Despite occupying a place that is undisputed in its gravity and importance in the pages of history, Oppenheimer comes with its fair share of flaws. Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus could hardly be helmed as a masterpiece if such a controversial event was universally favored in its entirety. Cillian Murphy, for one, seems to be of the same thought.
And although he has told anyone who would listen that Oppenheimer truly is a mural displaying Nolan’s best work to date, a film’s leading star saying so serves as self-promotion more than a valid criticism or judgment of the work. However, in this case, the world and all its critics and audiences stand in agreement. So then, how can a film so unilaterally revered happen to be caught in an outrageous controversy?
Also read: Oppenheimer Review: Nolan’s Magnum Opus
Oppenheimer Turns a Few Heads For Its NSFW S-x Scenes
Spoilers ahead
The subject of s-x and nudity in cinema has been a subject so extensively documented and filmed that to stumble upon another such shot in a movie doesn’t particularly come as a surprise. However, when the film in question is a Christopher Nolan one, it is another matter entirely – primarily because the director’s projects are so heavily immersed in the story and lore that there is simply no time to spare for building chemistry through intimacy in between the leads.
But when the plot calls for it, Nolan answers. And his response was loud enough to stun an entire audience and then some for the powerful imagery it invoked. The huge fanbase that the director commands happens to extend all the way to India – a country founded on religion and tradition as two of its oldest guiding principles. The majority of the country’s diverse demography practices Hinduism, and the Hindus hold the Bhagavad Gita as their most holy text – a book that is the Hindu equivalent of the Bible or the Q’uran.
The shloka invoking the Destroyer of Worlds that was taken consequently from the holy text and marketed over the past few months due to its association with J. Robert Oppenheimer has now become the cause of contention for its use in a s-x scene between the film’s stars, Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh. The controversy that has risen in the aftermath has evoked contempt, distaste, and fury among a majority of the Indian audience.
Cillian Murphy Addresses His S-x Scene With Florence Pugh
Not long after the premiere of Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy got down to business and addressed the scene which has dealt so much grief to a fraction of its fanbase. In an interview with Sydney Morning Herald, he claimed:
“Those scenes were written deliberately. [Nolan] knew that those scenes would get the movie the rating that it got. And I think when you see it, it’s so f**king powerful. And they’re not gratuitous. They’re perfect.”
Also read: Fans Have Spotted a Grave Error in Oppenheimer That Could Push It Into Major Controversy
Murphy also gushed over his co-star, particularly with regard to the scenes in question, and said:
“Florence is just amazing. I have loved Florence’s work since Lady Macbeth and I think she’s f***ing phenomenal. She has this presence as a person and on screen that is staggering. The impact she has [in Oppenheimer] for the size of the role, it’s quite devastating.”
Oppenheimer is currently soaring with a rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and an opening weekend earning projected at $77 million. The ensemble cast of the film comprises Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Rami Malek, and numerous others.
Oppenheimer is currently playing in theatres worldwide.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
