Cillian Murphy defends controversial sex scene with Florence Pugh in Oppenheimer: 'Vital to the story'

The sex scene, featuring actors Florence Pugh and Cillian Murphy, has sparked outrage, especially in India.

Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh share screen space in Oppenheimer.

Hollywood director Christopher Nolan, known for his visionary filmmaking, has surprised audiences with a shocking inclusion in his latest cinematic masterpiece Oppenheimer. For the first time in his career spanning over 20 years and 12 movies, Nolan has incorporated a nudity and sex scene that has become a topic of controversy for multiple reasons.

The scene, featuring actors Florence Pugh and Cillian Murphy, has sparked outrage, particularly due to a moment when Pugh's character, Jean Tatlock, asks Murphy's Oppenheimer to read verses from the Bhagavad-Gita during their intimate encounter. Many viewers took offence to the portrayal, finding it insensitive and inappropriate to involve sacred texts in such a context.

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In a recent interview, Cillian Murphy was asked about the necessity of the sex scene in the film's narrative. "I think they were vital in this movie. I think the relationship that he has with Jean Tatlock is one of the most crucial emotional parts of the film. I think if they're key to the story, then they're worthwhile. Listen, no one likes doing them, they're the most awkward possible part of our job. But sometimes you have to get on with it," he told GQ, while defending the scene.

The quote from the scripture that was included in the scene is "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds", which was famously said by Oppenheimer, touted to be the "father of atom bomb". This quote from the Bhagavad-Gita has been a subject of contention, with some arguing that Oppenheimer misinterpreted the holy Hindu scripture. The original meaning of the quote is said to be 'I am time, destroyer of the world.' However, when Oppenheimer uttered these words after detonating the most powerful bomb ever known to mankind, he seemed to have developed a God complex and interpreted the ancient wisdom to make sense of his feelings at the moment.

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Oppenheimer, however, is dominating the box office worldwide. And it's emerging as another blockbuster in Nolan's career.

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