Few filmmakers produce a consistently good filmography, much less one that bears distinctive artistic voice, style, and trademarks. I know many film-goers won't agree, but I believe Christopher Nolan has achieved an admirable consistency--of the ten (soon to be eleven) feature-length films under his belt, I liked them all. Not only are they entertaining, but most of them have puzzling narrative structures that keeps you guessing and thinking until a whopper of a revelation happens. And he manages to achieve this while telling fascinating stories full of fascinating characters, and some of them bear an iconography that's become meme-worthy at the least.
That is not to say his work is perfect. I've seen my fair share of heated debates concerning plot holes, sloppy editing, and stupid artistic decisions. Some would say his films are overrated--given the sheer hype they produce, fans do tend to hold the man and his works on a pedestal that undoubtedly irritates his haters. Though I try to abstain from holding Nolan's works above reproach, I do admire all of them anyway, and I'd even say that their imperfections are part of their charm.
Christopher Nolan is a native of London who started dabbling with film-making as early as seven years old. Though he proceeded to make short films throughout his early years, he opted not to attend a traditional film school, and instead received his degree in English literature. Together with Emma Thomson (now his wife), he went on to work in a variety of film-related jobs and make more short films. 1998's Following was his first feature-length picture, which was impressively crafted on a minuscule budget. However, his real breakthrough occurred with 2001's Memento.
Around 2002, I had caught wind of Memento's existence and always heard it was a good, must-see thriller. I didn't see it until some years later (2005 maybe?) from a distinctively-packaged two-disc DVD set. This was the time in which I explored a lot of classics and well-regarded modern films, and watching Memento in such close proximity to David Fincher's Se7en and Fight Club all for the first time is quite a memorable experience. It was films like these that opened up my appreciation of the neo-noir genre, but Memento was the first film that genuinely knocked my socks off with merely its plot structure.
As the years went on, the hits just kept coming. I didn't catch onto 2002's Insomnia until much later, but Batman Begins was one of the best surprises of 2005 and it quickly became one of my favorite Batman films. I found myself rewatching and admiring The Prestige throughout 2006 and 2007, thoroughly hooked to its twisty plot, characters, and style.
Naturally, by 2008 I was onboard with anything this guy would make, and I was looking forward to his next big picture. Nothing actually prepared me for The Dark Knight though--one memorable evening, I saw this on an advanced screening in Leeds with my dad, and I left feeling awed. So many scenes in the movie left a mark, to the point where I regard it as a modern classic and still hold it in high regard. For a time, this was my fourth-favorite movie of all time, and I felt as though Batman and Nolan could do no wrong (especially together).
In 2010, Nolan delivered a wonderfully surprising spectacle with Inception, the one movie of his that feels the most like a big-scale passion project brought to life. Though I skipped it in theaters for some reason, I blind-bought the Blu-Ray and I watched it the day it arrived--it didn't disappoint me. In fact, my appreciation for it only goes up as the years pass, and I consider it an essential among modern sci-fi.
With the success of all the Batman movies, I went into The Dark Knight Rises believing it could do no wrong and was a perfect endcap to the trilogy. In time, I'd realize that calling it "perfect" was a stretch--this is probably his worst film for many reasons, but I still value and enjoy it for its more iconic moments. A couple of years later, Interstellar hit the big screen with seemingly less fanfare, but I was thoroughly impressed by it (I might never forget how, when the credits rolled, the guy next to me said "holy moly!"). In 2017, Dunkirk was released and I appreciated the experience it represented.
Here it is, 2020, and in another month (hopefully) Tenet will release, promising a trippy new spin on the spy movie genre. I have a feeling I'll love it.
Anatomy of a Nolan Picture
Chances are good you'll know a Nolan film when you see it. Most of them are filmed in very drab, steely colors (it just so happens that Nolan is color blind). Most of his films use handheld cameras and very fast editing--you'd think this would look garish, but the effect is actually more eye-popping with the way he ends some scenes very suddenly. Many of his action scenes are shown with pretty ugly camera shake, but over the years I think he ditched that effect in favor of capturing big-scale action with steadier quality (with IMAX cameras nonetheless). Most of his films focus on certain archetypes--usually involving thieves, spies, crooks, businessmen, cops. Ladies in his films are either dangerous femme fatales, tragic lost loves, tough heroines, or some combination of all three. His earliest movies boasted some pretty classy music, but since Batman Begins he's relied more on Hans Zimmer, which gives his films a more synthetic, droning industrial quality (and yet I still think it's fitting).
What really draws me into his films are the stories and their plot structures. Just about all of his films revolve around a secret, and in the course of the film layers are peeled away through revelations and exposition that help piece a larger puzzle together. By the end, you're usually given a revelatory scene or detail that puts the rest of the movie in context, which will either change your perception of what you've just seen, or explain what makes a certain character tick. Heck, Memento does both. The big twists are not always that big or awe-inspiring, but they don't need to be. The first two Batman films don't even have twists per se, they maintain intrigue purely through conventional plotting (although The Dark Knight is a pretty winding cat-and-mouse chase). The Dark Knight Rises, however, pulled an interesting sleight-of-hand regarding the backstory behind Bane and Talia.
Over time, Nolan's focus seemed to sway from steely, intellectual twists towards catharsis and emotion. Though I find parts of Inception and the Dark Knight trilogy chilling, it doesn't quite compare to the raw tears we see shed in Interstellar, or the uplifting monologue that caps Dunkirk. Whether he makes movies with feeling or thought, I'm confident his future works will be interesting to behold.
Other Things To Admire
- Christopher Nolan always wears a suit. Always. In most photos and interviews I see him in, he always looks slick and sounds professional.
- His brother Jonathan Nolan seems to be quite the capable writer. I figure he likely contributed to the successful complexity of movies like Memento and The Dark Knight. The two together seem to be a perfect match.
- That being said, Christopher has writing credit in all his movies, plus Man of Steel and something called Ghajini. He was the sole writer for Inception. I think it's a good yardstick against his writing chops--it likely shows a greater penchant for exposition and spectacle, like most other blockbusters, but it's a film to admire for its structure and ideas more than voice and characterization.
Al's Rankings
- 10: The Dark Knight Rises (2012) 7/10
- 9: Insomnia (2002) 7/10
- 8: Following (1998) 8/10
- 7: Dunkirk (2017) 8/10
- 6: Inception (2010) 9/10
- 5: Batman Begins (2005) 9/10
- 4: Interstellar (2014) 9/10
- 3: The Prestige (2006) 9/10
- 2: The Dark Knight (2008) 10/10
- 1: Memento (2000) 10/10
Nolan's Short Films
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