Christopher Nolan wins first Golden Globe as Oppenheimer wins big

Cillian Murphy, Christopher Nolan and Robert Downey Jr.Pic/AFP

The 81st Golden Globe Awards celebrated excellence in motion picture and audio-visual arts as auteur Christopher Nolan was feted with the honour for Best Director - Motion Picture for his period drama ‘Oppenheimer'. This is Nolan's first win at the Golden Globe making it all the more special. He has been nominated 6 times previously but this is his first win.

Nolan beat Bradley Cooper for ‘Maestro', the tough competitor Greta Gerwig for ‘Barbie', Yorgos Lanthimos for ‘Poor Things', the legendary Martin Scorsese for ‘Killers of the Flower Moon' and Celine Song for ‘Past Lives'.

During his acceptance speech at the Golden Globe Awards 2024, Nolan said, "The only time I've ever been on this stage before was accepting one of these on behalf of our dear friend, Heath Ledger, and that was complicated and challenging for me," Nolan said. "In the middle of speaking, I got all stuck, and Robert Downey Jr. caught my eye and gave me a look of love and support - the same look he's giving me now."

"I thought it would be simpler accepting for myself. But, as a director, I realize I can only accept this on behalf of people. As directors, we bring people together and we try to get them to give their best." He shouted out the ensemble of "Oppenheimer," including Cillian Murphy, whom Nolan called "my partner in crime for 20 years," as well as "the incredible work of our amazing crew," he further said.

The official X handle, erstwhile Twitter, congratulated Nolan as they wrote, "A golden moment for Christopher Nolan who wins Best Director - Motion Picture for Oppenheimer! #GoldenGlobes".

Cillian Murphy also won big at the Golden Globe Awards 2024 as he took home the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Robert Oppenheimer. "I knew the first time I walked on a Christopher Nolan set that it was different," Murphy, who worked with Nolan on "The Dark Knight" trilogy, "Inception" and "Dunkirk," said during his acceptance speech. "I could tell by the level of rigor, the level of focus, the level of dedication, the complete lack of any seating options for actors that I was in the hands of the visionary director and master."

Robert Downey Jr also won the movie for Best Supporting Actor. He essayed the role of Oppenheimer's professional nemesis in the film. "A sweeping story about the ethical dilemma of nuclear weapons grosses one billion dollars. Does that track?" Downey joked in his acceptance speech that followed a standing ovation by the audience.

‘Oppenheimer' is a biographical thriller film starring Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist credited with being the "father of the atomic bomb" for his role in the Manhattan Project - the World War II undertaking that developed the first nuclear weapons. The film is based on the 2005 biography ‘American Prometheus' by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, the film chronicles the career of Oppenheimer, with the story predominantly focusing on his studies, his direction of the Manhattan Project during World War II, and his eventual fall from grace due to his 1954 security hearing.