Oppenheimer Photo Hints Nolan Is Reviving One Of His Best Tricks

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Christopher Nolan has released a first-look image of Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer, which hints the director will be returning to one of his best cinematography tricks. Universal Pictures shared the first official image from Oppenheimer, a simple black-and-white shot depicting Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer. With Murphy donning a 1950s-style hat, suit, and a cigarette on his lips, Oppenheimer’s first look image accurately recreates a picture of the real-life theoretical scientist.

Following Tenet, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer depicts the life of the title character J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is particularly notable for his involvement in WWII’s Manhattan Project, which earned him, among others, the moniker of the "father of the atomic bomb.” Nolan’s Oppenheimer already has a significant advantage for the director’s skills, with the subject matter being posed to combine his typical themes and genres of action, time, existential conflicts, metaphysical elements, and high-concept scientific plot devices. Oppenheimer’s star-studded cast also hints at the upcoming biopic possibly becoming Nolan’s best film, with the first image of Murphy’s character suggesting the director is utilizing all of his greatest calling cards.

Related: Everything We Know About Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer

While Oppenheimer’s first image proved how incredible the casting of Cillian Murphy was, the black-and-white picture also shows that Nolan is returning to a film medium he excels in. According to IndieWire, Oppenheimer is the first film to shoot in IMAX black-and-white analog photography. Nolan’s first two films, Following and Memento, were both creatively shot in black-and-white to different effects, with Oppenheimer seemingly