Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
Christopher Nolan’s epic take on J. Robert Oppenheimer’s life and the Manhattan Project took theaters by storm.Oppenheimerconcluded its theatrical run at $950 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing biographical film. However, the film received some constructive criticism from Spike Lee for missing out on some crucial details. Nolan responded to theMalcolm Xdirector, expressing his appreciation for Lee’s perspective on the film.
Spike Lee remarked that the film didn’t depict the aftermath of the bombing on Japanese people. While others also shared this criticism, Nolan explained that the film intended to stay true to Oppenheimer’s experience.
Also Read:“People got vaporized”: Spike Lee Reveals The One Thing Oppenheimer Missed Out on – Was Christopher Nolan Right by Not Including it?
Christopher Nolan Graciously Responded to Spike Lee’s Criticism
WhileSpike Leewas mostly impressed withOppenheimer, he believed that the film didn’t fully portray the impact of the Japanese bombings. Lee explained to The Washington Post that he would have added a few more minutes to the film to show what happened to the Japanese people after the bombing. TheBlacKkKlansmandirector added thatChristopher Nolanhad the influence to present a completely unbiased picture. Lee toldThe Washington Post:
“And Chris Nolan with Oppenheimer, you know, he’s a massive filmmaker. Great film. 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.”
When asked about Lee’s comments in an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment, Christopher Nolan was gracious in his response. TheInceptiondirector focused on the fact that Spike Lee, his idol, thought his film was great. He also pointed out that theInside Mandirector was just sharing a perspective as a filmmaker. Nolan was thrilled that Lee found something meaningful in the movie. TheTenetdirector shared withYahoo! Entertainment:
“Spike Lee is one of my idols and for him to say that he thought Oppenheimer was a great film that was the bit I focused on [laughs]. He was very specific and respectful. He was saying that you know he would have done a particular thing because he’s a different filmmaker and filmmakers interpret things differently so I honestly was just thrilled that he got something out of the movie.”
Oppenheimer producer Emma Thomas concurred with Nolan, expressing fascination about how different directors would approach a subject matter and give it different interpretations.
Also Read:“It’s not like he didn’t have power”: Spike Lee Criticized Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer for Missing One Key Feature Despite Getting Critical Acclaim
Christopher Nolan Clarified About The Criticism
In another interview with Variety, Christopher Nolan explained the omission of the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the film. Nolan revealed that it was intentional as he wanted to stay true to the story of Oppenheimer, narrating it from his perspective. Nolan also noted that his film was as much about what he didn’t show as what he showed. Nolan did a great job of portraying Oppenheimer’s mental conflict once he realized the unintended consequences of his invention. Nolan toldVariety:
“The film presents Oppenheimer’s experience subjectively. It was always my intention to rigidly stick to that. Oppenheimer heard about the bombing at the same time that the rest of the world did. I wanted to show somebody who is starting to gain a clearer picture of the unintended consequences of his actions. It was as much about what I don’t show as what I show.”
It appears that Nolan made the right choice, as the biopic moved audiences even without depicting all the atrocities. Showing the true events could have shifted the narrative away fromCillian Murphy’s central character. Moreover, Nolan effectively recreated the horror just by showing the Trinity test. The BluRay version ofOppenheimeris now available for purchase.
Also Read:“He made the right choice”: Christopher Nolan Gets Fan Support for Entirely Skipping Controversial Oppenheimer Scene That Was Criticized by Spike Lee
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3018
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
