Tokyo, Jul 31 (EFE).- “Oppenheimer,” a film which tells the story of the man known as the “father of the atomic bomb,” still has no release date in Japan, due to criticism from spectators days before the anniversary of the first nuclear bombing.
The new film by British director Christopher Nolan has already been released in theaters in nearly 50 countries – where it has been acclaimed by the public and critics – while many others have release dates scheduled for August.
Japan, however, has not yet confirmed when the film could reach its theaters, with some local distributors claiming they are still waiting to see the reception it receives internationally, something common in the country for “blockbusters.”
Foreign films are often released in Japan, a country with a large local film industry, months or even up to a year later than in the rest of the world, allowing theaters to opt for smaller releases and in fewer numbers if the film does not succeed in other countries.
This could be the case for “Oppenheimer,” but some experts believe distributors would be waiting for the anniversary of the atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to pass, as it could be seen in bad taste to talk about a possible release before these dates.
“Oppenheimer” tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, an American theoretical physicist of German origin considered the “father of the atomic bomb” for his prominent participation in the Manhattan Project.
“Japan, as a country that suffered atomic bombings, has the right to evaluate this work on the subject of the development of the atomic bomb,” said writer Akihiko Reizei, in an opinion article for Newsweek magazine, who also considers it has been carried out extensive historical research into the production of the film.
Meanwhile, other Japanese users on social network X (formerly known as Twitter) believe the film should be shown in Japan as it “narrates historical events with due consideration and care.”
“As someone born in Hiroshima, I have a lot of thoughts about it, but I am firmly against the boycott movement. I think it is natural for people to express their feelings after watching the film, or rather, to guarantee the freedom of criticism once it is made public,” a user wrote.
Others said it would be in bad taste for the premiere to take place in August, coinciding with the anniversary of the atomic bombings and given the concern Nolan’s film could idealize the figure of Oppenheimer.
The United States launched the first nuclear attack on the city of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and three days later dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, leading to Japan’s surrender on Aug. 15 and ending World War II.
It is estimated that some 210,000 people lost their lives in both cities due to the bombing, which also left 150,000 injured and humanitarian and environmental consequences decades after the event.
Japan has an extensive filmography on the consequences of these bombings, including classics such as “The Children of Hiroshima” (Kaneto Shindo, 1952), “Hiroshima” (Hideo Sekigawa, 1953) or the most recent animated films “Tomb of the fireflies” (Isao Takahata, 1990) and “In this corner of the world” (Sunao Katabuchi, 2016), all from the perspective of the victims and the horror experienced. EFE
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