Wish 'Oppenheimer' showed 'what happened to the Japanese people': Spike Lee

Washington DC: Calling "Oppenheimer" a great film, veteran filmmaker Spike Lee said it would have been better if its director Christopher Nolan had showed the impact of the nuclear bombs on the Japanese people during World War II.

Fronted by Cillian Murphy, "Oppenheimer" is a 180-minute-long sprawling biographical drama on the titular American theoretical physicist, which was released in theatres on July 21. It has emerged as one of the biggest grossing films of the year.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Lee said what he said about the film was "not criticism", but a comment.

"Chris Nolan with 'Oppenheimer', he's a massive filmmaker. Great film… and this is not a criticism. It's a comment. If ('Oppenheimer') is three hours, I would like to add some more minutes about what happened to the Japanese people.

"People got vaporized. Many years later, people are radioactive. It's not like he didn't have power. He tells studios what to do. I would have loved to have the end of the film maybe show what it did, dropping those two nuclear bombs on Japan," the Oscar winner told the publication.

Lee also shared he showed Nolan's World War II epic "Dunkirk" in his New York University film class.

"Understand, this is all love. And I bet (Nolan) could tell me some things he would change about 'Do the Right Thing' and 'Malcolm X'," he added.

In the same interview, the director also praised Martin Scorsese for his latest directorial venture "Killers of the Flower Moon".

"That's my guy... it's a great film," he said.

Lee, also an Academy member, said the film's breakout star Lily Gladstone could become the first Native American actress to win a lead actress Oscar.

"Lily Gladstone, she's winning an Oscar. She's got my vote," he added.