What do the Japanese who watched 'Oppenheimer' think about the film?

The biographical film about U.S. physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer grossed 954 million dollars worldwide and won 7 Oscars at the U.S. Academy Awards.

However, the film was not released for a long time in Japan, the only country to have been subjected to the atomic bombs dropped by the U.S. on Hiroshima and Nagasaki toward the end of World War II.

The film, which tells the story of the process of designing the atomic bomb by Oppenheimer and a group of scientists, was shown in many countries, primarily the U.S., in July 2023, while it met with audiences in Japan on March 29.

It is stated that the film, which was criticized for "covering up the human cost" of the atomic bomb, was released late in Japan due to debates regarding its content and promotion.

The public in Japan, along with the "hibakusha"—as atomic bomb survivors are known—express that the "Oppenheimer" film will contribute, even if only slightly, to an understanding of the realities of the atomic bomb, 79 years later.

"ONLY THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED THE PAIN CAN KNOW"

Kikuchi, a Japanese viewer who watched the film, told an AA reporter upon leaving the cinema that he wondered why the film, which he described as "a very important work for the Japanese," had not been released in the country until now.

Kikuchi said, "I don't think it's a film that would hurt hysterical feelings or anything of that sort for the Japanese. I think what's important is that it depicts stories on a more global scale rather than being about relations between countries like Japan and the U.S."

Nakahara, who studies history at university and works at the cinema, evaluated the fact that the suffering of the local people was not addressed in the film, which he considers "important for Japanese history," by saying, "Only those who have experienced the pain can know; foreigners cannot even imagine it."

Nakahara said, "When the feelings of those who were directly harmed and the feelings of those who wrote the film's screenplay are different, the truth can be reflected incompletely in cinema."

If a sequel to the film were to be made, Nakahara called for addressing the negative effects of the atomic bombs on the public's lives, including the radioactive rain known as "Kuroi-ame" (Black Rain) that fell on the region after the bombing.

ATOMIC BOMB SURVIVORS

Atomic bomb survivors, or "hibakusha," living in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki also expressed in statements to the national press that the film would be beneficial in terms of creating awareness about the realities of the atomic bomb.

Tanaka Terumi, who was 13 years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on his home city of Nagasaki and lost 5 family members, stated that he still has not forgotten the event, but that the film "will lead people to think about what it means to possess atomic bombs."

Saying, "The more people who watch this film, the better," Tanaka stated that in the modern political world, "the role of nuclear bombs and the fact that these bombs could lead to the destruction of humanity" are still not sufficiently understood.

Tanaka expressed, "It has been almost 80 years, but we have entered a period where people do not think about how these weapons can actually affect societies."

79-year-old Sakuma Kunihiko also said that although the film does not describe the period after the atomic bombs were dropped, it could still be "a learning opportunity for those who only have superficial knowledge about what happened."

Stating that he was 9 months old when the atomic bomb was dropped on his home city of Hiroshima and therefore does not remember the event, Sakuma noted that he understands the criticisms that the film does not reflect Hiroshima.

Sakuma said, "The film made the process of developing the atomic bomb 'easy to understand.' Whether a hibakusha or not, everyone should be aware of this."

WHICH AWARDS DID OPPENHEIMER WIN?

At the Oscar ceremony held on March 11, Christopher Nolan's film "Oppenheimer," which focuses on the life of American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, won awards in 7 categories, including "Best Picture."

Director Christopher Nolan, whose film was nominated in 13 categories, achieved great success by winning the "Best Director" award, receiving an Oscar for the first time.

Irish actor Cillian Murphy, who played Oppenheimer in the film, experienced great joy with the "Best Actor" award.

Robert Downey Jr., who drew attention with his role in Oppenheimer and became famous for his "Iron Man" character, reached his first Oscar with the "Best Supporting Actor" award.

News Source: AA