Christopher Nolan has responded to criticism of Oppenheimer for not including the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The British director released the film in July, which chronicled the life of J Robert Oppenheimer, the man who masterminded the creation of the atomic bomb.
In the biopic, viewers watched the guilt the physicist was left with in later life regarding the weapon’s destructive capability.
However, the decision not to depict the bombing of the two cities through the eyes of the victims on screen caused criticism among some cinema-goers.
In an interview with Variety, Nolan addressed the backlash and explained why he intentionally chose not to show the destruction, stating: “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.”
Nolan also admitted he could never have predicted just how well Oppenheimer performed at the box office, becoming the third highest-grossing film of the year, behind Barbie and The Super Mario Bros Movie.
Its takings also position it as the most successful biopic of all time, overtaking Freddie Mercury film Bohemian Rhapsody, and is Nolan’s third biggest box office hit behind his Batman sequels The Dark Knight Rises and The Dark Knight.
He told the outlet: “With certain films, your timing is just right in ways that you never could have predicted.
“When you start making a film, you’re two or three years out from when it’s going to be released, so you’re trying to hit a moving target as far as the interest of the audience.
“But sometimes you catch a wave and the story you’re telling is one people are waiting for.”
