Watch Christopher Nolan’s Review of ‘Godzilla Minus One’

The Big Picture

• Oppenheimer
  and
  Godzilla Minus One,
  despite their differences, both won awards at the Oscars this year.
• The directors, Christopher Nolan and Takashi Yamazaki, engaged in a lively conversation about their films.
• Yamazaki expressed admiration for
  Oppenheimer
  , while Nolan praised
  Godzilla Minus One
  ‘s thematic depth.

Two films focused on the atomic bombing of Japan and its subsequent impact were both winners at this year’s Oscars, although at first glance, they couldn’t have appeared more different. Oppenheimer ended up winning Best Picture, among many other things, while Godzilla Minus One took home the award for Best Visual Effects despite its relatively miniscule budget. Now, ahead of Oppenheimer’s long awaited release in Japan, the two directors of the films — Christopher Nolan and Takashi Yamazaki — have spoken with each other and engaged in a lively conversation about each other’s films. And the mutual admiration is clear to see.

Oppenheimer focused on the American perspective of building the atomic bomb, while Godzilla Minus One dealt with the aftermath. Yamazaki mentioned that his movie, although not intentionally a counterpoint, bore resemblances to Oppenheimer. As Oppenheimer was gearing up for its Japanese premiere, Nolan expressed his admiration for Godzilla Minus One, complimenting its thematic depth, characters, historical context, among other aspects.

“I watched Godzilla Minus One and I thought it was a tremendous film. I thought it was so exciting. I mean obviously it’s beautifully made, and the mechanics of it are so involving. It’s so exciting, but also I felt like it had a lot of the spirit of your earlier film, The Eternal Zero. It had a depth around the issues surrounding the main story, even though the main story is Godzilla, and is an entertaining and exciting one. There was also wonderful depths of the characters, and a wonderful sense of history that I really appreciated.”

Could We See a True ‘Oppenheimer’ Response from Takashi Yamazaki?

Films from dueling perspectives are not altogether rare. Clint Eastwood proved this with his World War II films, Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima — both which explore the Battle of Iwo Jima. The former tells the story from the American viewpoint, focusing on the lives of the six men who raised the American flag on Iwo Jima, captured in the iconic photograph that became a symbol of hope and bravery.

The latter presents the Japanese perspective of the battle, offering a look into the lives of the Japanese soldiers defending the island. It portrays their human experiences, struggles, and the harsh realities of war. When Yamazaki inquired about how Nolan would feel if Yamazaki were to create a film directly responding to Oppenheimer in the future, Nolan expressed enthusiasm for the concept.

“I can’t think of a better director to make a response than director Yamazaki, so I think it’s a perfect suggestion,” said Nolan. “I’m always interested to see what you will be doing in the future.”

Oppenheimer is streaming now on Peacock.