Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”, along with the mesmerizing cinematography and music (by Ludwig Göransson) is a pinnacle example of the individual being immersed into the perceiving of the object and knowing “The Idea” without any attentivity to one’s environment and surroundings.
Schopenhauer explains in The World as Will and Representation that when the individual comes to knowing the Idea, he “…gives the whole power of his mind to perception, sinks himself entirely in this, and lets his whole consciousness be filled with the quiet contemplation of the natural object actually present, whether a landscape, a tree, a mountain, a building, or whatever it may be…” (WWR, v1, bk3, §§34) With this particular scene in “Oppenheimer”, Christopher Nolan purposely structures and fills it with breathtaking landscapes, microscopic particles, and instances of artistic contemplation as a means of immersing the audience into the film. The orchestral music contributing to this intention, as it rises in tempo and intensity (as if it gets faster and stronger to drag the viewer deeper into this contemplative mentality). Another important factor to take away from this clip is the person in it. You’ll see that throughout the clip, the individual looks up to admire the architecture, stares to admire the painting, and experiences moments of captivation. The very mentality that Schopenhauer explains should and will be when knowing “the Idea”, is exactly what the person is experiencing in this scene. Christopher Nolan is therefore communicating his intention, which is to say that one is meant to be completely lost in the components that make up this masterpiece.
My personal experience when having seen this film, particularly this scene, was memorable. The emotional soundtrack and beautiful picture work were such crucial factors in me being completely engulfed in the film. I had lost track of time, my environment…even forgot my father was sitting next to me at times. As Schopenhauer eloquently puts it, “…so that it is as if the object alone were there, without any one to perceive it, and he can no longer separate the perceiver from the perception, but both have become one, because the whole consciousness is filled and occupied with one single sensuous picture…” (WWR, v1, bk3, §§34) During the duration of this scene, I was merely a reflection of my perception. My sole focus and mind were in perfect unison with this transcendent unification between film and music. The experience was so unlike anything I’d ever experienced before, that I ended seeing it two additional times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=841pjQpB_3w&ab_channel=Cinemain4k