Christopher Nolan on 'Oppenheimer' | Fresh Air

Christopher Nolan talks about writing and directing the new film "Oppenheimer," about the man who's known as the father of the atom bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer. Nolan also directed the WWII movie "Dunkirk," "The Dark Knight," and "Inception." The film is about Oppenheimer's leading role in the race to develop the bomb before the Nazis. But after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he became an arms control advocate, opposed building the hydrogen bomb, and was targeted during the anti-communist witch hunts of the 1950s. This interview originally aired August 14, 2023. “FRESH AIR” from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries. LISTEN TO DAILY EPISODES OF FRESH AIR https://www.npr.org/podcasts/381444908/fresh-air LISTEN TO OTHER FRESH AIR INTERVIEWS ON YOUTUBE (published once a week) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_hBoyeUT5njGiwtkQMm5sfWQ0eMROHnm SUBSCRIBE TO FRESH AIR+ FOR BONUS EPISODES https://plus.npr.org/freshair FOLLOW “FRESH AIR” https://www.facebook.com/FreshAirwithTerryGross https://twitter.com/nprfreshair https://whyy.org/freshair (Newsletter) LISTEN TO OTHER NPR PODCASTS ON YOUTUBE Code Switch: https://www.youtube.com/@nprcodeswitch Throughline: https://www.youtube.com/@nprthroughline It’s Been a Minute: https://www.youtube.com/@npritsbeenaminute Book of the Day: https://www.youtube.com/@nprbookoftheday SUBSCRIBE TO WHYY AND NPR WHYY: https://www.youtube.com/@whyyphiladelphia NPR: https://www.youtube.com/@npr NPR Music (Tiny Desk): https://www.youtube.com/@nprmusic Jazz Night in America: https://www.youtube.com/@jazznightinamerica NOTE: Captions are auto-generated by YouTube. See “Fresh Air” sponsors and promo codes https://www.nationalpublicmedia.com/podcastsponsors/freshair/ The NPR shows you love are possible thanks to your support. Donate today: https://www.npr.org/donations/support