What is realism in cinema? I have continued to wonder since I saw “Oppenheimer,” a biopic of the theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967), who developed nuclear weapons.

The film perfectly portrays the protagonist’s egotism and moral conflicts. But not a scene is shown of the nuclear devastation unleashed upon Hiroshima or Nagasaki.

I am disappointed by the omission of this “reality.” Still, I believe “Oppenheimer” is an anti-war film.

A film depicting the horrors of war may be narrative-oriented, which is the case........

© The Asahi Shimbun