The consequences of the 1945 nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are depicted in graphic detail in the new MSNBC documentary “To End All War: Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb”: Shortly after the attacks, the U.S. military captured archival footage of survivors standing in the rubble of destroyed cities, their bodies scorched and their skin sagging. The survivors were covered in horrifying burns. The documentary, currently available for streaming on Peacock, was made partly to promote Christopher Nolan’s Universal-produced film “Oppenheimer.” Still, Nolan does not use any of the material from the film.
On the other hand, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two important historical events, were purposefully left out. Some have criticized and stirred controversy over this move, accusing Nolan of erasing historical events. Nonetheless, Nolan has defended his decision, stating that the movie is intended to be a subjective depiction of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s experience rather than a documentary. The physicist’s experiences are depicted in color, but the plot is interwoven with black-and-white sequences that detail the memories of Lewis Strauss, the infamous chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (Robert Downey Jr.) “It’s not a documentary,” declared Nolan. “It is an interpretation. That is my job. I think it’s narrative dramatic filmmaking.”
After the film’s weekend showing in New York, Nolan discussed his reasoning for making the choice. He claimed that he doesn’t show Hiroshima or Nagasaki in his portrayal of Manhattan Project lead scientist Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) because the film deviates from its subject’s particular point of view rather than sanitize the subject. Nolan remarked, “We know so much more than he did at the time. He learned about the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the radio, the same as the rest of the world.” In response to some critiques, Nolan stated that the absence was deliberate in a recent interview with Variety, stating that Oppenheimer was “half a world away when the bombs were dropped. He learned about their detonation on the radio.” He thereby added, “The film presents Oppenheimer’s experience subjectively. It was always my intention to rigidly stick to that. 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.”
Nolan also remarked, “My research and my engagement with this story tell me that anyone claiming a simple answer is in denial of a lot of the facts. Obviously, it would be much better for the world if it hadn’t happened. But so much of the attitude toward the bombing depends on the situation of the individual answering the question. When you speak to people whose relatives were fighting in the Pacific, you get one answer. When you look at the devastating impact in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, you get another.”