Oppenheimer set for lukewarm reception in Japan after ‘Barbieheimer’ backlash

Earlier promotion of the film featuring an image of a mushroom cloud and Barbie sparked outrage in Japan, forcing its distributor to apologise
Nationalists are concerned the film, set to screen in March, does not condemn the decision to drop the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a war crime

Japan

Julian Ryall

Published: 2:00pm, 28 Jan 2024

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The award-winning film Oppenheimer will finally be screened in Japanese cinemas starting from March 29, although many do not expect the film to fare well at the country’s box office given that it focuses on the man responsible for the creation of the weapon used to destroy the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Nationalists have also expressed concern that director Christopher Nolan’s biopic does not condemn the decision to drop the first atomic bombs as a war crime.

Oppenheimer, featuring a cast of stars including Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey junior, tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and his work overseeing the US military’s Manhattan Project, which led to the creation of the atomic weapons. It won five Golden Globe Awards and has been nominated for 15 Oscars, including Best Picture.

The film received wide release in July 2023 but, given its controversial nature in Japan, no release date for the country was initially set.

Public disquiet about the film was heightened when a promotional campaign by distributor Warner Brothers Japan suggested that cinema-goers take in the film at the same time as its other huge summer release, Barbie, referring to the double-header by the popular portmanteau “Barbenheimer”.

To make matters worse, the US-based film company combined photos of Barbie with an image of a mushroom cloud in a social media promotional campaign, triggering a fierce backlash in Japan. The company issued an apology for its “inconsiderate actions”.

In a statement announcing the coming release, local distribution company Bitter Ends said, “We decided to release this film in Japan after much debate and deliberation, as the themes covered in this film are ones that hold a very significant and special meaning for us as Japanese people.”

02:26

‘Oppenheimer’ sparks debate in Japan ahead of 78-year anniversary of Hiroshima atomic bombing

The anger over the earlier promotional faux pas may have faded, but the film is still expected to get a lukewarm welcome.

“As a fan of [director] Chris Nolan’s work, I am honestly happy that the film will be released in Japan,” said a commenter in response to an analysis of Oppenheimer by film critic and author Hiroki Higashi in the Bungei Shunju magazine.

But others expressed anger at the release of the title.

“To the Japanese, Oppenheimer is nothing more than a devil. It is foolish to release a movie like this in Japan,” a user said. “Don’t let young people think of him as an American hero who ended World War II and saved Japan! He simply targeted Japan and conducted human experiments in Hiroshima and Nagasaki because he wanted to know the power of nuclear weapons.”

Wrote another: “The term ‘anti-war/anti-nuclear movie’ makes me laugh. Depicting the story from the perspective of the perpetrator country itself is bellicose and glorifies the atomic bomb.”

Conservatives, however, are united in their concerns for just how the movie will depict the attacks.

“I want the film to tell the true story of what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, not a Hollywood version, because I do not believe enough people really know what happened,” said Hiromichi Moteki, secretary general of the Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact.

“The important thing that the film needs to include is that the bombs were used against two Japanese cities made up of civilians, not military targets, and that makes the bombings the greatest war crime of all of World War II,” he told This Week in Asia.

“Even if the atomic bombs were the easiest way for the US to win the war, it must be clear that they were a violation of international law,” he said.

Cillian Murphy (left) and Robert Downey Jr. in “Oppenheimer”. Photo: Universal Pictures/TNS

Ken Kato, a politically conservative businessman from Tokyo, is equally adamant that the bombings were war crimes that still horrify the Japanese people to this day.

“I think Japanese audiences would be very uncomfortable watching this film and that is why I do not expect it to be popular,” he said.

“These were war crimes, tens of thousands of civilians lost their lives, and I do not believe many Japanese will want to go and see that in a cinema.”

Kato said, however, that it was “absolutely right” that the film be screened in Japan, as the director’s freedom of expression must be respected.

“But if the film in any way glorifies the atomic bombs, then I think very few people will go to see it – especially the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”

Kato, who said he did not intend to see the film, added that he anticipated protests at some cinemas that would show the film.

Moteki admitted he was undecided about watching the film. As a historian, he said he was keen to learn more about the important events that had affected Japan through the centuries, but added, “If they do not tell the real story of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I do not think I will be able to control my anger. I will go, I think, but I also expect I will have to walk out at some point.”