This weekend “Oppenheimer,” the new historical epic about the father of the atomic bomb (played by Cillian Murphy) from master filmmaker Christopher Nolan, finally arrives after months of hype, endless speculation and tremendous excitement. But with a new Nolan movie comes a choice – how, exactly, should you best experience the movie? What’s the best version of “Oppenheimer?” Especially given that Nolan shot the movie with IMAX film cameras.
In some ways, we should be thrilled we are even given the choice. Last time a new Nolan movie was upon us was back in 2020, before the vaccine, with “Tenet.” That was a time when people weren’t really leaving the house, let alone taking in a mind-melting time-travel thriller.
Now with “Oppenheimer” finally here, let’s try and discuss the best way to watch the movie. (For full transparency, at the time of publication, this author had only seen the movie twice – once in 70mm and once in IMAX 70mm.) Let’s get into it!
What formats are “Oppenheimer” being released in?
This is a great question. And it is great table setting for the rest of our discussion. The nationwide rollout of “Oppenheimer” includes options like regular digital projection (which is how it will be shown at most theaters) alongside more premium options like IMAX 70mm, traditional 70mm, IMAX digital, traditional 35mm and Dolby Cinema. Yes, there are a lot of options. And whether you’re using Fandango or a specific theater chain’s dedicated app, depending on the showtime, you should see how the movie will be presented. If you have any further questions about the presentation, you can always call the theater.
Does this mean that you’ve missed your chance to watch “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One” in IMAX or other premium formats?
Maybe! While “Oppenheimer” is definitely the new – and big – kid on the block, there should still be some premium format “M:I-7” theaters exhibiting that blockbuster sequel in the way that filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie and star Tom Cruise intended. Last summer, when movies like “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Jurassic World: Dominion” and “Lightyear” were all jockeying for the same big screens, they would rotate. (There’s a reason I saw “Lightyear” at 11 am on a Sunday.) Again: check your movie listings and favorite apps for more details.
Back to “Oppenheimer:” what format does Nolan want you to see the movie in?
In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Nolan said: “You rarely get the chance to really talk to moviegoers directly about why you love a particular format and why if they can find an IMAX screen to see the film on, that’s great. We put a lot of effort into shooting the film in a way that we can get it out on these large format screens. It really is just a great way of giving people an experience that they can’t possibly get in the home.”
So IMAX then?
Yes, Nolan seems to suggest IMAX – any IMAX, really – would be the best way to watch “Oppenheimer.” Which makes sense, because Nolan shot “Oppenheimer” with IMAX film cameras. There are some caveats to this, though.
What is IMAX, exactly?
IMAX has been largely been associated with a giant picture and denture-rattling sound. For many, that’s the simplest way they understand it. IMAX = big picture and big sound. Which is true, to a certain extent. But what people don’t understand is that IMAX is an actual film format that requires a special presentation.
To explain: each frame of IMAX film is 70mm high and 15 perforations wide. The film alone is ten times bigger than the standard 35mm film. (The film moves through the projector horizontally rather than vertically.) To capture this format on stage or on location, IMAX cameras are required – big, lumbering, incredibly loud machines that hold a very specific amount of IMAX film. Many movies shot in IMAX require that their sound be re-dubbed later because of the noise from the camera. Nolan used IMAX cameras and even developed, with Kodak, the first black-and-white IMAX film. It’s pretty incredible – the depth of the image and the amount of detail crammed into every frame is astonishing.
And then when it comes to projecting that IMAX film, the screen requires specific dimensions – a typical IMAX screen is 52 feet high by 72 feet wide (the aspect ratio is 1.90:1). A big, rectangular image project on a big rectangular screen. The screen can of course get much bigger and there are still a few IMAX domes, which present a more wraparound experience.
But if you’re deviating from the tried-and-true IMAX presentation, then you get into a muddy territory many have referred to as Lie-max. Again, and this is tricky, but IMAX is a brand and many screens have been branded IMAX, mainly because they have a bigger screen and more robust sound system without actually adhering to the dimensions and presentation that make IMAX IMAX. (If that makes sense?)
There are only a few true IMAX screens in each state; be sure to find them (online) and try and snag an “Oppenheimer” ticket.
But what about 70mm IMAX?
70mm IMAX is truly the best way to experience “Oppenheimer.”
Why?
There’s something to be said about the IMAX cinematography of “Oppenheimer,” which is absolutely gorgeous and makes up a truly staggering amount of the movie’s runtime. In previous movies, including some of Nolan’s own, the switch between traditional 35mm and IMAX is sometimes jarring as the entire shame of the screen – and indeed the narrative contained within – jumps back and forth, usually between 2.35:1 and 1.90:1. This rarely happens in “Oppenheimer” because of the sheer volume of IMAX material in the finished movie.
And seeing it on a screen that large is overwhelming – the movie is a deeply emotional character study as well as a forensic investigation of the horrible, miraculous creation of the atomic bomb. Nolan intersperses the action with cosmic views of what Oppenheimer himself refers to as the “hidden world” – subatomic particles whirring around, black holes sucking in stars and the like. It’s overwhelming in the best way possible and puts you in the headspace of Oppenheimer like no other format could.
But the 70mm of it all takes on an even greater dimension to the movie. There’s something about watching film pass through a projector that is positively magical, even in the year of our Lord 2023, and the fidelity of the images, combined with the size and shape of the screen, is an experience like no other. It’s hard to conjure up a movie that has created similar spectacle in service of such a personal story.
Where can you see the 70mm IMAX presentation?
Not too many places!
The New York Times recently wrote a story about a group of friends who are making a 10-hour trek to see it in 70 mm IMAX. The official IMAX site only lists a handful of places where you can watch the movie this way (if you’re living in Australia, there’s only a single theater where you can watch it in 70mm IMAX). Slightly more theaters – around 100 – are showing “Oppenheimer” in standard 70mm which, it should be noted, looks stunning as well.
What about the other presentations of “Oppenheimer?”
The movie is wonderful, no matter how you see it. But the shape and feel of the movie changes profoundly when watching it on a traditional screen with traditional digital projection. If you have the option to see it any other way, take that option first before settling on regular old projection.
In order of preference, how would you suggest you view “Oppenheimer?”
This is purely opinion, based on how I’ve watched the movie already, and obviously subjective to however you have access to the movie and how the movie is being presented in your area, but this would probably the best (to worst) way to watch “Oppenheimer:”
- IMAX 70 mm
- 70 mm
- Digital IMAX
- Dolby
- 35mm
- Traditional digital projection.
The most important part of this whole thing is, of course, that you watch it in a theater if at all possible. Yes, movies are expensive and it’s sometimes impossible to arrange your life to be able to go watch one. But the time and attention put into this movie is well worth the effort. And you won’t feel shortchanged. It’s a 3-hour behemoth that is worth all the fuss.
“Oppenheimer” is in theaters Friday.
