Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has become one of the biggest hits of the year, grossing over $942 million at the box office. The historical biopic which portrayed the real-life socio-pollical atmosphere of the 1940s Manhattan Project and the aftermath of the development of the atomic bomb impressed audiences everywhere around the world. Through the eyes of Cillian Murphy, the horrors and the terrifying reality of such an invention are displayed with such an enormous impact.
The film also showed the horrifying event of the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but only through some visuals and references, which deeply affected Murphy’s J. Robert Oppenheimer. The film didn’t actually show the aftermath of how the Japanese handled and lived after such an atrocity. This aspect became a talking point for one maverick director when discussing Nolan’s film.
Spike Lee Says Oppenheimer Should Have Shown The Aftermath of the Bombing
Maverick director Spike Lee recently talked about the success of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. While the director has nothing but kind words for Nolan and the film, he provided an interesting comment about what the film should have shown. Lee addressed that the film throughout its 3 hours runtime should have included some portions showing the aftermath of the Japanese bombings and its harrowing effect on the people of Japan.
He told The Washington Post,
“And Chris Nolan with Oppenheimer, you know, he’s a massive filmmaker. Great film. I showed [Dunkirk] in my class. And this is not a criticism. It’s a comment. How long was that film? [Oppenheimer]. If it’s three hours, I would like to add some more minutes about what happened to the Japanese people. People got vaporized. Many years later, people are radioactive.
It’s not like he didn’t have power. He tells studios what to do. I would have loved to have the end of the film maybe show what it did, dropping those two nuclear bombs on Japan. Understand, this is all love. And I bet he could tell me some things he would change about Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X.”
Lee’s input would have made the film more impactful and provided a more three-dimensional narrative. His comments were also a factor of some criticism that some critics and audiences pointed out in the film. Nonetheless, the film has become a huge hit for Nolan and Universal.
Christopher Nolan Will be Honored by The Federation of American Scientists
As reported by Deadline, Christopher Nolan will be honored by The Federation of American Scientists this November. He will be given the Public Service Award for his outstanding portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer. The organization’s CEO Daniel Correa told Deadline,
“Nolan’s film depicts the scientists who formed FAS in the fall of 1945 as the ‘Federation of Atomic Scientists’ to communicate the dangers of nuclear weapons to the public. We continue to pursue their vision of a safer world, especially as current events remind us that those dangers are real and resurgent,”
Nolan also expressed his gratitude for the tremendous honor given to him, telling Deadline,
“I am especially honored to be recognized by the Federation of American Scientists, a body formed to give scientists a voice in policy making during the very period we attempt to portray in Oppenheimer.”
The film is also a strong awards contender for many prestigious awards next year. It remains to be seen whether Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr, and Nolan receive their long-deserved Oscars this time.
