Biographical films attract audiences

The film "Oppenheimer", directed, written and co-produced by Christopher Nolan, is the latest biographical work to hit theaters. The film was shown in Vietnamese theaters from August 11 and then continuously topped the Vietnamese box office revenue by day before giving way to another film.

Impressive Revenue

The film "Oppenheimer" is adapted from the book "American Prometheus" written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. The film revolves around the life of American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and the historical context of the final years of World War II. He was the one who collaborated in developing the first nuclear weapons in the Manhattan Project, known as the "father" of the atomic bomb.

Although it was initially rated as not easy to watch because the character's biography is often dry, "Oppenheimer" was warmly received by the audience. In Vietnam, the film earned nearly 29 billion VND according to statistics from Box Office Vietnam (a box office revenue statistics site). Globally, the film has earned more than 728 million USD, reaping high profits compared to its budget of 100 million USD. The work is still serving audiences in theaters, so it promises to continue to increase revenue. The film received an A from Cinema Score, 93% "fresh" from Rotten Tomatoes and 88 points from Metacritic.

Phim tiểu sử nhân vật hút khán giả - Ảnh 2.

A scene from the movie “Oppenheimer”. (Photo provided by the publisher)

The story is told from the perspective of J. Robert Oppenheimer, so the blood and fire of war does not appear, but the cruelty and horror are still clearly evident in the mind of the "father" of weapons of mass destruction. Honored as a hero for successfully creating two atomic bombs, after the war he lived in torment with internal conflicts between hero and sinner. In 1963, he was awarded the Enrico Fermi Prize by President Lyndon B. Johnson to restore his political prestige.

"Oppenheimer" has fictional details to make the story more coherent and attractive like many biographical films have done. The film also attracts audiences with its impressive storytelling, actors portraying the characters well, great sound and eye-catching images. However, the film also has limitations such as too many characters (more than 120 actors), the film's pace is very fast so audiences who do not follow closely will miss the details.

"Gold mine" of cinema

Immediately after its release, "Oppenheimer" received many compliments from film critics. Many writers praised the film's content, saying that the work is epic, vividly depicting the historical period at the end of World War II. According to insiders, this film is not inferior to "Dunkirk". The film "Oppenheimer" is considered a strong candidate for the categories of the 2024 Oscars.

This is not the first biographical film to attract world audiences and film critics. Previously, the history of cinema has included "The King's Speech", "Argo", "12 Years a Slave", "American Sniper"... These films also attracted great attention and received many golden statues of honor from the film to the elements involved in the work. This shows that, if made well with passion and talent, films that seem difficult to watch, dry, lacking entertainment elements can still convince audiences to go to the theater to enjoy.

"This is a film genre that attracts audiences, but how the characters are chosen, how they are executed, and whether they are convincing enough for the audience are important. In addition to investing in the script, setting, costumes, etc., this film genre requires a lot of acting from the actors. If the actors do not act convincingly, it will be difficult for the audience to believe that they are real characters," said journalist Cat Vu.

According to experts, the biographical film genre will continue to be attractive in the coming time, being a "gold mine" of world cinema. Whether or not this "gold mine" is successfully exploited depends on the investment, dedication and talent of the production team.

The Vietnamese film market has only had two film versions about the late musician Trinh Cong Son, which are the works that have pioneered musical biopics. In 2021, author Larry Berman announced the good news on his personal page that his book "X6 - Perfect Spy" about the life of intelligence major general Pham Xuan An would be adapted into a movie. He clearly stated that he had signed a contract with BHD Company in Vietnam and director Charlie Nguyen would be in charge of producing this film. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and general economic fluctuations, the project had to stop and there is currently no new information.

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