Best Actor 2023: Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy won his Oscar from his first Oscar nomination for portraying J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer.

Oppenheimer tells the life and trials of the father of the atomic bomb.

After several supporting collaborations between Cillian Murphy and director Christopher Nolan, the latter finally cast the former in the lead role of one of his films, and seemingly waiting for the ideal opportunity, Nolan found that in the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer. A casting decision fundamental to the film, where while Murphy might not be a dead-ringer, he's remarkably close in terms of the physical presence needed for the iconic figure of the atomic age. That isn't to say that Murphy rests on the great physical casting as he seeks to recreate the man, however Murphy's method, unlike maybe a couple other historically based performances from 2023, is decidedly unfussy, though incredibly effective. Murphy's vocal work here is outstanding though very subtle in taking on Oppenheimer's specific vocal cadence into his performance. It isn't something you even think about because it is just simply IS part of his performance, that makes you just accept him as Oppenheimer, also known as, the ideal way to include such a quality into a performance. Although as subtle it is, it is as dynamic as Murphy's vocal work crafts different eras and styles of Oppenheimer convincingly, though in such a natural way that you don't even necessarily think about it, however it does entrench you more into accepting him wholly as the man. Although quite fascinating though is the fact that Murphy doesn't make it a singular idea even, rather it is a most dynamic voice he uses, throughout the film, as there isn't a single Oppenheimer voice, even though they all seem just natural coming from Murphy, but that is the nature of his performance that is decidedly unfussy while technically doing things that are typically are very fussy and in roles that seem to bring some of the more obvious choices out of actors.

Not Murphy though who I have always had a great deal of an affection for as a performer, and this is just him being dialed in, where he is clearly making the most out of his opportunity to finally take the lead for Nolan. I suppose I might as well go by chronological order, mostly, though an element of greatness of this work is the way Murphy's performance comments on different segments of his work through his portrayal of other moments that combine and amplify scenes in a rare way. His earliest work in the early days of Oppenheimer as a man is perhaps the most straightforward though still extremely captivating work. As really technically Murphy is much too old to be playing young Oppenheimer but I didn't think twice about it when watching the film because Murphy crafts completely his own Oppenheimer for these scenes that are distinct within the overarching character. Murphy's physical manner is wholly different as much more a man not quite comfortable in his own skin, creating more of an innate anxiety in even just the more hurried way he moves. His voice is not of the iconic Oppenheimer voice we will come to know, it's a bit more soft, thin even, and truly that of a man still needing to come into his own. More importantly though there is something very different in Murphy's eyes, which let's talk about Murphy's eyes which are some of the most powerful eyes out of an actor really with how striking they truly are. Murphy and Nolan are clearly well aware of this, and so many of the moments of the film are dependent on those blue windows to his soul here. As the young Oppenheimer Murphy's eyes show the man looking beyond the known realm, but when he looks into that realm from beyond he looks at it with a genuine fear of what it is as a man who is not yet ready to face the void.

After a few words of wisdom and confidence from Niels Bohr (Kenneth Branagh) Oppenheimer moves off to discover theoretical physics on his own turn and Murphy begins to adjust his work. Although there certainly still is some confidence to be found it is no longer hidden within the fear of the visions, now the key point is the way Murphy looks into these moments with a fascination of a man who wants to know more about what had haunted him. The particular success of Murphy's performance in these scenes is actually fundamental to the film itself, because Murphy makes himself this lynchpin to the film, as the object in which all other things must orbit his gravity, and in some moments it is within the power of his presence that he creates the intrigue of a scene. Murphy is magnetic, however magnetic in his way that is so distinctly him, and just seems ideal for Oppenheimer here, as someone who just seems fascinating, and only is that much more when he begins to speak. Within these scenes we are also given what will be a key feature of his performance which is crafting each individual relationship with the massive cast of characters one of the earliest as such being with Isidor Isaac Rabi (David Krumholtz), a fellow American and Jew he meets during his European travels. And as relatively brief as this relationship is screen time wise, it's absolutely wonderful the amount of warmth that Murphy does bring within the withdrawn Oppenheimer as he converses with a like minded man in multiple ways. There's such a sense of appreciation for another, but Murphy also conveys effectively the moments of thinking of the Nazis as the underlying dread within him. Murphy speaks of this as something that does eat at him, though only a minor aspect at this point.

