Oppenheimer Dialogue Might Be Hard to Hear Because Christopher Nolan Refuses to Re-Recor

September 2024 · 4 minute read

Are Christopher Nolan movies too loud? It’s a question that’s asked every time the director releases a movie, and “Oppenheimer” is no exception. Nolan’s sound mix is once again a point of contention among viewers, with some complaining that it’s hard to understand the dialogue against Ludwig Göransson’s booming score and other sound design choices. In a recent interview with Insider, Nolan explained that one reason it may be hard to hear the dialogue in “Oppenheimer” is because he refuses to re-record his actors in post-production.

“I like to use the performance that was given in the moment rather than the actor re-voice it later,” Nolan said. “Which is an artistic choice that some people disagree with, and that’s their right.”

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Nolan refuses to record ADR, so whatever vocal takes he gets on the day of filming are what go into the film’s theatrical cut. That can be a risk in a movie like “Oppenheimer” considering the IMAX cameras used to shoot the film are incredibly loud on set, although Nolan said they are getting better.

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“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.”

Whatever dialogue issues some “Oppenheimer” viewers are having with the film aren’t stopping moviegoers from flocking to see the atomic bomb epic. “Oppenheimer” has soared past the $400 million mark at the worldwide box office in less than two weeks of release, a huge accomplishment for a three-hour biopic that’s rated R. The film is expected to have grossed more than $200 million domestically by the end of its third weekend in release.

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