Oppenheimer’s Cinematographer Fires Back at Netflix Boss’ Bizarre Claims about his Oscar-winning Film, Urges Fans to Not Disrespect His Hard Work
Christopher Nolan’s epic biographical thriller drama Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, was one of the biggest and most successful movies that came out in 2023. Shot with a combination of IMAX 65 and 65 mm large-format film, by the very brilliant Hoyte van Hoytema. With Oppenheimer, the filmmaker included black-and-white film photography which impressed the critics as well as the audience.
The highly awaited movie that released with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, received critical acclaim upon its release with critics stating that it is Murphy’s best work yet. Oppenheimer won several awards at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor. In a recent interview, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos’ claims about big-screen movies did not sit well with the movie’s cinematographer and he had a befitting reply.
Oppenheimer cinematographer does not agree with Ted Sarandos’ stance on ‘big screen movies’
In his interview with the New York Times, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos discussed the kind of content does not seem right for the streaming platform. To which he said that there might not be a clear answer to that question because the best version of something may work well for Netflix but maybe just hasn’t worked to date.
He also added that there are some obvious ones, like the breaking news kind of thing is not something that they’d like to go ahead with. He noted there are a lot of other outlets for that. The reporter then pointed out the success of Barbie and Oppenheimer, to which he said,
Both of those movies would be great for Netflix. They definitely would have enjoyed just as big an audience on Netflix. Also, I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that certain kinds of movies do or don’t work. There’s no reason to believe that the movie itself is better on any size screen for all people. My son’s an editor. He is 28 years old, and he watched Lawrence of Arabia on his phone.
However, Oppenheimer’s cinematographer, Hoyte van Hoytema, disagrees with Sarandos, and according to TMZ, the cinematographer believes that the pocket-sized screen cannot be compared to the traditional theatrical experience. He also clarified that he has no ill-will against the co-CEO but he just does not agree with his stance on movies.
Hoytema also shared with TMZ that when he works on a movie, he pours his soul into it, to create those cinematic moments that brings everyone joy. So when someone says that they might watch the movie on their mobile device, Hoytema considers this as a disrespect to their work. He also pointed out that while watching movies on mobile devices, the resolution and color depth are sacrificed which is why some movies are only meant to watch on the big screen.
Hoyte van Hoytema talks about working with Christopher Nolan
The Swiss-born cinematographer who has been working with ace filmmakers since 2014’s Interstellar shared with A-Frame Oscars that he knows that he’s in for a crazy adventure whenever working with Christopher Nolan. He said,
Our conversations always start with, ‘Oh my god, how are we going to do this?’ But that also becomes the motor that keeps us going. It’s not a question that needs to be answered right away, because you know that your journey towards answering all of those questions is going to define what you do.
The movie starring Cillian Murphy as the titular character won Best Cinematography at the Academy Awards, and upon asking how it felt, Hoyte van Hoytema shared that it feels wonderful to be recognized. He added that his source of happiness comes from the fact that four of the five films that were nominated this year were shot on film.
The cinematographer added that he and Christopher Nolan have always stuck their necks out to not only preserve celluloid film but also to put it back on the table as an option for filmmakers to choose from and make movies with. He concluded by stating that it’s still one of the most special mediums they have to tell stories with, and it was exciting for both of them to see.
He was asked about the physical toll of carrying the IMAX camera on his shoulder, and he said he was here for the result. He added that from the beginning, both of them had engineered a way to make it work.
Oppenheimer is streaming on Peacock.