Oppenheimer finds his place teaching theoretical physics while exploring the possibilities of it and we see the next evolution of Oppenheimer. Murphy is great in increasing the charisma mixed in with the passion and his voice changing slightly again to be all the more exact. As Murphy in these scenes shows a man wholly at ease with his work and as someone truly invigorated for the possibilities of it all. There he exudes the power of his personality as a man going headfirst into it all, and creates the right sense of a man largely optimistic in his aims. In this phase seeing the man not at all troubled professionally to the point where he speaks of his left leaning causes quite openly even towards his more conservative though not regressive colleague Ernest Lawrence (Josh Hartnett). And again Murphy fashions a different chemistry than with Krumholtz where the two instead show specifically this excitement and eagerness to discuss their mutual life's passion for their work, though they come into natural conflict as Ernest pushes back on Oppenheimer's communist ties. Moments that Murphy presents with an effective naivety of believing there can be no ramifications for exploring all beliefs, and his eyes in that state of seeming contentment if not relief. Although similarly pushes back in moments against his openly communist brother and his initial girlfriend of the mentally troubled Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh). And while the relationship between Oppenheimer is the criticism I understand, although I disagree with it given it does serve a very specific point by providing what we see as the limitations of Oppenheimer as a man. Where we see through Murphy the incredible though specific charisma of the man that relates directly to his intelligence, which is always his method of wooing women. When speaking of matters of knowledge or study, Murphy makes Oppenheimer a master and creates that unique appeal through that.

Although matters of the personal, particularly those women, Murphy naturally undercuts the man in showing him in some ways a fool who can't really articulate himself well in terms of creating a wholly cohesive romantic connection. Rather Murphy reveals much more a man of emotional desperation and most importantly in these talks purely based on the romantic, Murphy shows the rare place of Oppenheimer stumbling and quite frankly being lost for words when anything is required beyond the most generalities. We even see this as well in his relationship with his eventual wife Kitty (Emily Blunt) who he too impresses again through his intelligence, where again Murphy makes the appeal of Oppenheimer very convincing. Whenever there is trouble between them though, such as Kitty's inability to properly raise their son, Murphy believably shows this other side of Oppenheimer of a man just lost. This never feels like a contradiction of any sort, rather a natural aspect of the man who may be a complete genius in the world of theoretical physics, even languages, but as just being a loving boyfriend or husband, he more than falls short. And I love that Murphy plays it straight as a direct strain of a man who just truly is lost in these moments, and there is here, unlike when speaking on those matters of intelligence, a man very trying in his words. In most scenes, Murphy shows a man just launching into any words and ready for any conversation at any speed. In these moments Murphy's performance is one of hesitation and reservation. He's a man who is out of his comfort zone and in this aspect of his life an utter failure.

In terms of theoretical success Oppenheimer is approached by General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) to be head of the Manhattan project, the development of a gigantic atomic bomb partly due to the concerns that the Nazis are developing one themselves. Murphy is amazing in the interview scene, and really every scene with Damon, as the two have a great almost comedic chemistry with one another, as two men who really know exactly what they want from each other while being not completely honest with one another, though honest in that they know they're not being honest. What I love what Murphy does is show the sheer excitement in Oppenheimer at the prospect, showing quite clearly that not only is he interested he truly wants it. He speaks to his accomplishments with pride, even the moment when recognizing he couldn't run a hamburger stand but could run the Manhattan project. Murphy's performance delivers this genuine excitement within Oppenheimer that is thrilling to watch as he creates the expertise of Oppenheimer though in a different way. Instead of speaking intelligently about matters of academia, now it is a matter of life and death seemingly in the race against the Nazis, and so much more, and Murphy presents Oppenheimer not just jumping at the opportunity but relishing it. There isn't a hint of reservation or even regret in Murphy's performance rather he conveys potently the sense of ambition in Oppenheimer to do this task, and to be the ONE to do this task. Murphy fittingly is captivating as he brings this energy to Oppenheimer seemingly at his apex while doing the project that will be what he believes to be the greatest achievement of his life.

