That experience translates in Oppenheimer, from the incredibly detailed close-ups of Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer to the relentless pacing achieved for a talky drama about quantum physics. Nolan may be considered a master in his prime here, but that spontaneity—that desire to push the boundaries and see what comes of it—gives his Oscar-contending new film its drive.
You might not be able to put your finger on what it is exactly, but any film watcher understands intuitively if a camera is very far away or if the camera is very close.” IMAX is not known for its ease. Van Hoytema knows that using it, moment to moment, can seem clumsy, unwieldy, and needlessly intensive. He hears his peers disregard the technology for the leaner, meaner methods available via modern equipment.