Because of IMAX and huge running time: Christopher Nolan’s new movie “Oppenheimer” is so hard (!)

Today a message from the category “You don’t hear that every day, not even as a film editor”: Christopher Nolan’s new movieOppenheimerweighs 272 kilograms (600 pounds) and is 17.7 kilometers (11 miles) long – at least in what the director calls the “best possible experience.” To explain that, we have to go back: Because Christopher Nolan is a strong proponent of analog cinema, where real film still runs through a projector and not – as is common practice today – a digital copy of the film is shown.

Nolan is excited about IMAX

In the case of “Oppenheimer,” Nolan shot 65mm IMAX film and “regular” 65mm film, which is then shown in well-equipped movie theaters as a 70mm print (the 5mm difference comes from a time when the soundtrack was still saved to the camera roll). Christopher Nolan’s favorite version of “Oppenheimer” is therefore the 70mm IMAX version – and the accompanying rolls of film for the nearly three hour long film weigh over 270 kilograms as described at the beginning and contain over 17 kilometers of film in total.

“The sharpness and clarity and depth of the image is just unparalleled,” Nolan explains the news agency in addition. “The headline for me is that when you shoot 70mm IMAX film, the screen basically disappears. You get a sense of 3D without the 3D glasses. There is a large screen and it completely fills the field of view of the audience. This way you let them completely immerse themselves in the world of the film.”

Probably not available in Germany

The thing with the 70mm IMAX version of “Oppenheimer” is one thing though: this one will do Apparently only seen in the huge American cinema market and even there in only 25 (!) of the total of more than 2,200 cinemas (at least that’s the current status). In this country, the choice remains between a 70mm version (without IMAX) or a digital IMAX version.

According to the are sent to cinemas all over the world, especially in Germany. But the digital IMAX version should also be really great, said Nolan, who worked on it for six months with his team: “That’s the exciting thing about making an IMAX movie: when you scan the movie into the digital format, you work with the absolute best possible picture you can have.”

We adhere to: Even if you can’t make it to one of the 25 theaters in the US to see “Oppenheimer” in the 70mm IMAX version, you can also get a very, very decent version of the film in one of the ten IMAX cinemas in Germany and/or a cinema with a 70mm copy to see.

“Oppenheimer” begins July 20, 2023.