorly executed, to be honest. Being a native speaker, I was not able to understand what he was saying. It's great he took the effort, but you do wonder if a speech coach was involved.

[@hcavill8144]

@@kasimirdenhertog3516he probably studied how Oppenheimer spoke Dutch in reality and executed it the same way.

[@Lillie-Elkins]

He sounds so polite.

[@afterhourscinema782]

What we need is a breakdown by Christopher Nolan of the scene where Cillian Murphy says *"It's Oppenheiming time"* directly to the audience

[@davidholaday2817]

I could listen to a full 2 hours of this.

[@timerewind]

This is nothing less than cinematic brilliance.

[@oliverspen]

He is this generations Spielberg. This movie was phenomenal, a true master of his craft.

[@jglakecity]

Excellent movie! Definitely must watch in theater for full impact of Chris Nolon's film on your senses.

[@mockingbird806]

Cillian better win that Oscar!!

[@yggdrasil2]

I think it's kinda cool that he highlights and praises the actors in the minor roles.

[@danieltuang6579]

It’s incredibly worth-watching legendary movie ….👍❤

[@aninjaguardian]

Early congratulations to Christopher Nolan for winning his Oscar!

[@occasm]

and to Cillian! It's a lock!

[@atticusmcbuddy6283]

The moment of a nuclear blast is basically like having the sun kiss the surface of the earth, we did the Japanese the worst way of wrong using it.

[@jglakecity]

Respectfully disagree. The war with Japanese would have never ended otherwise.

[@IIIlIIIIlIIIII]

Stolen Valor

[@SusanKay-]

It was the lesser of two horrible choices we were forced to make.

[@frankathl1]

"like having the sun kiss the surface of the earth" is an extraordinarily evocative metaphor!

[@pricklypear7516]

We didn't do it for the Japanese. Everyone in the know realized the Japanese were already beaten, including their own leaders. We did it to show the USSR that we had this thing that they didn't, and that we weren't afraid to use it.

[@HEAVYHEARTSMUSIC]

This is Chris Nolan's flaming-arrow shot into the heart of auteur cinema

[@petesmith433]

I would pay more to see a breakdown of the whole film-or even just most of it-by Nolan than I would to see it in theaters, and that’s saying a lot.

[@hkthejournalist]

you know that directors commentaries exist right

[@Silentsilo987]

@@hkthejournalistProblem is Nolan never does them.

[@infpatmii6392]

can Nolan please start doing director commentaries pls

[@acetate909]

I think the only DVD commentary he ever did was for his first movie which was an an indie flick called _Following._

[@rjmacready9828]

@@acetate909he did memento and insomnia but never did them again

[@acetate909]

@@rjmacready9828 I didn't know that. I was listening to the _Film Threat_ pod a few weeks ago and Chris Gore said _Following_ was the only directors commentary that Nolan ever did. I guess he was mistaken or maybe there are special editions of those DVDs that have commentary which Chris isn't aware of. Anyway, thanks for the info

[@rjmacready9828]

@@acetate909 yup, the memento commentary is great actually. Havent listened to the insomnia one though. Wish he would do them, a commentary on The Prestige would be incredible....

[@acetate909]

@@rjmacready9828 Agree on the Prestige. There's so much hidden meaning and symbolism in that movie. It's one of those movie you can rewatch and deconstruct each time because you notice something new with each viewing. Underrated movie for sure.

[@_ayoung]

I wish Nolan continued with his director commentaries on the physical media releases.

[@dazrienhaizor8624]

This will win best picture of 2023

[@ivanpb1983]

You can study this film, carefully, and you'll learn more than what is told in many film schools.

[@beesh1019]

Genius

[@catherinelennon4804]

Wonderful

[@donavontrent3846]

Robert Downey Jr is one of the greatest actors in our generation I'm 36 years old and I tell you right now that man is one of the greatest I've ever seen in my line of watching movies, theater and playwriting. Absolutely wonderful performance.

[@marsspacex6065]

Just a amazing movie.

