To be uncomfortable with the film Oppenheimer?

[LKM23]

I haven't seen the film, I'm sure it's a brilliant thriller and will be a Blockbuster hit. I don't think I'll watch it though, it makes my feel really uncomfortable.

It feels like a man who at the end of the day killed thousands of people and damaged millions is being celebrated and turned into a hero.

I lived in Japan for 10 years in my twenties. I visited both Hiroshima and Nagasaki and spent a lot of time with people both directly and indirectly affected by the dropping of the bombs. Those scars are real and still there and will be for a very very long time. It changed Japan and the people who live there forever and at the end of the day I think he was an awful person.

AIBU?

Also see this twitter thread about how families were thrown out of their homes for the bomb testing and then many of the kids got cancer

twitter.com/alisavaldesrod1/status/1682167160364494849?s=61&t=QiLvtI1OSeoR55JsiYeffQ

It is a real piece of history, not a happy piece, but real. You don't have to watch the film, but many people will learn from it, and understand the world a bit better for it

His actions prevented the death of many allied personnel who would have been involved in the invasion of Japan. War is not a pretty business and Openheimer was a tortured sole. The film does not make him a hero. He comes across as very troubled indeed. Equally he is not a villain.

YANBU if that’s true. I haven’t seen it but if he is being portrayed as a hero then that’s terrible.

The USA never needed to drop those bombs, the war was effectively over. They just wanted to play with their toys.

YABU I can't stand films about the holocaust, such as Schindler's list - but other people have the option to watch them if they want to, and people learn from them

Sorry OP I do think you are being unreasonable here as you haven't even seen the film. I read a long book about the development of the atomic bomb (The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes) and really it's very involved and not black and white at all, you can't pin the development of nuclear weapons on one single individual.

If it’s factually correct then it’s a good thing to learn about history
personally I feel more uncomfortable with Barbie 😂

Is it celebrating him? Genuine question, I don’t know. I suppose it’s good people understand history and this stuff isn’t swept under the carpet? But agree there might be a very pro USA spin and it might not be balanced. But it also might be?

Maybe you should do a bit of research as it actually explores the fact that Oppenheimer regretted what the knowledge was used to do

I realise I need to watch it to properly discuss it, but DOES it give a real piece of history or is it glorifying a terrible thing? Honest question, I'd like to hear from someone who has seen it tbh.

If it wasn’t him, it would’ve been someone else - perhaps even on the Nazi side.

I don’t think the film depicts him as a hero more as an interesting character, who lived in interesting times.

My sister has lived in Japan for decades and has a Japanese husband and family. She is going to see it.

It feels like a man who at the end of the day killed thousands of people and damaged millions is being celebrated and turned into a hero.

I'll be honest and say I've not read any reviews or seen the trailer, but obviously I'm aware of the general story. Is he celebrated in the film? Or is it presented less clear cut than that? I find it hard to believe the film is "here's the story of all the wonderful things he did."

So you are uncomfortable because you think it may not portray the story in a way that you find palatable?

Really?

I'd like to say I don't know if the film does make him a hero but that's the impression I'm getting from the advertising so I'd feel uncomfortable going to watch it. I'm not trying to be inflammatory and I admit I'm no expert but I have spent quite a bit of time in the affected areas and whether or not many other people were saved (which I don't deny) it doesn't seem to make the loss easier. I've heard so many heartbreaking stories from that time from normal people, not soldiers or those directly involved in the war.

YABU for saying it depicts him as a hero if you haven't even seen it.

Oh please. The USA never needed to drop the bombs, the war was effectively over.

Don't peddle lies.

It feels like a man who at the end of the day killed thousands of people and damaged millions is being celebrated and turned into a hero.

Oh dear God.

If you've visited Nagasaki & Hiroshima, it's hard to believe you are so misinformed.

Perhaps read some factual research about the topic before making wild claims, and then also consider watching the film before deciding that it's 'celebrating' Oppenheimer or 'turning him into a hero'

It was war it was nasty. I'm sure the Chinese will also have a story to tell on what the Japanese did to them.

I mean, this. It's strange.

I'd like to say I don't know if the film does make him a hero but that's the impression I'm getting from the advertising so I'd feel uncomfortable going to watch it.

I haven't seen it yet, booked for next week (Barbie tonight!) but I do not get that impression.

If you don't want to watch it don't, but don't also make sweeping generalisations without knowing the facts

Well yes, I DEFINITELY won't be watching Barbie!

Jeezy creezy

Watch the movie then maybe you can have an opinion on it

You know what the Japanese did, right?

We should ignore history at our peril

I think this is part of it for me, it's very much from the Americans POV. History is written by the winners after all and is often not entirely accurate.

Well yes, I DEFINITELY won't be watching Barbie!

You don't need to of course; but why the DEFINITELY in CAPS.

I'm going & looking forward to it. Did you do as little research on Barbie as on Oppenheimer? 🤔