The renowned English director Christopher Nolan is celebrated for his filmmaking prowess, but his portrayal of female characters has often been criticized. However, with his latest epic Oppenheimer, there seems to be a shift in his approach, according to actress Emily Blunt, who is part of the cast. In an exclusive interview with Total Film, Blunt suggests that Nolan might be addressing the lack of decent female representation in his films.
“I mean, it’s one of the best parts that anyone has ever written for me. Not that he wrote it for me, but he wrote an exquisite part that is so layered. Even though she’s not a huge part, it packs a punch. I was so excited by her. And the thing that I love is that he wasn’t concerned with her being likable, it was just a very real interpretation of the character. When you read about her in the book, they say that ‘Kitty didn’t do small talk, she only did big talk’ which is so symbolic of the character. I really remember reading that and thinking, ‘that’s it, she’s so clear’. Usually I think women in movies have to be sort of quite likable and warm, but she wasn’t either of those things, and he was unafraid of that and writing her as such. I just loved her.”
Why Unlikable Female Characters Matter
One longstanding complaint from female actors and writers is that Hollywood tends to categorize women as either “good” or “bad” characters, while men have been given the opportunity to play multifaceted roles for decades. We often see male characters on the big screen who are incredibly charismatic yet flawed, such as Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street and even Tony Stark portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. in the Marvel Universe. While there has been progress, it will take time for Hollywood to fully explore the potential of female characters.
However, based on the cast lineup alone, Oppenheimer might not be the best example of female representation in 2023. Apart from Blunt, Florence Pugh (Black Widow) and Olivia Thirlby (Y: The Last Man) are the only other significant female characters in the main cast. On the male side, we have Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later), Robert Downey Jr. (Avengers: Endgame), Kenneth Branagh (A Haunting in Venice), Matt Damon (The Martian), Tony Goldwyn (Scandal), Alden Ehrenheich (Solo – A Star Wars Story), Jason Clarke (First Man), Josh Hartnett (Black Mirror), Dane DeHaan (The Staircase), Jack Quaid (The Boys), Benny Safdie (Good Time), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Casey Affleck (A Ghost Story), James Remar (Black Lightning), Matthias Schweighöfer (Army of Thieves), and Gary Oldman (Slow Horses).
Oppenheimer will be released in theaters on Friday, July 21. Check out the latest trailer below:
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
