The atomic bomb is understandably a very sensitive subject in Japan, and the aftermath of Little Boy falling on Hiroshima, followed by Fat Man wiping out much of Nagasaki three days later, are scars that will never heal.
Because of this, the premiere of Oppenheimer has been delayed, and with the upcoming release in Japan, Nolan has now met up with the Godzilla Minus One director for a joint interview.
Together they discussed each other's films and Nolan was quick to praise Yamazaki's work for its characters, themes and historical connections. During the conversation, Nolan said:
"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."
As for the prospect of Yamazaki directing a counterpart to Oppenheimer, a film focusing on the devastation of the bomb - well, that was something Nolan was fully on board with:
"I can't think of a better director to make a response than director Yamazaki, so I think it's a perfect suggestion. I'm always interested to see what you will be doing in the future."
Would you like to see a film by Yamazaki on the impact of the atomic bomb on Japan?
<social>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY0S68nwOOM</social>