People are now boycotting Oppenheimer after one scene has seemingly offended ‘one billion people.’
Just days after the three-hour drama was released on July 21, it seems as though some people have banded together to boycott the film after one particular scene left viewers feeling uncomfortable.
The movie, which is based on the American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb, has already seen some major success, but with such a compelling storyline as well as an all-star lineup, we wouldn’t have expected any less.
Though there seems to be one scene that has stirred up some controversy.
It seems as though the real-life Oppenheimer was fascinated with Hinduism, which he cited prominent bits of during his time. At one point, it was alleged that he even translated the Bhagavad Gita from Sanskrit into English.
His love for the religion was portrayed in the movie but during an explicit scene, which has not resonated well with some Hindus in parts of India.
Uday Mahurkar, journalist and the founder of Save Culture Save India (SCSI), penned an open letter to Christopher Nolan himself.
“It has come to our notice that the movie Oppenheimer contains a scene which makes a scathing attack on Hinduism,” he wrote. “As per social media reports, a scene in the movie shows a woman making a man read Bhagwad Geeta aloud while getting over him and doing sexual intercourse. She is holding Bhagwad Geeta in one hand, and the other hand seems to be adjusting the position of their reproductive organs.”
Mahurkar continued: “The Bhagwad Geeta is one of the most revered scriptures of Hinduism. Geeta has been the inspiration for countless sanyasis, brahmcharis and legends who live a life of self-control and perform selfless noble deeds.”
He then stated that he didn’t “know the motivation and logic behind this unnecessary scene” but it’s an act that “amounts to waging a war on the Hindu community.”
“We urge, on behalf of billion Hindus and timeless tradition of lives being transformed by revered Geeta, to do all that is needed to uphold dignity of their revered book and remove this scene from your film across world,” he added.
. @OppenheimerATOM
To,
Mr Christopher Nolan
Director , Oppenheimer filmDate : July 22, 2023
Reg: Film Oppenheimer’s disturbing attack on Hinduism
Dear Mr Christopher Nolan,
Namaste from Save Culture Save India Foundation.
It has come to our notice that the movie…
— Uday Mahurkar (@UdayMahurkar) July 22, 2023
Others seemingly agreed with the journalist, with one Twitter user stating that the film had “no respect” while another suggested to “boycott” the entire thing altogether.
In the past, Murphy himself has emphasized the importance of the sex scenes in Oppenheimer, describing them as “powerful.”
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, the Peaky Blinders actor described the sex scenes between their characters as “powerful.”
“Those scenes were written deliberately,” Murphy said. “[Christopher Nolan, the director] knew that those scenes would get the movie the rating that it got.
“And I think when you see it, it’s so f****** powerful. And they’re not gratuitous. They’re perfect.
The star went on to describe Pugh as “amazing” saying: “I have loved Florence’s work since Lady Macbeth [William Oldroyd’s 2016 period drama about a woman embittered by a loveless marriage] and I think she’s f**king phenomenal.”
He continued: “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.”
In another interview with The Guardian, the 47-year-old opened up about the “chemistry tests” he and Pugh had to undergo in order to prepare for their intimate scenes together.
“They put two actors in a room to see if there’s any spark, and have all the producers and director at a table watching. I don’t know what metric they use, and it seems so outrageously silly, but sometimes you get a chemistry and nobody knows why,” he told the outlet.
It has been less than a week since Oppenheimer hit all major theatres around the world and it has already been racking up some pretty impressive numbers.