Christopher Nolan Claims Muffled Dialogue in His Films Is an “Artistic Choice”

If you’re a fan of Christopher Nolan’s movies, you’ve probably struggled to hear some of the dialogue in his films before. Nolan is now revealing the muffled dialogue is actually an “artistic choice.”

The Oppenheimer director recently talked about this artistic decision in a recent interview, noting that he refuses to bring actors back to rerecord lines that sound unclear. This decision, despite Hollywood’s preference to make sure that every word is heard correctly. Why does Nolan feel so strongly against fixing the audio in post-production? It’s simple. He’d rather use the initial performance they gave on camera.

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

Cameras Have Also Cause Audio Issues for Christopher Nolan

Nolan also confessed that some of the audio issues could be caused by the cameras he uses during filming. Some of the cameras, especially the IMAX cameras he used during Oppenheimer, are quite noisy and can cause interference with dialogue. However, he hopes that technological advancements will soon eliminate the issue.

“There are certain mechanical improvements. 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.” Nolan notes.

“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.” he adds.

Oppenheimer, which stars Cillian Murphy in the titular role, is on track to become one of Nolan’s most successful films, with global box office earnings of over $552 million after three weeks on the big screen.