How could a three-hour movie about a theoretical physicist appeal to mass audiences?

Hand it to Christopher Nolan, of course, whose adaptation of the 2005 biography American Prometheus made almost $1 billion at the box office.

The highest-grossing World War II film and biggest biopic ever is split into three distinct one hour acts.

The first introduces the audience to Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer and his scientific work, before the second takes the form of a heist movie in which he recruits…