Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ Did not Use CGI to Recreate Trinity Test’s Nuclear Blast—What Did it Use?

Christopher Nolan will soon share with the world his latest project and direction, with the upcoming film "Oppenheimer," which tells the story of the Allied forces' "Manhattan Project" and how the atomic bomb was born. At the cusp of it all is the nuclear blast that the film aims to show on the big screens, something which reports now claim did not use any CGI.

Most of the modern film's special effects use computer-generated imagery to show the world what they are trying to convey, but without it, what did the likes of Nolan use to deliver such an epic scene?

Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' Did Not Use CGI for Nuclear Blast Scene

The upcoming blockbuster called "Oppenheimer" recounts the story of world-renowned scientists who worked together to create the atomic bomb, one which gave the Allied forces the upper hand in World War II.

And while it tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, also known as the "father of atomic bombs," it also aims to represent its events and capture reality, waving the use of CGI for some of its scenes.

According to Total Film, Nolan claimed that the production of this movie opted to go the extra mile, without the use of computer graphics to deliver the nuclear blast scene, famously known as the "Trinity Test."

It is a historic event, as the Trinity Test is the earliest application of the atomic bomb, where the real Oppenheimer and his team tested it in Los Alamos, New Mexico before using it against their enemies.

Manhattan Project's Trinity Test on the Big Screens

And while big stars like Cillian Murphy (playing J. Robert Oppenheimer), Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, and more complete the star-studded cast, one of the most anticipated elements of the movie is its representation of the Manhattan Project and the A-bomb.

Coming in 2023, people would have the chance to see the story behind the preparations to create this weapon of mass destruction, in a drama that will recount what had happened, until the nuclear bomb's actual use.

Nuclear Blasts and their Massive Effects

Nuclear weapons are regarded as "weapons of mass destruction" and it is true to their word, as they can level cities, regions, provinces, or states when it impacts the ground on their target. Less than 200,000 people died in the Allied forces' bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan, something which served as a reminder of mankind's early dark history.

It was the only occasion where the famed A-Bomb was dropped against enemies, especially as it has massive destructive power, having no regard for human life, the environment, and property.

In a study, a remnant of a person's jawbone left from the bombing was analyzed to see the effects of the nuclear bombs on people. The research looked into the amount of radiation there is when people come close to these types of weapons, and discovered that it brings fatal amounts of nuclear radiation to people.

And while countries globally swore not to use these weapons anymore in 2017 under the United Nations treaty, there are still notable holdings of this destructive bomb kept for defense.

In the film's reimagining of the Manhattan Project and its events, Nolan opted to use the so-called practical effects to recreate the bombing, aiming to capture the event's reality, as captured by cameras.