The building of the bomb sequences are exceptional work in Murphy very much being, in film terms, the leader of the massive heist as we see him first go around recruiting all the best minds of the country then proceeding to wrangle them in all their different idiosyncrasies. Murphy brings the right kind of thrill where he takes us into these moments by bringing this innate sense of conviction within his performance of someone now with an exact purpose and vision. His manner when recruiting the scientists shows a man who is most in his command in speaking in his terms with exact truths and a specific certainty in his intention. Murphy shows this side of the project manager with this particular ease as we see in the moment where he manages to get Edward Teller (Benny Safdie) back from leaving after his ideas were put down by others, including instead building a Hydrogen bomb. Murphy's great in this moment because he doesn't present his wrangling of Teller in this moment as true manipulation, nor does he present it as someone who is truly into the Hydrogen bomb as anything more than a scientific curiosity, rather a charismatic leader who knows he has to make compromises and encourage all as long as he is keeping each of them in the direction of completing the bomb, which for Oppenheimer in this moment is his "masterpiece" as a man.  

Within the bomb project sequence though there are key moments where sort of the confidence of Oppenheimer is challenged for reasons relating to his past and his connection to the communist party. The first is when a friend casually mentions sending information to the Soviets about the bomb via a back channel which Oppenheimer puts down as treachery and attempts to reveal his friend's contacts name to the military. Murphy's great in the casual awkwardness he brings in the initial attempt to basically serve what he thinks should be his role as a loyal man within the government, though with the quiet sense of anxiety of a man trying to not give up his friend in the process as well. This is taken to an extreme however when the next day he is questioned, more so interrogated, by Colonel Pash (Casey Affleck). It is one of the best scenes in the film, as we see a particularly artful display by Murphy of a spider trying to swim out of water. It is particularly striking to see Oppenheimer in this moment, where his confidence seems at its apex, with Murphy so artfully speaking in this attempted stumbling and looking around as though trying to find an escape while being completely stuck in his place. Slightly different though is his conversation with Groves afterwards, who is supportive though concerned. The reflections of Murphy's performance being extraordinary in portraying the sheer tension of his work, as the nervousness is in the stiffness of his voice and his physicality that is so stiff in his needed defensiveness. Against Murphy's work with Damon, where he exudes such a potent sense of memory and reflection of that tension, while containing this slight more openness that alludes to his sense of loyalty to his friend holding him back from clearing himself of the situation. The other moment is Oppenheimer learning of the death of Jean Tatlock, where Murphy is incredible in showing the blunt ineptitude of his emotional state of the relationship. Presenting the man wholly lost, and essentially nearly ready to die himself, in this matter in which he was never able to fully understand nor had the emotional maturity to handle.

