Cillian Murphy has explained why the sex scenes with Florence Pugh in Oppenheimer were vital.
The Peaky Blinders star, 47, stars in Christopher Nolan’s latest film as nuclear scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is often credited as the ‘father of the atomic bomb’ - and after watching the film, you’ll also know he was a bit of a ladies’ man.
A major subplot in the blockbuster - which tracks Oppenheimer’s work in the research and development undertaking that produced the first nuclear weapons called the 'Manhattan Project' - follows the relationship between the nuclear scientist and his psychiatrist and physician Jean Tatlock.
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Oppenheimer and Tatlock, who is portrayed by Florence Pugh, 27, have an affair while the former is still married to Katherine ‘Kitty’ Puening, who is played by Emily Blunt, 40.
“I think they were vital in this in this movie. I think the relationship that he has with Jean Tatlock is one of the most crucial emotional parts of the film,” Murphy told British GQ in a recent interview.
“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.”
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Meanwhile, Nolan also defended the sex scenes in the film and explained in an interview why they are ‘essential’ to the movie.
Nolan had never included a sex scene in any of his films before Oppenheimer. “"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 told Insider.
“It felt very important to understand their relationship and to really see inside it and understand what made it tick without being coy or allusive about it – but to try to be intimate, to try and be in there with him and fully understand the relationship that was so important to him.”
Oppenheimer has received widespread acclaim from critics, audiences and Nolan’s peers. Paul Schrader, who is best known for writing the screenplay to a little known film called Taxi Driver, took to his personal Facebook to spread the utmost praise for the three-hour-long flick.
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“OPPENHEIMER. The best, most important film of this century. If you see one film in cinemas this year it should be Oppenheimer. I’m not a Nolan groupie but this one blows the doors off the hinges,” wrote Schrader while sharing a picture of him and Nolan.
It doesn't get much better than that!
Featured Image Credit: Neil Mockford/FilmMagic / Universal PicturesTopics: Oppenheimer, TV and Film, Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh