Christopher Nolan Claims Oppenheimer’s Kyoto Line Was Spontaneous

• According to Christopher Nolan, the most haunting line in “Oppenheimer” was added at the last minute.
• In an interview with The New York Times, Nolan shared that actor James Remar discovered his character honeymooned in Kyoto.
• This unexpected revelation created “a thrilling moment where nobody in the room knew how to respond,” according to Nolan.

Christopher Nolan has revealed that the most chilling line in “Oppenheimer” was actually an improvised addition suggested by an actor on the day of shooting.

Although Nolan wrote the entire script for the three-hour epic film by himself, he disclosed in an interview with The New York Times that one small moment improvised by a cast member was too extraordinary to exclude from the final edit.

The acclaimed director mentioned that James Remar came up with a nauseating moment in which his character, Henry L. Stimson, removes Kyoto from a list of potential bombing locations in Japan because it holds sentimental value as the city where he and his wife honeymooned.

Nolan recalled Remar’s revelation: “He kept discussing with me how he discovered that Stimson and his wife had honeymooned in Kyoto” after conducting his own research on the historical figure of the then-Secretary of War.

“That became one of the reasons why Stimson decided not to bomb Kyoto,” Nolan added.

Initially, Nolan had written the scene to show Stimson removing the city from the list due to its cultural significance, but he instructed Remar to “just add” the additional line about honeymooning in Kyoto.

Universal Pictures

“It’s an incredibly thrilling moment where nobody in the room knows how to react,” Nolan remarked.

In another part of the interview, Nolan stated, “Each actor was extensively researching their real-life counterparts. They had a lot of homework to do.”

“‘American Prometheus’ was a great resource for them,” he continued, referring to the book that heavily influenced the movie, “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.

Nolan mentioned that the cast’s independent research allowed him to achieve something he had never been able to before – the creation of a more realistic backdrop.

“So, for example, in the scene in the classroom with all the scientists, we were able to improvise the discussion,” he explained. “The script was there, but they brought their own passion and knowledge based on their own learning.”

Remar wasn’t the only cast member who delved deep into researching their character.

Cillian Murphy, who portrays the titular nuclear scientist, revealed in an interview with The Guardian in July that he wanted to not only act like Oppenheimer but also think like him.

As previously reported, Murphy consulted with Nobel prize-winning theoretical physicist Kip Thorne and physics and astronomy professor David Saltzberg to accurately portray the genius.

Thorne expressed his admiration for Murphy’s dedication, stating, “He asked insightful questions, aiming to gather information that would assist him in playing the role. I was very impressed.”