Nolan's masterpiece 'Oppenheimer' wins best picture Oscar

LOS ANGELES - It is, in the words of its director, the story of the most important person who ever lived.

And on Sunday, "Oppenheimer" completed its indomitable march towards Hollywood's most important prize, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Christopher Nolan's masterpiece -- the story of the brilliant physicist who oversaw the invention of the atomic bomb, changing the world forever -- is a grand, old-fashioned blockbuster for grown-ups.

Shot on a $100-million budget, "Oppenheimer" spared no expense and bucked the recent trend of smaller, indie movies winning the most prestigious Oscar.

A cast was assembled from Tinseltown's top A-list, a replica of 1940s Los Alamos was secretly constructed on a mountain in New Mexico, and the test of the first-ever nuclear bomb was recreated with vast quantities of real explosives.

The effect was spellbinding, for audiences and critics alike.

Released last July, "Oppenheimer" immediately drew rave reviews and shattered box office expectations.

It went on to collect nearly $1-billion around the world and won a total of seven Academy Awards at Sunday's gala.

Cillian Murphy, a frequent and trusted collaborator from five previous Nolan films, was cast in the titular role, with Robert Downey Jr as his bitter, furtive rival, Lewis Strauss.

The two men won best actor and best supporting actor on Sunday, respectively.

A stellar ensemble cast included Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Kenneth Branagh, Gary Oldman and Rami Malek.

The movie was Nolan's first in two decades not to be released by Warner Bros.