How Ludwig Goransson wove his strings of brilliance into Oppenheimer's silence
Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer boasts a remarkably dynamic aural landscape that is carefully crafted through both composer Ludwig Göransson's stunning original score and the film's brilliant sound design. Here’s a quick look at what was arguably the best cinematic auditory experiences that 2023 has had to offer.
Göransson's score serves as the pulsating heartbeat of the film, guiding the audience through the turbulent journey of J Robert Oppenheimer's life. It seamlessly intertwines with the narrative, enhancing the film's pace and tension, and allowing viewers to delve into the mind of one of the 20th century's most contentious geniuses.
Behind the scenes - recording the Oppenheimer score. https://t.co/vZowOdKVpB
— Ludwig Goransson (@ludwiggoransson) July 19, 2023
Göransson's skillful manipulation of the violin transforms it from a vessel of romantic vibrato to a conduit of manic neurosis, echoing the complexities within the conflicted genius. One moment, it's a love letter to physics, the next, a chilling descent into psychological horror. The violin, with its ability to shift from melodic tones to frenzied tremolos, becomes an embodiment of Oppenheimer's psyche.
The sophomore collaboration between Göransson and Christopher Nolan takes centre stage following their work on 2020’s Tenet, deftly eschewing the familiar "BWAAAAM" that Hans Zimmer brought to his previous films.
Instead, the score weaves a tapestry of urgency and excitement, a pulsating heartbeat for the race against the Nazis to harness humanity's city-levelling weapon. The film’s eerie violin trills followed by thundering drum rolls masterfully builds and relaxes tension.
Oppenheimer's conscience is personified by a thunderous auditory leitmotif, reverberating triumph and impending doom in one breath. This clever motif encapsulates the weight of Oppenheimer's choices, resonating with the audience on a primal level.
This motif's flexibility in interpretation adds layers of complexity to his character, reflecting the internal struggle he faces as he grapples with the consequences of his scientific achievements.
Göransson's score dances with his emotions like a tango. When Murphy's stressed, the music zooms in on those piercing blue eyes, making you feel the intensity of a crackling Gieger counter in the background. When he's emotionally broken, the score pulls you further and further, as if stuck in one of Oppie’s ‘dark stars’.
A dazzling sequence that follows a Niels Bohr's lecture sees Göransson's music, like a swift mathematician, embraces the idea of hearing equations like a symphony, intertwining algebra and music into a captivating montage. The tempo changes are a stroke of genius, reflecting Oppenheimer's intellectual development with each passing bar.
The film's intricate sound design further amplifies the experience, adding layers of depth and texture to the storytelling. It strikes a balance between realism and expressionism, mirroring the film's dichotomy between concrete reality and more abstract, emotional moments.
The sound design is meticulous in its attention to detail, effectively recreating the world of the film, from the academic ethos of Berkeley classrooms to the explosive intensity of the Trinity Test. These expressionistic flourishes, represented by Göransson's screeching strings and obsessive ostinatos, add mesmerising quality to the narrative, tying together its elements of discontinuity.
The Trinity Test itself is conveyed through a collage of single images. The combination of billowing flames, white light, and rapt faces creates a haunting and powerful visual sequence.
To complement this spectacle, a passage of absolute silence, a pure sonic vacancy, precedes the delayed "BOOM." This use of silence is an audacious and effective choice, heightening the impact of the explosion and creating an unforgettable cinematic moment. It allows the audience to fully absorb the magnitude of the Trinity Test and experience the weight of its consequences.
me watching Barbie when Oppenheimer in the next studio doing the trinity testpic.twitter.com/Ewk4thmODY
— Iqbal Rizkyansa (@sozee95) July 24, 2023
Göransson's score and the film's sound design work in tandem during this sequence, delivering a cinematic symphony of sound and visuals. The combination of screeching strings and obsessive ostinatos, along with moments of silence, enhances the intensity and emotion of the Trinity Test scene. The music becomes a character in itself, guiding the audience through the emotional highs and lows of this pivotal moment in history.
The sound of Oppenheimer is a triumph in film craftsmanship. Göransson's evocative score, centred around the violin's versatility, expertly complements the film's narrative, capturing the brilliance and complexity of its protagonist. The film's sound design adds a richness to its style of storytelling that amplifies its emotional resonance to greater heights.
At the very least, Oscar attention for Goransson does seem around the corner, alongside nods for the film's sound team.