Godzilla Minus One Director Wants To Make An Oppenheimer Response Movie
Godzilla Minus One filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki recently sat down in an interview to discuss his incredible film and its thematic ties to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Though Oppenheimer is frequently listed as a double feature with its release day twin, Barbie, the film examines the same central fear that lies in the heart of most Godzilla movies. Both Godzilla Minus One and Oppenheimer center around the nuclear bombing of Japan during World War II, with staggering differences in their overall handling of the material, leading Takashi Yamazaki to consider helming a Japanese response to the popular American film.
Godzilla Is A Reaction To The Atomic Bomb
Godzilla Minus One differs greatly from Oppenheimer by focusing on the state of Japan and its people in the immediate aftermath of the now infamous nuclear detonations. Nolan’s film follows the impact that the bombs had on global politics and the emotional fallout and guilt felt by those involved with the Manhattan Project, which developed the bombs. According to Takashi Yamazaki, Godzilla films are almost always a response to that moment in Japan’s history, though he wishes to create a more grounded and genuine response film that showcases Japan’s resilience, sans-giant monster.
Both Films Succeeded In The Same Year
Yamazaki went on to explain that it’s no surprise that films such as Godzilla Minus One and Oppenheimer premiered in the same year, as the filmmaker feels the world has never felt closer to the threat of nuclear war since World War II concluded. Global conflicts in locations such as Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, as well as the rise of political extremism across the developed world, have caused the last several years to be some of the most politically tumultuous in nearly a century.
Great Lengths To Watch Oppenheimer
The Godzilla filmmaker explained during his interview that he went to great lengths to see Oppenheimer in theaters, as a theatrical release for the universally beloved film has not yet arrived in Japan. Instead, Yamazaki was forced to catch a flight to Taiwan to watch an English-language version of the movie with Chinese subtitles, neither of which is his mother tongue. While he couldn’t quite glean 100 percent of the nuance in the film due to the language barrier, Yamazaki expressed deep reverence and fascination with the shocking scale of the film.
Godzilla Director Promises To Use Oppenheimer’s Themes Moving Forward
Still, even if the Godzilla Minus One director never gets to officially respond to Oppenheimer through a cinematic lens, Takashi Yamazaki intends to ruminate on the themes and elements of the film as he works on his next few projects. Currently, the filmmaker is hard at work on several new films, including a recut version of Minus One, rendered in era-accurate black-and-white. In addition to the black and white rerelease, Yamazaki is expected to helm a sequel to the Oscar-nominated Godzilla film, as well as a third installment in his Stand By Me Doraemon franchise.
Wildly Different Films But Amazing Box Office Success
Godzilla Minus One and Oppenheimer both managed to make a splash at the box office by showcasing the many significant ripple effects incurred by the use of nuclear weapons on a civilian population. That moment in history can be considered one of the darkest in modern times, though it is truly beautiful to see humanity’s striking ability to pick up the pieces and create art in the face of manmade horrors.
Source: Movie Maker