These situations mark a slight shift eventually where a man becomes more weighted down both by his life and his situation, particularly once his target is no longer the Nazis and now the Japanese. With this motivation, being part but not all of Murphy's portrayal of the sense of the gravity of creating the bomb. Murphy when explaining Oppenheimer's reason for the race against the Nazi there is a slight doubt but also his delivery has the very logical sense of someone who has thought through this idea much, maybe too much. Even after the Nazi defeat Oppenheimer confronts the scientist trying to stop the work on the bomb and Oppenheimer's motivation changes slightly believing the bomb can be used to end all wars with the use of it being necessary to avoid further use of it. Murphy's ability to articulate this idea is simply incredible because he is convincing in the moment in the sense, and it isn't at all a lie from Oppenheimer's mouth at this moment. There is the calm reason of the voice of a man that has indeed convinced himself and has that charisma to convince others of this idea. Murphy's work of the moment though sets up the initial wall that slowly crumbles as they move closer to the testing of the bomb, even when other scientists become passionate to not drop the bomb. Murphy's performance in these moments is key because his reaction is not that of someone denying the concern, rather he is someone who wants to move past it with again in his eyes this certain fixation now to seeing his ambition come to light. it isn't something pronounced within the script, but so pronounced within his performance. With it spoken in the way Oppenheimer does offer the objection within the discussion over the bomb, though by Oppenheimer's standards his charisma being purposefully substandard, not that he purposefully is failing to deliver the message but his heart is not in it.

The greatness of Murphy as a performer is multifaceted with his ability with more overt scenes, but also very quiet ones and exuding something without frequently saying that. This facet of his ability is captivatingly on display throughout the sequence of building up to the dropping of the bomb. Murphy while still being the leader overtly, however in just minor choices in physical manner brings this sense of anticipation but also urgency in the preparations, there is excitement but also fear. His expressions as they construct his creation are different now, as his eyes seem to see the true weight of it, as they needle closer and closer to the Trinity test. With Murphy's work during the test sequence itself just being extraordinary in containing every ounce of the mix of the fear and expectation as it is about to go off. Then the moment itself Murphy's reaction is perfect because it isn't a singular emotion as there is awe, there is discovery, there is relief but there is also terror. Within the celebrations afterwards where he is congratulated by all though is equally important, as Murphy in the scene shows the man seemingly having crafted the "masterpiece" he sought, with no implications in this moment just happiness and Murphy is glowing as Oppenheimer has seemingly achieved his ambition. Almost immediately "all fame is fleeting" and Murphy's performance, even when making ignored recommendations for using the bomb, there is the sudden dread now within his work, subtle but apparent. Although perhaps even a little more as a man who seems almost slightly lost since his early days now with his ambition achieved, even his attempt to justify it again, Murphy's voice shakes, doubt is now present.

And that brings us to one of the great scenes of 2023, where Oppenheimer announces the successful use of the bomb on Japan, in the Los Alamos town hall, Murphy delivering for the first time an entirely perfunctory speech as the expected voice of the victor, meanwhile the drifting anxiety and realization of what he has unleashed on the Japanese comes to him. Murphy's eyes filled with the sheer intensity of this realization as he images the horror in his mind and Murphy's performance contains in it the devastating impact of his choice. Murphy's performance is no longer the same from this moment on, not presenting the man who has unleashed the fire he can never contain again. Which we immediately see as he speaks to Harry S. Truman (Gary Oldman) about the bomb, where Murphy is again amazing by actually not being the charismatic Oppenheimer in these scenes instead naturally stumbling in his attempt to convey his view for once to a decidedly unimpressed Truman. Murphy's delivery of "I feel I have blood on my hands" being absolutely brilliant as the moment of admission as this internalized shame, which Murphy presents almost as a man in a confessional. Murphy's ability to convey so much emotion in his face is truly unforgettable as Truman derides Oppenheimer's sorrow, because in a moment there is the sense of the startling realization of of his guilt, the lack of empathy in the men he had been working for and I think even how very minor he suddenly seems in the moment, as Murphy brings such a weight in making Oppenheimer seem meek all in one expression, Something that is especially impactful, as he was anything but since his college days.

