Florence Pugh nude scene in Oppenheimer censored with CGI black dress in India and Middle East
Censorship of nudity is common in several territories in the Middle East and in Asia.
A nude scene in Christopher Nolan’s biopic Oppenheimer, featuring Florence Pugh and Cillian Murphy, has been censored in several territories outside the US, including India.
Pugh plays psychiatrist Jean Tatlock in the film, while Irish actor Murphy plays the eponymous American physicist who led the development of the atomic bomb.
Tatlock and Oppenheimer were in a relationship and later embarked upon an affair while he was married to Katherine “Kitty” Puening (Emily Blunt).
For Western audiences, Pugh appears nude in multiple scenes with Murphy but, in countries including India and Indonesia, her body is reportedly covered with a computer-generated black dress.
A photo of one altered scene has been circulated on Twitter, with fans in certain territories expressing their surprise.
The decision to censor the material was always likely, though, as many countries in the Middle East and Asia forbid nudity in cinema.
To secure a release in these territories, the film was edited to obtain a U/A rating from India’s Central Board of Film Certification, meaning it’s classified for viewers with parental guidance for children below 12 years of age.
Alongside the censorship issues, Oppenheimer also sparked controversy in India by quoting from the Hindu Bhagavad Gita – specifically the line “I am become Death, destroyer of worlds”, which Oppenheimer famously thought of when the first nuclear bomb was detonated.
However, these pushbacks haven't hindered Oppenheimer's box office success, with the film shattering expectations and earning an impressive $82.4 million in North America and $180 million globally in its opening weekend.
In the UK, Oppenheimer has been given a 15 rating by the BBFC for “strong language and sex”.
In the US, the movie has earned an R rating for “sexuality, nudity, and language”, meaning that anyone under the age of 17 will require a parent or adult guardian to accompany them if they want to watch the movie in cinemas.
Read more:
- Meet the cast of Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer
- Oppenheimer ending explained: What did Oppenheimer say to Einstein?
- What was J Robert Oppenheimer’s relationship to Albert Einstein?
- Where was Oppenheimer filmed? Filming locations explained
- How did Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer film atomic bomb sequences?
- Who was Kitty Oppenheimer? Oppenheimer’s Emily Blunt role explained
- Who was Jean Tatlock? Oppenheimer’s Florence Pugh role explained
- Who was Lewis Strauss? Robert Downey Jr role in Oppenheimer explained
- Who was Leslie Groves? Matt Damon’s Oppenheimer role explained
Oppenheimer is in UK cinemas now. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on tonight.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
