Unlocking the Secrets: Christopher Nolan's Mind-Blowing Recreation of a Nuclear Explosion, No CGI Involved

Christopher Nolan, the renowned director of Oppenheimer, is known for his meticulous attention to detail and dedication to creating authentic films. Audiences were left in awe by the astonishing depiction of the atomic bomb detonation in Oppenheimer, leading to speculation about how the crew accomplished such a feat. Finally, the laborious process behind this scene has been unveiled.

Oppenheimer delves into the life of renowned American physicist Julius Robert Oppenheimer and his pivotal role in The Manhattan Project, a groundbreaking research endeavor that resulted in the creation of the first nuclear weapons. In a surprising revelation last December, Nolan captivated viewers by disclosing that the crew had recreated the notorious atomic bomb explosion entirely without CGI. As anticipation for the film grew, particularly among fans eagerly awaiting the captivating Barbenheimer (Barbie movie and Oppenheimer) double feature, details about the film's cinematic techniques remained under wraps— until now.

So, what led to the culmination of the ten-minute sequence of the Trinity Test? According to Variety, it was a combination of various factors. In a recent interview, cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, who worked on Oppenheimer, shared that extensive scientific experiments and numerous trial and error attempts contributed to the creation of this breathtaking scene. The crew undertook a weeks-long project to avoid heavily relying on digital visual effects, as such effects would considerably reduce the film's resolution. To bring their ambitious vision to life, they adopted a multifaceted approach. They used a combination of different techniques, such as employing long and short shutter speeds, utilizing wide negative color, and deliberately underexposing certain shots. Furthermore, they conducted experiments involving built-in aquariums and molded metallic balloons. By cross-cutting these techniques and incorporating innovative ideas, the crew successfully crafted the awe-inspiring sequence that can be seen in the film.

However, the team encountered more than just the final explosion as a technical difficulty. While Oppenheimer primarily focuses on the Father of the Atomic Bomb himself, there is also another storyline intertwined in the film, featuring United States Secretary of Commerce Lewis Strauss, portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. In order to distinguish between these simultaneous narratives, Nolan and van Hoytema opted to incorporate black and white elements into the movie. However, they faced a challenge as black and white IMAX stock in the 70 mm format, which the film was shot in, did not exist. To address this issue, van Hoytema approached Kodak, the photography company, and requested them to manufacture the required stock.

This is not the first time Nolan has embarked on using challenging methods to bring a story to the silver screen. In his 2020 film, Tenet, Nolan orchestrated the explosion of a 747 plane at a functioning airport. Additionally, the zero-gravity fight scenes in Inception and the mid-fight plane hijacking in The Dark Knight Rises are just a few instances that exemplify the director's unwavering commitment to capturing realistic shots.

Oppenheimer is now playing in theaters.

Source: Variety