The Two Movies Cillian Murphy Watched To Prepare For Oppenheimer
"Oppenheimer" is huge. It's one of Christopher Nolan's most massive movies, a sprawling epic that covers the life and times of J. Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb. The film spans several years of Oppenheimer's life, zeroing in on specific time periods — specifically the lead-up to the building of the bomb, and then the aftermath when Oppenheimer's career was destroyed due to his leftist leanings. As I wrote in my review, "Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' is nothing short of extraordinary. In what might be his magnum opus, Nolan has meticulously crafted a biopic that feels like a thriller. He's also managed to find a way to make 3 hours of people sitting in rooms talking at each other downright exciting."
Like all movies, "Oppenheimer" draws on films that came before it. It owes a debt or two to Oliver Stone's "JFK," in how it's a star-studded, 3-hour epic about grave decisions, and Nolan has cited Andrei Tarkovsky's "Mirror" as an inspiration, too. And Nolan isn't the only one drawing on other works. His star Cillian Murphy also turned to films for inspiration. Per the Independent, when it came time to make the movie, Murphy watched two specific movies as research. This was all part of Murphy's process to "connect with and find the truth" of his character.
Lawrence of Arabia
The first film on Murphy's list: David Lean's massive 1962 epic "Lawrence of Arabia." The film stars Peter O'Toole as T. E. Lawrence and follows his journey uniting Arab tribes during World War I. It's often held up as one of the best movies ever made, and it covers a huge amount of ground in its lengthy runtime. As Roger Ebert wrote, "For a movie that runs 216 minutes, plus intermission, 'Lawrence of Arabia' is not dense with plot details. It is a spare movie in clean, uncluttered lines, and there is never a moment when we're in doubt about the logistical details of the various campaigns."
Murphy says he watched "Lawrence of Arabia" "in terms of the scale and the life-story aspect," and that makes a lot of sense. Like "Oppenheimer," "Lawrence of Arabia" is a biopic that doesn't really feel like a traditional biopic. It's not a cradle-to-the-grave story, but rather a glimpse into a period in the life of its main character. Nolan takes a similar approach to "Oppenheimer," zeroing in on specific times in Oppenheimer's life rather than telling his complete life story.
Amadeus
The second movie Murphy watched: "Amadeus," Miloš Forman's 1984 film about the death of Mozart. The film is heavily fictionalized and focuses primarily on F. Murray Abraham's Antonio Salieri, a composer who is fiercely jealous of Mozart's talents, which Salieri sees as divine. He loathes that Mozart is better than him, and his insecurities drive him mad to the point that he plots to destroy Mozart. The rivalry between the two men is played up by having Salieri working to sabotage Mozart while Mozart remains blissfully, tragically unaware.
If you've seen "Oppenheimer," you can probably guess why Murphy watched this film. The rivalry between Mozart and Salieri mirrors the rivalry between Oppenheimer and Lewis Strauss, played by Robert Downey Jr. Strauss offers Oppenheimer a job early in the film, and the two appear to be colleagues on friendly terms. But a perceived slight from Oppenheimer burns at Strauss for years and causes him to sabotage Oppenheimer's career late in life, just as Salieri targeted Mozart. As Murphy put it, he watched "Amadeus" "because of Salieri and Mozart, that kind of competitive relationship."
The one-two punch of "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Amadeus" can be seen reflected in "Oppenheimer," be it through the film's sprawling nature or its story about a bitter rivalry between two men. No wonder Murphy turned to these movies for inspiration.