‘Not A Criticism’ – What Else Did Spike Lee Want Oppenheimer To Include?

Fronted by Cillian Murphy, the Christopher Nolan directorial, Oppenheimer, is a three-hour-long sprawling biographical drama on the titular American theoretical physicist.

The project has been a notable success, raking in more than $930 million worldwide and becoming Nolan’s third-highest grossing movie. But it’s yet to secure a release date in Japan.

Calling Oppenheimer a “great film”, veteran filmmaker Spike Lee recently said it would have been better if the movie showed the impact of the nuclear bombs on the Japanese people.

“Some More Minutes About What Happened To The Japanese”

In an interview with The Washington Post, the Oscar winner said what he mentioned about Oppenheimer was a comment and “not criticism”.

“If [Oppenheimer] is three hours, I would like to add some more minutes about what happened to the Japanese people,” Lee told the publication.

“People got vaporized. Many years later, people are radioactive. It’s not like he [Nolan] didn’t have power. He tells studios what to do.”

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“Understand, This Is All Love”

Nonetheless, Lee also shared he showed Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic Dunkirk in his New York University film class.

“Understand, this is all love. And I bet [Nolan] could tell me some things he would change about Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X,” the filmmaker noted.

While Oppenheimer delves into the life and moral dilemmas of the physicist, it fails to explore the devastating aftermath of the atomic bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Has Japan Banned Oppenheimer?

It’s important to emphasise here that Japan hasn’t banned the movie despite certain rumours floating around social media a few weeks back.

However, no official theatrical release date has been given for Japan. It is essential to differentiate between the two terms, as they have distinct consequences.

In addition, studios must consider Japan’s interest in Oppenheimer, as films set in a similar time period have not performed that well with Japanese audiences.