Oscars 2024: The holy Trinity enter the pantheon

He introduced anterograde amnesia at the turn of the century; brought magic to the screens with Prestige. He gave birth to a hero we deserved but not the one we needed and posed the question, "why so serious?" 

Thereafter he took us dreaming, beyond galaxies far far away where his protagonists contacted fifth-dimensional beings but in the end, it was a simple bomb that nuked him to his much-deserved and eagerly awaited Oscar.

Christopher Nolan finally has his Oscar, ladies and gentlemen. As of the morning of 11 March, at the 96th Academy Awards, the British filmmaker won the 'Best Director' award, and his movie 'Oppenheimer' cashed in with six more.

"Movies are just a little over a hundred years old. We don't know where this incredible journey is going from here. But to know that you think I'm a meaningful part of it, means the world to me," said Nolan after receiving his much cherished Oscar; a feat that is going to be as loudly celebrated by fans all over the world as Di Caprio's win in 2016.

On a night of firsts, it's almost as if the holy trinity of Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr were destined to have their first taste of Oscars glory. 

RDJ scooped up the Oscar for 'Best Supporting Actor', not for being a superhero this time, but for playing the bad guy in 'Oppenheimer.' He played Lewis Strauss, the guy who basically tried to cancel the father of the atomic bomb by whispering "communist" into every ear in the US Atomic Energy Commission.

Yes, the very same guy who, during his job interview to become President Eisenhower's commerce secretary, got his anti-Oppenheimer shenanigans aired out like dirty laundry at a congressional hearing.

In his victory speech, Downey thanked an array of influences, starting with his "terrible childhood," followed by the Academy, and then his wife, Susan. He likened himself to a "snarling rescue pet" that Susan somehow managed to "love back to life." 

Critics couldn't get enough of him, especially since RDJ is usually the guy in the metal suit saving the world as Iron Man. This time, he was on the other end of the spectrum, playing someone you'd love to hate. Downey, the guy we know as the charmer, the fast-talker, and yes, the occasional junkie and hustler on screen, proved once again that he can do just about anything. And this time, it won him an Oscar. 

Cillian Murphy, the 'Peaky Blinder' who's been Nolan's go-to guy for nearly twenty years, usually finds himself in the supporting cast. But Nolan, in a move that could only be described as a plot twist in Murphy's career, decided it was time for him to take centre stage.

"In the most English way possible, Chris pretty much said, 'Listen, I've written this script, it's about Oppenheimer. I'd like you to be my Oppenheimer'," Murphy had said previously. And just like that, a star was born…again, but this time in a lead role.

As a first time nominee, Murphy dazzled his way to the Best Actor award, playing the father of the atomic bomb. Fans could not help but have flashbacks of the nerve-racking countdown to the Trinity nuclear test scene in July 1945 – a day that had everyone biting their nails, unsure if they were about to witness a groundbreaking invention or their own untimely demise.

However, Oppenheimer's Oscar triumph is not without its critics. Nolan has been blasted for helping sustain the narrative that it was the dropping of the two nukes and dropping of the two nukes alone which brought the Pacific war to an end. 

Not to mention there is not even an inkling of the Japanese narrative. Many critics and moviegoers expected added nuances from the veteran filmmaker when handling such a sensitive topic.

Historians today believe if Truman had waited just three days after Hiroshima for the Soviets to enter the war as the US insisted, the Japanese would likely have surrendered in about the same time frame. Nolan's three hour long epic did not have room for this. 

The film also fails to mention the deadly radiation the new weapon produced and how a radioactive cloud drifted over nearby villagers as a result of the Trinity nuclear test; they were not warned, and were then lied to about the effects. 

Despite all its cinematic triumphs to many, 'Oppenheimer' may very well be a moral failing celebrating American exceptionalism.

While Oppenheimer took home Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Score, Best Supporting Actor and Best Cinematography, other noteworthy achievements were witnessed. Emma Stone won Best Actress for 'Poor Things'. Best Original Screenplay went to 'Anatomy of a Fall'. 'The Zone of Interest' took Best International Feature. 22 year old Billie Eillish went on to become the youngest two-time Oscar winner for 'What was I made for?' and 'Godzilla Minus One' won Best Visual Effects.