On the occasion of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, we look back at other film biographies that stood out for the unique way they treated their heroes and, at the same time, we turn our gaze to the US, the nuclear threat, its warlike past, and the open wounds it leaves behind.

In the footsteps of Oppenheimer

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Doug Liman (Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow) takes nightmarish legends from the battlefront and delivers a suspenseful war-zone thriller about two soldiers trapped behind a wall that’s about to collapse. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) and John Cena (Trainwreck).

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A psychological thriller following two soldiers trapped behind a collapsing wall by an Iraqi sniper. Their strength and spirit are tested as they struggle to stay alive and locate the threat.

The Wall

An exemplary biopic about the younger years of Marx, Engels and Jenny Marx. Ethics, philosophy and a journey through 19th century Europe, in a marvellous film by Raoul Peck (Oscar nominee for the documentary "I'm Not Your Negro").

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The 26-year-old Karl Marx, exiled from Germany, leaves with his wife, Jenny. In Paris in 1844, they meet Friedrich Engels, the son of a factory manager who has studied the origins of the proletariat in England. Together against censorship, police raids and political upheavals, they contribute to the birth of the labour movement, a movement that evolved into the most complete and seismic academic and political transformation of the western world after the Renaissance.

The Young Karl Marx

More political than ever, Richard Linklater uses his film's incredible emotional intimacy and three excellent leading men (Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston and Laurence Fishburne) to talk about America’s gaping wounds.

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Thirty years after they served together in the Vietnam War, a former Navy Hospital Corpsman reunites with his ex-marine buddies in order to ask for their help and support to bury his only son who died at the Iraq War.

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Audience Award | Virginia Film Festival | 2017

Last Flag Flying

Not just two legendary athletes, but two conflicting life views. On the one hand, the calm winner of 5 titles Swedish Bjorn Borg. On the other hand, the up-and-coming irritable American John McEnroe. The two of them will face each other on the ultimate terrain: the great Wimbledon final.

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Wimbledon final, 1980. The whole planet is breathlessly watching the most important tennis match in history, between two men who are currently considered the legends of the sport. The legendary battle, as well as its unknown background, are revealed in an exciting story about the expense of achieving your dreams: reaching the top of the world.

Borg Mcenroe

One of the most famous films in the history of cinema, Keaton's one-man show combines comedy and action, starting from the Civil War, having an influence even on blockbusters like “Mad Max: Fury Road”. This movie was acknowledged by the Congress as a historically and aesthetically significant piece.

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Civil War, 1862. A man is refused by the army because he is more useful as an engineer than as a soldier. His girlfriend, not understanding the reason, shuns him as a coward. He decides to prove her wrong by going in pursuit of a group of Northern spies who stole both his train and his girl.

The General 

Vincent Cassel portrays the emblematic artist of the title with great passion and drive, in a biography that explores the mechanisms of artistic creation and the relationship between civilization and nature, paganism and religion.

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Prior to becoming famous, French painter Paul Gauguin travels to Tahiti. His stay at the exotic island shapes his personality and drastically influences his artistic identity, gifting him everlasting fame.