When director Christopher Nolan says that his movie Oppenheimer has no CGI, what he means is a little more complicated than it sounds. Nolan’s highly anticipated biopic is adapted from Kai Bird’s book American Prometheus and tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who was instrumental in creating the first atom bomb. When filming Oppenheimer, Nolan went to great pains to ensure the movie was as true to life as possible. This meant a lot of practical effects, including a nighttime desert detonation that recreated one of the earliest A-bomb tests.
While Nolan utilized practical effects in his earlier movies, it's still surprising that the director claims Oppenheimer features no CGI. In an interview with Nolan’s risky Oppenheimer biopic already sounded intriguing before this revelation, but the claim is downright shocking. It would be tough for any major studio release to avoid using any CGI nowadays, but it seems almost impossible for a movie that focuses on the invention of the atomic bomb. After all, short of using practical effects to simulate an atomic bomb, Oppenheimer’s story could not be faithfully realized.
Christopher Nolan Means Oppenheimer Has No All CGI Shots, Not That There's No VFX
When Christopher Nolan says Oppenheimer has “zero" CGI shots, this doesn't mean that nothing in the movie’s production process was achieved via computer effects. He means everything was filmed practically, at least at first. According to Nolan, there is no shot in Oppenheimer that was originally created on a computer. There will be VFX and CGI involved, which are technically different but are both achieved almost entirely via computer technology nowadays. However, Nolan’s no-CGI vision for Oppenheimer means that these instances of VFX and CGI will be supplemental. VFX and CGI were added to existing footage that Nolan filmed instead of VFX artists creating new shots entirely via computer technology.
Nolan wanted Oppenheimer to get into the head of its subject without relying on CGI, meaning the scientist’s understanding of atomic particles would have to be achieved practically. This lends the movie’s action more weight and allows Oppenheimer to harken back to an earlier era of filmmaking. Oppenheimer’s black-and-white segments further underline Nolan’s aesthetic preference for old-fashioned filming methods during the production of this biopic. Meanwhile, Nolan’s well-publicized views on CGI shed a bit more light on this approach. The director has consistently preferred practical effects throughout his career, despite most of his movies utilizing VFX and CGI at some points.
Why Christopher Nolan Was So Against Using CGI On Oppenheimer
In an interview with the Director’s Guild of America, Nolan justified his no-CGI approach by explaining his stance on the art form. Nolan clarified that, while he likes CGI and uses it sparingly, he believes there is an innate, immediately obvious visual distinction between computer-generated imagery and live-action filmmaking. Per Nolan, there is “an absolute difference" between animation and live-action shooting and CGI will always “feel like animation,” regardless of its fluidity or verisimilitude. This explains why Nolan said that Oppenheimer features ”zero" CGI shots despite its CGI finishing touches, as he believes the medium is best used as a supplemental tool for live-action filmmaking.
