What do you get when two highly anticipated, yet polar-opposite films are scheduled to release on the same day? Barbenheimer.
What is Barbenheimer you might ask? A meme-ification and cultural phenomenon from the simultaneous release of two of the most anticipated blockbusters of the year, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.
At first glance, the films could not be more different. For a kick-off one is a historical recreation, grounded in reality and partially shot in black and white – the other takes place in a candy-coloured world of shiny plastic. It’s fantastic.
A hyper-saturated world bathed in bright colours going head-to-head with a dark and intense retelling of the creation of the atomic bomb is a bizarre pairing to say the least.
But how can two totally and tonally, aesthetically opposite films grab the attention of the same movie buffs?
Who cares. Cinema is back, baby! Thriving not surviving. It’s the battle of the blockbusters and we’re here for it.
The suspense is intense and whichever team you’re on, there’s no denying both films look great. Literally. We’re talking cinematography and visual style here. Worlds apart but both art, respectively.
The lenses. The lighting. The composition. The framing. The colour-grading. These stunning spectacles are a videographer’s wet dream (trust us) and must be seen on the big screen.
Nolan gets it. In addition to its three-hour epic run time (shoutout to the editor), Oppenheimer is raising eyebrows for a different kind of length.
Favouring film over digital, director Christopher Nolan’s reels used to shoot the saga stretches 11 miles and weighs 600lbs. Talk about a long movie.
“The sharpness and the clarity and the depth of the image is unparalleled,” says Nolan. “By shooting on IMAX 70mm film, you’re literally letting the screen disappear.
“You’ve got a huge screen and you’re filling the peripheral vision of the audience. You’re immersing them in the world of the film.”
Respect the aspect.
The hype could not be higher and the conversation couldn’t be louder. 21 July 2023 will forever be remembered as a landmark day in cinematic history.
*Cue tenuous link and shameless self promotion*
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