Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer Opens in Japan, Met with Mix of Reactions
Eight months after its global release, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has opened in Japan to a mixed reception. The film, which won the Best Picture Oscar, explores the race to develop the atomic bomb and has sparked discussions about its portrayal of the devastating 1945 bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Nolan defended the decision not to explicitly depict the bombings, stating that the film is told subjectively from the perspective of the eponymous physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer. The director explained that departing from Oppenheimer’s experience would betray the terms of the storytelling.
There were concerns about how the film would be received in Japan due to the sensitivities surrounding its subject matter. However, Universal’s local distribution partner, Bitters End, decided to release the movie in Japanese cinemas following months of careful deliberation and acknowledging the particular sensitivity within Japan. Oppenheimer premiered after the Oscars, where it won seven awards.
The film’s depiction of atomic bomb tests and scenes that could evoke the damage caused by the bombs led some cinemas in Japan to display warning signs at their entrances. Viewers’ reactions to the film have differed, with opinions ranging from seeing Oppenheimer as a great man struggling with regret and guilt to feeling disgusted by the celebration of the nuclear bomb’s creation and dropping.
Several Hiroshima and Nagasaki residents expressed discomfort with the portrayal of Oppenheimer and the lack of focus on the victims of the bombings. They believed that showing the full story, including the aftermath and survivors, is essential in fostering a future without nuclear weapons. However, other Hiroshima residents felt that the film’s focus on Oppenheimer’s internal struggle was justified and highlighted the complexity of his role in history.
The film’s release in Japan has sparked a broader conversation about nuclear weapons and their implications. Survivors of the