Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Universal/Warner Bros.
In a Christopher Nolan film, even the sex has to feel intellectual.
Much has been made of the bizarre intimacy scenes in Oppenheimer, and understandably so. Romance is rare in Nolan’s filmography, and this film marks the first sex scenes in the director’s career—which might explain why their execution could most kindly be described as “jarring.” (When was the last time you went to the multiplex and watched someone read a sacred text off of a woman’s breasts?)
Paradoxically, however, Nolan’s sex allergy might’ve benefitted his career. At least, it befits this era in film, as the erotic thriller continues to atrophy and romantic comedies are still languishing. Meanwhile, sex scenes are disappearing—and discussions that keep cropping up about whether they’re really “necessary.” Over and over, the implication seems to be that a sufficiently smart film should not need cheap thrills like sex scenes.