Quentin Tarantino Wants Christopher Nolan to Remake This Classic War Film
Quentin Tarantino has revealed a surprising wish: he wants Christopher Nolan to remake a classic war movie.
During a 2014 interview with The Guardian, Tarantino praised Nolan’s commitment to old-school filmmaking. He said Nolan prefers to shoot as much as possible on film and avoid CGI. When Kodak, the last major film stock producer, faced financial trouble, Nolan called Tarantino to vent about the situation.
Tarantino explained, “It’s actually old filmmaking craft. He’s calling up directors who don’t give a s****, and dealing with their apathy, and trying to explain to them how important it is. I would want to punch them in the f**** face. But being British, he actually rises above all of that and tries to be diplomatic about it. I think it goes very well to the respect that they hold him in. It’s not just a dollars and cents thing.”
The legendary director then shared his dream: “Christopher Nolan would be just as good of a filmmaker as he is, just as a potent filmmaker as he is if he was making movies in 1975. Or, if he was making movies in 1965. I’d like to see Chris Nolan’s version of the Battle of Bulge. That would be f***** awesome.”
The Battle of the Bulge, released in 1965, is a war epic directed by Ken Annakin. It stars Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw, Telly Savalas, Robert Ryan, Dana Andrews, and Charles Bronson. Filmed in Ultra Panavision 70 and shown in 70 mm Cinerama, it premiered on December 16, 1965, on the 21st anniversary of the battle.
The movie condenses the nearly month-long World War II battle across Germany, Belgium, and Luxembourg into under three hours.
To fit the story into the film, many scenes were shot on terrain and in weather that didn’t match the real battle conditions. Critics pointed out these inaccuracies, but the filmmakers said they had reorganized events to create a stronger drama. The film also avoids depicting most actual Allied leaders, likely to prevent controversy.
Despite these issues, the movie was popular in the UK box office in 1966. Critics had mixed opinions. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times criticized the historical inaccuracies, writing, “What is offensive about this picture—and offensive is the word—is the evident distortion of the material and of history to suit the wide Cinerama screen… It is a cruel deception to describe the climax of the Battle of the Bulge as a raging of German tanks against Americans across a broad plain in the manner of a Western movie cavalry-and-Indian charge.”
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 63% approval rating based on eight reviews. Critics liked the cast but were disappointed by the lack of historical realism.
Tarantino’s comment highlights his admiration for Nolan’s approach to filmmaking and his excitement at the idea of Nolan applying his modern craft to a historical epic. Imagine the visuals and tension Nolan could bring to such a story.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!