Christopher Nolan’s biopic, Oppenheimer, is only a week away from its theatrical release. The highly anticipated film is a real-life story of the theoretical physicist Julius Robert Oppenheimer who played a significant role in developing the world’s first atomic weapons during the Second World War.
In the sci-fi drama, the film’s writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan chose Cillian Murphy to step into Oppenheimer’s shoes. For the unversed, this is Cillian Murphy’s sixth collaboration with the director Christopher Nolan.
The actor-director duo have previously worked together in films like Inception, Dunkirk, and The Dark Knight Trilogy. However, none of the mentioned films had Cillian Murphy in the lead role, and since this is his first Christopher Nolan film where he is taking center stage, he is all set to give it his best on the big screen.
The film’s distribution right is given to Universal Pictures. 52 Theatres are finalized to release the film in full 70 MM IMAX format in U.S., India, Canada, and UK. Unfortunately, but for obvious reasons, Oppenheimer release is uncertain in Japan.
Since its announcement in 2021, the Cillian Murphy movie Oppenheimer has kept the internet busy. Sometimes for picking up the controversial events of the second world war and sometimes for using minimal CGI in Oppenheimer scenes.
As of the time of writing, Oppenheimer is trending first on the bird app Twitter with fans going crazy as the Oppenheimer release date approaches the theatre.
But before we join the film in theatres, let’s shed some light on the real-life Oppenheimer to better connect with his reel-life character a few days later.
Who Was Julius Robert Oppenheimer?
Julius Robert Oppenheimer was a theoretical physicist often called the father of the atomic bomb for his remarkable contribution to the Manhattan Project. He was born on 22nd April 1904 in a Jewish family in New York City, U.S. He was a science child prodigy who kept a keen interest in mineralogy alongside English and French literature.
When Oppenheimer was 21, he completed his under graduation in chemistry from Havard University. By turning 23, he had done his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Cambridge and the University of Gottingen, respectively.
Oppenheimer’s knack for physics was evident by a few professionals alike. His knowledge and expertise led him to work as an academic professional at the University of California and California Institute of Technology, and he majorly contributed to quantum physics and nuclear physics.
The way the wonder kid Oppenheimer was addicted to physics, he was also addicted to a bad habit of smoking from college. He was a tall thin chain smoker in his college who often used to skip his meal during his studies.
Whenever his mates, friends, and family advised him to stop cigarette consumption, he remained in constant denial. Oppenheimer also suffered various psychological disorders during his college years, and during his depression period, he once told his brother Frank that he needed physics more than his friends.
His words and actions showed people around him that Oppenheimer was a self-destructive guy.
When Did Oppenheimer Joined the Manhattan Project?
Julius Robert Oppenheimer, also known as Oppie, was employed in the Manhattan Project during the second world war. Later, in 1943, he took the chairmanship of the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico to develop the world’s first nuclear weapons. The Project was also tilted as Project Y having Oppenheimer as the lead.
Oppenheimer’s in-depth knowledge, expertise, and vision helped his team accomplish their mission. They finally developed the world’s first atomic bomb and detonated it on 16th July 1945 during the Trinity test. A month later, the two atomic bombs were used to cause an explosion in two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, eventually resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent lives.
How did the Hindu Scripture Bhagavad Gita Help Oppenheimer Develop the Atomic Bomb?
Oppenheimer always knew the results of the Trinity test could be horrifying, which he was accurate about. The Oppenheimer trailer also mentions his fear with Oppenheimer stating- ‘’We Imagine a Future and Our Imaginings Horrify Us’’.
Because of this, the science prodigy always doubted whether he should do his duty, which could lead to many deaths and destroy humanity.
Oppenheimer was an avid follower of the Bhagavad Gita and was intellectually connected with the Hindu Scripture. At the time when he was confused about whether he should perform his duty, the Hindu Scripture’s infamous line’ Now I become death, the destroyer of the world’ helped him ease his decision.
Hindu God Krishna cited the line to Prince Arjuna, who was also in the same tight spot when he was given a choice between his family and his duties. Lord Krishna told Arjuna to look at the larger purpose of the war and explained to him the significance of duty and fulfilling it precisely.
To help Arjuna overcome his doubts, Lord Krishna took his multi-arm form and stated Now I become death, the destroyer of the worlds, which taught Arjuna that someone’s death is not in his hands, it is only up to Lord Krishna, and he should only focus on fulfilling his duties to win their place back in their kingdom Hastinapur.
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This incident and the infamous quote of Lord Krishna inspired Oppenheimer to develop the atomic bomb and defeat the Nazis using the weapon. So, in the end, Oppenheimer made the decision he thought was right for his people and his country.
Now whether or not the movie Oppenheimer mentions Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb inspiration in the biopic film can only be answered once the movie hits the big screen.
How Did Julius Robert Oppenheimer Die?
As I said, Julius Robert Oppenheimer was a chain smoker, he developed throat cancer because of his smoking habits. In 1966, he also took various chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Unfortunately, his body didn’t respond well to the treatment.
A year later, on 15th February 1967, he went into a coma and took his last breaths on 18th February 1967. A week later, a memorial service was held at Alexander Hall, attended by his 600 scientific, political, and military force colleagues. After his cremation ceremony, Oppenheimer’s wife took his ashes and dropped them into the sea.
When Will Cillian Murphy’s Movie Oppenheimer be Release, and Is It Banned in Japan?
Oppenheimer will explode on 21st July 2023 in theatre, clashing with Greta Gerwig’s feminist film Barbie. Probably Barbie and Oppenheimer is the biggest clash of the year which has also received a #Barbenheimer from fans on the internet.
Check out director Christopher Nolan’s response to the #Barbenheimer here-
Source- Variety
Universal Pictures will distribute Oppenheimer in 52 theatres in four countries: the US, UK, India, and Canada. Subject to its release in Japan, the biopic is not banned in the country, but filmmakers are still uncertain about releasing Oppenheimer in Japan.
The reason is straightforward. Oppenheimer focuses on the events of the second world war, during which the creation and explosion of atomic bombs in Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki took more than 200,000 lives of the cities.
This further questions whether the movie Oppenheimer will receive a favorable response from the Japanese audience if it releases in the country. And, while no statement from the Oppenheimer team is given on the matter, the decision is more up to the TOHO-TAWA company, which primarily distributes American films in Japan.
So, until and unless there is no official statement from the Oppenheimer team or the distributors, we may assume Oppenheimer is not releasing in Japan. However, official confirmation still awaits.
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Kesuv is an experienced pop-culture writer who has been writing all things entertainment for five years. He is also an avid Marvel fan and loves to pen about its characters, stories, and the universe that has caught his attention for so many years. If you’re also a Marvel enthusiast, you can even DM Kesuv on Instagram to gossip all about its fictional universe! We’re sure he can do that without breaks!
