Yahoo Movies Christopher Nolan says Oppenheimer's most shocking line was improvised
Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan has revealed that the film's most shockingly chilling line was actually improvised.
The biopic is about the people behind the creation of the atomic bomb, and the first use of it in World War II.
In one scene, J Robert Oppenheimer meets with government officials, including US Secretary of War Henry Stimson. They discuss which part of Japan to drop the bomb on, and Stimson specifically tells them not to bomb Kyoto.
Why? Not because of any thoughts paid to the Japanese people, but because Stimson went on honeymoon there and was fond of the place.
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In an interview with the New York Times, Nolan explained that Stimson actor James Remar came up with the line himself, as he had been encouraged by the director to do his own research into the history, and discovered that the real-life Stimson did indeed honeymoon there.
Nolan explained: "Each actor was coming to the table with research about what their real-life counterpart had been. They had tons of homework to do... we would be able to improvise the discussion.
"The script is there, but they could come into it with passion and knowledge based on all of their own learning."
Explaining how the Kyoto moment came about specifically, Nolan added: "There's a moment where James Remar… He kept talking to me about how he learned that Stimson and his wife had honeymooned in Kyoto.
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"That was one of the reasons that Stimson took Kyoto off the list to be bombed. I had him crossing the city off the list because of its cultural significance, but I’m like, 'Just add that.' It's a fantastically exciting moment where no one in the room knows how to react."
Oppenheimer is out now in cinemas.
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