Christopher Nolan explains why audiences might struggle to hear the dialogue in Oppenheimer
By Lily Ford, ITV News Multimedia Producer
Christopher Nolan has defended his directorial approach after a BBC presenter said she left the cinema halfway through Oppenheimer because she struggled to hear the dialogue.
Jane Hill, 54, said she complained to cinema staff when she went to see Nolan's critically-acclaimed 12th feature film, starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., and Matt Damon.
She posted on X, formerly Twitter: "Saw #Oppenheimer Well, managed half of it.
"Disappointed that music & effects often drowned out the actors, I missed whole chunks of dialogue.
"Told the cinema I thought the sound needed rebalancing - staff said ‘we have this issue with all #ChristopherNolan films’…. Seriously??"
Others on the platform agreed, as one user wrote: "Anyone else understand only like 70% of the lines in Oppenheimer? Or am I deaf?"
Hill then wrote to her followers that she was "relieved" it wasn't just her: "What madness! How can you follow a film if you can’t hear the actors?!"
But Nolan has spoken to US outlet Insider on why his "artistic choice" could be to blame for the sound problem - and why he doesn't plan on changing his methods.
He explained that he does not have his actors come back after filming and do additional dialogue recordings, known as ADR, in post-production.
ADR is common in the film and television industry, especially in action films where explosions, gun shots, or any loud sound effects feature while two characters are speaking.
To ensure the dialogue is not drowned out, an actor will re-record their lines in a soundproof booth long after the scene has been shot, but Nolan refuses to do this.
"I like to use the performance that was given in the moment rather than the actor re-voice it later," he said.
"Which is an artistic choice that some people disagree with, and that's their right."
Oppenheimer was also shot entirely on IMAX cameras, which are not completely soundproof.
"There are certain mechanical improvements," Nolan said.
"And actually, IMAX is building new cameras right now which are going to be even quieter.
"But the real breakthrough is in software technology that allows you to filter out the camera noise.
"That has improved massively in the 15 or so years that I've been using these cameras.
"Which opens up for you to do more intimate scenes that you would not have been able to do in the past."
Sound problems are not the only criticism Nolan has faced since the film's release on July 21.
Uproar in India was sparked by a religious text being quoted during a sex scene.
In Japan, memes have prompted fury on social media as many say they trivialise the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
But Oppenheimer has proved hugely successful at the UK and global box offices - as of Monday, it has surpassed over half a billion US dollars (£433.6m) internationally.
Tune into the ITV News entertainment podcast, Unscripted