Christopher Nolan found Godzilla: Minus One “terrific”

In a face-to-face with Takashi Yamazaki, the Oppenheimer director expresses his admiration for the film which won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

No one found Oppenheimer aggrieved from a nomination for the Oscar for Best Visual Effects this year. On March 10, the prize was finally awarded to Godzilla: Minus One of Takashi Yamazaki. He thus marked the history of international cinema by becoming the first Japanese director to pocket a golden statuette, while Christopher Nolan won Best Director and Best Picture for the first time (as well as five other Oscars).

However different they may seem, Oppenheimer And Godzilla: Minus One are in fact based on the same thematic foundation, that of the atomic bomb, certainly treated differently, but at the heart of both plots.

Godzilla: Minus One director wants to respond to Oppenheimer with his next film

However, there was never any question of competition between the two directors who never ceased to demonstrate their mutual admiration for each other. A few weeks ago, Yamazaki discussed the idea of a film that would respond to Nolan's biopic from a Japanese perspective. Taking advantage of Nolan's presence in Japan to promote his film in the country of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the two filmmakers met for a filmed interview. Christopher Nolan took this opportunity to respond to Takashi Yamazaki in person:

“I can't think of a better director to respond to my film than Yamazaki, I think it's a perfect proposition. I’m still interested in what you’re going to do in the future.”

Christopher Nolan also dwelled on the admiration he felt for his colleague's latest film:

“I watched Godzilla: Minus One and I thought it was a wonderful film. I found it really fascinating. Obviously, it's a very well-made film and its mechanisms are very complex. It's exhilarating, but I also found that there was a lot of the spirit of one of your first films, Kamikaze, the last assault.”

The director ofOppenheimer then went on to discuss the historical importance of the theme common to their two films, and how Yamazaki had handled it:

“We felt a depth to the issues surrounding the main narrative, even if it is that of Godzilla, even if it is entertaining, hectic. There was also incredible depth to the characters, and a sense of story that I really enjoyed.”

Oscars: Oppenheimer's triumph gives hope to moviegoers

In the number of First in March, Christopher Nolan returned to the difficulty of the subject of the atomic bomb for the Japanese public, explaining the delay in the release of his film in the country. “It was entrusted to a local distributor (Bitter End) capable of managing its distribution in a more prudent manner, without prejudging the reaction of the Japanese towards the film”. To see it, Takashi Yamazaki had to travel to Taiwan. But on March 29, the Japanese filmmaker will perhaps be able to rediscover Oppenheimer in a Japanese theater, since it is the day designated for the official release of the film in the country.

The full interview with the two directors can be found below.