Why Is There So Much Sex In Oppenheimer?

Contains spoilers for "Oppenheimer"

Christopher Nolan movies aren't really known for being "sexy." Part of this stems from many of his films being PG-13, but even with those, you'd be hard-pressed to find a passionate make-out scene. With "Oppenheimer," he directed his first sex scenes, which were the point of much contention prior to release.

Social media was all a flutter about what the sex scenes in "Oppenheimer" would entail. The result is nothing super scandalous. There's a sex scene between J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh). There's another scene where it's implied they had sex while sitting naked across from one another, and there's a more psychological scene where Oppenheimer's wife, Kitty (Emily Blunt), envisions her husband and Tatlock having sex while he's being interrogated. 

For Nolan, the scenes were critical to better understanding the man Oppenheimer was. After all, the movie's called "Oppenheimer" and not "The Making of the Atom Bomb." Nolan even stated, "When you look at Oppenheimer's life and you look at his story, that aspect of his life, the aspect of his sexuality, his way with women, the charm that he exuded, it's an essential part of his story." He didn't want to play coy about that part of the man's life, which holds great significance. But in the greater context of the film, are the sex scenes merited?

Christopher Nolan movies have a reputation for being cold and emotionless, so it was understandable some people would be worried (even jokingly) about how he would pull off "prolonged" sex scenes in "Oppenheimer." But the sex scenes certainly have their place in the three-hour film. It paints Oppenheimer as a womanizer as he initially cheats on Jean Tatlock with Kitty (even impregnating her while they are still together). And then, even after he and Kitty get married, he continues an affair with Tatlock. Kitty discovers this and feels understandably hurt upon the revelation. 

It culminates in what could be described as Emily Blunt's Oscar moment when Kitty is called to speak about her husband at his security clearance hearing. Despite old wounds coming back up, she stands by her husband's side and pushes back on any accusations that he isn't wholly loyal to the United States. It's a powerful moment in part because the audience better understands everything the couple has been through with Oppenheimer's adultery. The sex scenes directly add to that feeling, showing how Kitty still loves her husband even after everything they've been through. 

Despite online rumors of how there would be a 15-minute sex scene, nothing like that transpires. It's a handful of moments of nudity and sexual situations, contributing to the movie's R rating. "Oppenheimer" is a three-hour epic about one of the most influential men of the modern age, and focusing not only on how he helped develop nuclear warfare but who he was as a person at home helps add to the scale of the project. 

"Oppenheimer" is playing in theaters now.