Reason why Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" should be released in Japan now

The reason why Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" should be released in Japan now

1)

<Japan, as a country that suffered atomic bombings, has the right to evaluate this work on developing the nuclear bomb>.

Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight", "Interstellar"), one of the world's most famous film directors, has released his latest film "Oppenheimer" in the United States. It grossed $82.5 million in its opening weekend (21-23 July 2023), making it an exceptional hit for a scientist biopic.

2)

The content depicts the half-life of physicist Robert Oppenheimer, who served as the leader of the United States Army's atomic bomb development plan, "Manhattan Project", but it is not just the story of the development of the nuclear bomb but a highly complex composition.

In addition to the life of the main character, there are three timelines interwoven like a mosaic: the interrogation of the hero, who was later investigated as a victim of the "Red Scare", and the parliamentary deliberations on the mastermind behind him, each with a sense of tension.

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By the way, Cillian Murphy, who played the main character, Emily Blunt, who played his wife, and Matt Damon, who played Lt. The four performances by Robert Downey Jr. are perhaps the peak of their careers.

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However, the Manhattan Project is indeed at the centre of the work, and in particular, the critical test of the prototype nuclear warhead "Trinity" is set as a visual climax. Therefore, I believe that the people of Japan, a country that suffered atomic bombings, have the right to evaluate this work as an affected person. Specifically, there are three critical points to discuss.

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The impact of depicting critical experiments

One is how to portray the ethical responsibility of developing the atomic bomb. The main motive in the work is "to prevent the Nazis from developing atomic bombs". It is also said that the bombs should not be dropped on Japan, which is on the verge of surrendering, and the mass slaughter of non-combatants.

6)

On the other hand, the military department, especially Secretary of War Stimson and President Truman, are portrayed as being proactive in dropping the bombs. It is said that the work as a whole has a high level of historical research. Still, I think it is necessary to verify whether it is a sufficiently accurate and sincere portrayal from the point of view of the atomic-bombed country.

7)

In particular, the depiction of the critical test of the "Trinity" prototype warhead, with its elaborate CG and sound, has an overwhelming impact. Whether it succeeds in expressing the horror of the atomic bomb or is an expression that could be interpreted as "a sense of triumph in successful development" needs to be closely examined.

The American distributor uses this "fireball video" for marketing purposes, but at least I think it's okay to protest against it as a country that suffered from atomic bombings.

8)

The second is the depiction of the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In work, "two wooden boxes of apparently different sizes" represent "Little Boy", used in the attack on Hiroshima, and "Fat Man", dropped on Nagasaki. There is a scene where he watches the "two wooden boxes" carried out with a worried expression, thinking they might be used. That wooden box scene gave me goosebumps.

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There is also a scene in which a film showing the devastation of Hiroshima after the war is shown at the Los Alamos Research Institute, and the main character is shocked by the content. However, there is no visual representation of the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This is related to the fact that when President Biden visited the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Museum for the G7 in May 2023, he reportedly did not see the tragic exhibition, and coverage was limited.

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In the United States today, it is a kind of taboo to release the tragic images of Hiroshima or for the leaders to see them. This is because such actions are an act of apology for the United States, and there is a danger that they will be criticised as betraying the nation.

This is why Biden only saw part of the museum, and this "Oppenheimer" is believed to have refrained from describing the misery for the same reason. On this point, Japan, as a country that suffered from atomic bombing, should raise the issue seriously again.

11)

The third is the composition of the film. Director Nolan did not construct the film in the order of "development and use of the atomic bomb'' along the time axis, "Oppenheimer is investigated for the Red Scare'' and then "the mastermind is also investigated'' at the bottom.

As I mentioned, we will dismantle these three-time axes and present the "Red Scare Suspicion" elements to the audience from the beginning. In short, the film's opening poses the question: "Oppenheimer" was a Soviet spy, so was he anti-American, such as opposing the development of a hydrogen bomb?

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This is just my personal opinion, but I think the director's strategy was to keep a wide range of audiences, including conservatives and liberals, in a kind of suspense.

Ultimately, he made the audience understand that "Oppenheimer" was shocked by what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and had strong doubts about nuclear weapons.'' it was not a betrayal of the United States.

13)

Magic of Norman

This is a highly advanced challenge of writing and directing, and it can be judged as realising the magic of "vaguely convincing" the "evil theory of nuclear weapons" to a broad audience. A few days after its release, the conservative film review site "Worth it or Woke?" However, Nolan's magic has fooled it (?).

14)

However, I only think that director Nolan cleverly incorporated anti-nuclear ideas into the film.

Whether or not this film conveys an anti-nuclear message, I believe this point should be subjected to harsh evaluation by Japan.

This country suffered from the atomic bombings, as well as by the hibakusha and the people around them.

15)

However, the Japanese release date of this "Oppenheimer" has not yet been decided. The trailer with Japanese subtitles has yet to be released, either.

Speculation is rife that the distributors don't want to get involved in political controversy or at least decide on a release date after ignoring the anniversary of the atomic bombing and the war's end.

Maybe Japanese audiences don't like "A-bomb development films" and don't go to the cinema, and they're afraid that even if they distribute them, they'll be in the red.

16)

However, as I have said, this film is a work that should be appreciated by the people of Japan, a country that suffered atomic bombings.

We must go out now and ensure we have the controversy we need. That is what Director Nolan wants, and it can be said that the work is not finished until it has been met with pros and cons in Japan.

However, it is unusual that the release has yet to be decided. An immediate release is highly desirable.