Read these reviews as they come out at CineMancuso! My first introduction to IMAX 70mm film was back in the summer of 2017; I went to see Dunkirk at the IMAX theater in Providence, one of only 30 in the world capable of projecting this premium film format. I probably hadn’t seen a film projected on film *at all* since the practice was phased out for more reliable (if less dynamic) digital projectors about a decade earlier, and I had grown dubious of the fetishization and idolization of “film,” a pervasive fixation of “film bros” at Tisch. But this was different - the colors were rich, the clarity outshined the best 4K televisions, and the intensity of the sound was matched only by a screen six stories tall, well beyond my peripherals. Easily Nolan’s most visual film, Dunkirk proved to be an incredible demonstration of this format’s power and cinema’s potential. I quickly became a film evangelist, particularly for IMAX 70mm, its expanded aspect ratio, arguably vertical in nature, stretching into the heavens. To my mind, every film should be made this way, yet many disagreed, citing the format’s strength as a weakness: it’s great for big movies, but it wouldn’t work for smaller stories. This perspective feels terribly shortsighted; the texture of the human face, framed with portraiture proportions, blown up to over 75 feet tall, produces a level of uncanny intimacy. That being said, Dunkirk, a high octane battle for survival, wasn’t the best showcase for this theory (and I didn’t see Nolan’s Tenet in theaters due to the pandemic). But finally, six years later, I’ve been vindicated by Oppenheimer, a three-hour interpersonal-political-thriller-epic-tragedy that prioritizes the humanity at the heart of history - to great success. Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan, 2023) Review originally published on July 28th, 2023. #oppenheimer #christophernolan #atomicbomb #cillianmurphy #filmreview This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cinemancuso.substack.com
