‘Oppenheimer’ Receives Positive Response in Japan despite Opening with Trigger Warning

Needless to say, Oppenheimer is one of the best films of 2023, and Nolan’s career and its recent win at the 96th Academy Awards ceremony and blockbuster status prove it. After being triumphant in various markets, Oppenheimer finally made its release in its major market, Japan, after nearly nine months of its global release. The film was released with a trigger warning, considering the film’s subject matter and Japan’s role in the life story of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, widely known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” The film’s release was delayed out of respect for the country’s people, who remain affected by the devastating events depicted in it. However, upon its release in Japan, the film saw an unexpected success with a positive response, both critically and commercially. 

Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer continues to gain praise even in Japan

No praise is seemingly enough for Christopher Nolan’s latest film, Oppenheimer. The film, starring Cillian Murphy in the titular role, earned some of the best reviews from critics. It earned a 93% approval rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Apart from that, the film dominated this year’s Oscars by garnering 13 nominations. The film went on to win seven, including Best Picture and Best Director for Nolan. 

However, despite all the praise, there was a fraction of the audience that questioned Nolan for portraying the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings that effectively ended World War II. 

Although the film focused on presenting horror through Oppenheimer’s perspective and avoided the bombing and annihilation caused by it, Nolan still clarified his creative choices regarding the bombings in an interview with Variety. The filmmaker explained,  “Oppenheimer heard about the bombing at the same time that the rest of the world did. I wanted to show somebody who is starting to gain a clearer picture of the unintended consequences of his actions. It was as much about what I don’t show as what I show.”

Now, when the film was released in Japan, it surprisingly made an impressive opening. The movie grossed $2.5 million in its first weekend in Japan, pushing its global box office total past $967 million. Of this total, $329 million has come from domestic theaters, while $637 million has come from overseas markets. The film’s global IMAX haul now stands at $188 million. In Japan, Oppenheimer finished third on the charts, behind local language releases Strange House and Haikyu!!.