[@cookie63079]

So those were nukes from the 40s... can you imagine what a 2024 nuke could do? Gives me chills.

[@geoafe66]

Great movie

[@SierraRift]

Okay… so keep going. Going to need the Nolan Commentary.

[@Rahhh._]

The Trinity Test Scene Gave Me tense atmosphere, afraid of how big the explosion will be

[@caseystu123]

When that IMAX puddle shot appears…

[@dianariverjackson5123]

OK but I need THE WHOLE MOVIE WITH HIM TALKING ABOUT IT

[@TheDavidlloydjones]

This moving picture is "actual footage"! Coming soon: images which are genuine illustrations.

[@RandomGuyWhoMakesVideos]

Soo we not going to talk about the fact that the Title doesnt even mention Christopher Nolan?

[@lorenzovizza5357]

Of course he gets it. He gets best actor I guess. Or maybe that guy in Maestro. That was powerful. The movie itself was too intellectual. Even I had to pause and rewind.

[@Anthony-er9sb]

Of course they'll get best director best actor best picture what a movie good look cillan I'm a fello w Irish man where proud of him

[@miyanina5377]

He does not have the audacity of those who have no conscience, but I say, there is no conscience, nor dignity for those who have been submitted to him to say the truth and rift with it

[@victorious-dl6hk]

imagining not uploading this in 4k

[@sickheadache9903]

The back drop of this scene is Kerckhoff Hall at UCLA.

[@NerdWasi]

I feel lucky I get to watch it in Cinema in Kashmir historic for me literally.

[@c.c.s.1102]

If they don’t sweep the Oscar’s then the trophy isn’t worth the gold it’s made of.

[@pandakso3365]

Where are the other 298 minutes ??

[@imaginefaiz]

Only this part of the breakdown?

[@SunshineSonnenshein]

#cillianmurphy the best

[@Anna-vz5jl]

Never saw it what’s it about 📽️🎥

[@bobcurmudgeon3848]

Bienvenidos! Try a Spy's Guide to Santa Fe and Albuquerque by E B Held, a retired CIA Op, per your now upcoming vacationing in NM to visit Los Alamos.

[@ERENA771]

伝道者の書 12章 13節14節 結局のところ もうすべてが 聞かされていることだ 神を恐れよ 神の命令を守れ これから人間にとってすべてである 神は 善であれ悪であれ あらゆる隠れたことについて すべてのわざをさばかれるからである

[@Waltaere]

NYT 😃

[@blipmachine]

Why tf is this 2 mins and not 20 mins?

[@djefardeur7958]

intersting

[@paullowman9131]

FREE ASSANGE

[@potatomatop9326]

Rest in peace to the souls of all the anime characters who got atomized for the sake of this movie.

[@lesliepropheter5040]

Cigarette smoke but no one smoking…. Really?

[@Maxime_G]

There is an ashtray next to him. Just open your eyes.

[@acetate909]

Good movie, but I liked the sequel better, Godzilla Minus One.

[@fubytv731]

Not gonna lie, Barbie is the more superior film.

[@xavierbouchez9227]

thanks for the joke

[@captprice0079]

Pretentious Pink Fluff

[@PacoOtis]

Awful & boring movie that is ten times longer than it needed to be.

[@algerae1984]

I really tried to like this movie but it was a slog to watch.

[@sixfoursoul2538]

Think this movie was way overrated. Couldn’t wait to get out of the theater.

[@frankpoole8645]

No one asked

[@StrikeTeam0316]

You’re life is overrated. You probably can’t wait to get out of that either.

[@aurourasandsadprose9272]

Bro expected subway surfers to be playing on the side

[@StrikeTeam0316]

Your life is overrated and I’m sure you can’t wait to get out of that.

[@LuL706]

Oh my.. This movie blows.

[@blipmachine]

He sounds so polite.

[@MattWeser]

He's a classy man. Goes about his business like an utter professional, doesn't stir controversy, by all appearances has a normal private home life with his family.