Why Sound Is Key To Oppenheimer's Profound Effect

Sound is The Skeleton Of The Film

From the blaring brass in Inception to the soft piano and strings in Interstellar , sound has played a key role in every Christopher Nolan movie ever. In the case of Oppenheimer , however, the sound is the skeleton of the film.

Oppenheimer Perfectly Builds a Marvelous, Yet Haunting Cinematic Experience

The iterations of what can be termed as the love theme of Oppenheimer and quantum physics are irregularly interrupted by his visions of an atom splitting and the massive consequences it can bring, or even something as "harmless" as a ripple effect caused by a raindrop.

Highlights The Urgency His Team is Met With as They Race Against The Nazis to First Create The Bomb

Even when the preparations start for the Manhattan Project, the glorious strings are met with discordant notes and blaring horns, literally implying that they were playing with fire.

As Much as He Wants to Mean Every Word He Says, His Conscience is Rattled

Probably one of the best uses of sound in the movie is during the scene when Oppenheimer addresses the crowd after the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.

First The Explosion Happens, Then The Sound Comes

This plays a key role in the final atomic bomb explosion we see in the test. As per the laws of physics, light travels faster than sound, which is why there is a slight delay in the sound of the explosion reaching the spectators.