After this point, which is also the point Oppenheimer's major opponent Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.), he has become the famous Oppenheimer and Murphy in every moment within this time-frame delivers his cadence to the pure Oppenheimer cadence he had become known for and we the see the crafted image of the man who needed to craft an image in order to be understood and make an impact. The version who could seem dismissive within his image as believed to be by Lewis Strauss, as Murphy in the moment of really Oppenheimer to the "public" performance that could seem dismissive just through sheer confidence, though Murphy striking the essential note in showing that in every slight against Strauss it is far so just part of the manner rather than genuine animus in any moment, even putting a shade of curiosity into "A lowly shoe salesman" when describing Strauss, though Strauss only hears the words not the delivery. Murphy effortlessly creates the man that seems to pester Strauss, so, well, effortlessly in making it also entirely an accident.  As in part Oppenheimer is the man voicing caution in arms building and attempting to prevent the creation of the Hydrogen bomb to react to the Soviet Atomic bomb tests. Where Murphy's work now shows conviction of a different ilk, as the man seeing a vision again and speaking with grave confidence of someone who knows it be life and death. Although much like the film, let's hold off on the vision for the end.

 
The main framing device of the film is Oppenheimer's security clearance hearings that are threaded throughout the film and which act as the context and punctuation of many scenes. Murphy's work being the key in so much of this, as his reactions in the future, as the man worn down by experiences of his life and more importantly his legacy as he must watch as his whole life is ripped apart in front of him. Murphy's reactionary work of the different testimonies is absolutely stunning work because there is such an emotional weight to each and every one of them. As we see the wearing down of his attempts to close it off, and there is something truly powerful in the way Murphy is able to be so emotional while also so quiet at the same time. As every betrayal or sense of the witch trial that it is, Murphy makes you feel it from his every pour. His one major delivery in this sequence of "Is anyone going to tell the truth" being tremendous in how much devastation he's holding back even with those words. BUT, he's just as moving in portraying, again so closed off yet so open in every time someone surprises him such as Rabi's words of encouragement, Groves's reaffirmation of care and when Kitty passionately defends him and herself. In each Murphy reveals the real warmth in these moments that standout particularly in the mistreatment of him through much of the hearing. However as great as Murphy is as a silent performer, he is even greater in the moment of cross examination by prosecutor assigned by the board Roger Robb (Jason Clarke). This would be my favorite scene of the film if not for the final scene of the film, but regardless, Murphy is mesmerizing through every second of the scene as Robb tries to tear him down. Murphy's performance is of this marvelous crescendo, as he begins with quiet exact terms of trying to document his past, though with emotion breaking from him as he is challenged by the death count of the bomb, a mix of trying to cope while his eyes show the sheer wretched pain of the decision. Murphy's delivery gets more intense as he has to explain his previous actions with the result of them, before cultivating a growing stress as he's challenged by the progress of the hydrogen bomb and becoming an opponent. Connecting the two bombs as an attack against Oppenheimer, with Murphy attempting to defer in calmly explaining what he did officially while his face searing with what he feels. Murphy's "I couldn't" when faced with the idea of potentially having created an even greater devastation with the idea of Hydrogen bomb, is filled with such extraordinary heartbreak and grief of a man trying desperately to explain himself but the guilt ripping out of him. The final note of the crescendo being his passionate defense of his later views with such tremendous power as he notes that building bombs to defend against the Soviets would only create more bombs as his voice sears in both pain and passion. Although his somber final note after a long rest, is just beautifully poignant work of him recognizing his guilt and naivety in seeing what his "masterpiece" truly was as he saw it only led to notions of greater destruction not less. And that notion we go back to an earlier scene where he converses with Albert Einstein (Tom Conti), who he previously spoke to about the chance, that was later proven extremely unlikely, that a nuclear explosion would destroy the whole world by igniting the atmosphere. The older man provides words of comfort, while Oppenheimer finally speaks his vision aloud of his belief that creating the first nuclear bomb will in fact destroy the world, and we see the consideration of the most deadly of existential threats in Murphy's singular expression. Murphy provides so much of the tremendous power of the climax through his transfixing glare that says every word of this threat unforgettably with only saying three simple words of "I believe we did". Cillian Murphy articulates every complexity of the complicated man that was Oppenheimer often with such nuanced and often modest choices, yet delivers crucial moments of devastating emotional impact in what is an extraordinary achievement.