This year’s BAFTA awards were dominated by Oppenheimer, director Christopher Nolan’s (M 84) ‘biopic’ of the US physycist credited as being the “father of the atomic bomb”.

The film won seven BAFTA awards, including Best Film. Describing his own award as Best Director as “an incredible honour” he also thanked his cast, crew and producer for their “incredible” work, he also referenced the book American Prometheus, on which the film was based.

Christopher Nolan being awarded the BAFTA for Oppenheimer — *Above: Christopher Nolan rises to take the stage at the 2024 BAFTA awards (image via BAFTA YouTube channel)*

“Something quite dark”

In particular, Christopher thanked Universal Studios for allowing his team to “take on something quite dark” and seeing its potential. Noting the film’s ending, he was keen to stress the work of many around the world who have fought over the decades to reduce the stockpiles and threat of nuclear weapons.

Massive success

The film has deservedly been an international success, a fact reflected by its grossing of $33 million on its first day in the US.

Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times described the film as “one of the best films of the 21st Century”. In Reason magazine, Peter Suderman described it as leaving the viewer with a sense of “fear and foreboding about the horror of full-on nuclear conflict […] Humanity is both great and terrible. Oppenheimer isn’t just a movie—it’s a warning.”

The Haileybury Society, in its own small way, congratulates Christopher on this magnificent achievement.