diff --git "a/1f0b7ca2-72b7-4329-a995-dd9ce83a828c.json" "b/1f0b7ca2-72b7-4329-a995-dd9ce83a828c.json"
new file mode 100644--- /dev/null
+++ "b/1f0b7ca2-72b7-4329-a995-dd9ce83a828c.json"
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+{
+ "interaction_id": "1f0b7ca2-72b7-4329-a995-dd9ce83a828c",
+ "search_results": [
+ {
+ "page_name": "Blonde v bombshell: get set for the Barbie-Oppenheimer smackdown ...",
+ "page_url": "https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jun/29/blonde-v-bombshell-get-set-for-the-barbie-oppenheimer-smackdown",
+ "page_snippet": "In one corner, veteran heavyweight Christopher Nolan. In the other, nimble visionary Greta Gerwig. Their big films come out on the same day \u2013 but whose will triumph at the box office?Feuding fedoras \u2026 Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer and Margot Robbie in Barbie. Composite: Universal Pictures/Album; Alamy Stock Photo ... In one corner, veteran heavyweight Christopher Nolan. In the other, nimble visionary Greta Gerwig. Their big films come out on the same day \u2013 but whose will triumph at the box office? Directed by celebrated auteurs (Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan respectively), and hyped by multiple trailers over the past year, both movies are scheduled to open on the same crowded day. Forget your QR codes: this is one time to buy a physical ticket and save the stub to show your grandchildren. Future generations will want to know where you stood on 21 July 2023 when Barbie met the bomb. Some mild shade has already been thrown between the film\u2019s respective camps on social media. \u201cGreta Gerwig could do Oppenheimer but Christopher Nolan couldn\u2019t do Barbie,\u201d observed one tweet. Another overreached by proposing that \u201cMargot Robbie could do Oppenheimer but Cillian Murphy couldn\u2019t do Barbie\u201d \u2013 clearly the work of someone who has never seen him in Breakfast on Pluto or Peacock. Get ready, then, for Barbie v Oppenheimer. Directed by celebrated auteurs (Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan respectively), and hyped by multiple trailers over the past year, both movies are scheduled to open on the same crowded day. Forget your QR codes: this is one time to buy a physical ticket and save the stub to show your grandchildren.",
+ "page_result": "\n \n \n\t\t\t \n\n\t\t\t\t\n\n Blonde v bombshell: get set for the Barbie-Oppenheimer smackdown | Movies | The Guardian\n \n\t\t\t\t\n \n\t\t\t\t\n \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n \n \n\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n \n\t\t\t\t\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n Skip to main contentSkip to navigation
Feuding fedoras \u2026 Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer and Margot Robbie in Barbie. Composite: Universal Pictures/Album; Alamy Stock Photo
Feuding fedoras \u2026 Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer and Margot Robbie in Barbie. Composite: Universal Pictures/Album; Alamy Stock Photo
This article is more than 8 months old
Blonde v bombshell: get set for the Barbie-Oppenheimer smackdown
This article is more than 8 months old
In one corner, veteran heavyweight Christopher Nolan. In the other, nimble visionary Greta Gerwig. Their big films come out on the same day \u2013 but whose will triumph at the box office?
We live in divisive times. Opinion is more tribal and entrenched than ever, the value of reasoned argument and willing compromise plummeting by the day. This volatility could spread to the multiplex next month, where a battle of the blockbusters is destined to make previous cinematic standoffs \u2013 Mothra v Godzilla, Alien v Predator, Kramer vs Kramer \u2013 look like games of playground pat-a-cake. Get ready, then, for Barbie v Oppenheimer.
Directed by celebrated auteurs (Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan respectively), and hyped by multiple trailers over the past year, both movies are scheduled to open on the same crowded day. Forget your QR codes: this is one time to buy a physical ticket and save the stub to show your grandchildren. Future generations will want to know where you stood on 21 July 2023 when Barbie met the bomb.
Greta Gerwig. Photograph: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
In the pink corner is Gerwig\u2019s DayGlo toy story starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, who while away their days happily but vacuously in Barbie-land. In a plot apparently borrowed from Enchanted and The Purple Rose of Cairo, with a dash of Don\u2019t Worry Darling, they swap their cosseted fairytale existence for our harsh modern world. (The trailer shows Barbie having her police mugshot taken after walloping a Venice Beach groper in the face.) The cast incorporates hot young things Issa Rae, Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Jamie Demetriou and, most excitingly, the new Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, as well as old hands Michael Cera, Kate McKinnon and Will Ferrell; Helen Mirren is on narrating duties.
The 39-year-old Gerwig is arguably as big a selling point as Robbie or Gosling, as well as a guarantor of quality control. The three-time Oscar nominee directed Lady Bird and Little Women, as well as co-directing with Joe Swanberg the long-distance love story Nights and Weekends, back in the days when she was the doyenne of the lo-fi indie \u201cmumblecore\u201d movement. Her co-writer on Barbie is her partner, the director Noah Baumbach, with whom she wrote gems such as Frances Ha and Mistress America. Back in 2010 when she was promoting Greenberg, the bittersweet Baumbach comedy which became her Hollywood springboard, she spoke of her childhood habit of jumbling up the letters in her name: \u201cIn second grade, I\u2019d be writing \u2018Great Gerwig, Great Gerwig\u2019 on everything,\u201d she said. These days, it\u2019s more than just an anagram.
Christopher Nolan. Photograph: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
Her opponent is the 52-year-old Nolan, a five-time Oscar nominee who has heft on his side. His is the weightier directing CV (12 films), with Oppenheimer his longest yet: he recently confirmed that it is \u201ckissing three hours\u201d, which makes it more than an hour longer than Barbie. This is serious, spectacular event cinema, shot with Imax cameras and booked long ago into all that format\u2019s venues \u2013 to the apparent chagrin of Tom Cruise, whose latest Mission: Impossible adventure opens a week earlier but will be relegated to smaller screens the instant Oppenheimer drops.
Nolan\u2019s cast is every bit as impressive as Gerwig\u2019s; as well as the perpetually haunted Cillian Murphy as the physicist Robert J Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb, Nolan has assembled Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Robert Downey Jr, Gary Oldman and Kenneth Branagh. The chances of any of them rollerblading \u00e0 la Gosling in Barbie are negligible, which may help explain why Gerwig\u2019s film is on track to have the more impressive opening weekend. Not that Oppenheimer will exactly bomb.
Barbie also has the edge when it comes to marketing opportunities, as might be expected of any movie adapted from merchandise. This goes way beyond the valley of the dolls: among the many tie-in products is an inflatable Barbie pool-float golf-cart, a Barbie dog\u2019s basket, and an electric toothbrush capable of 36,000 sonic vibrations a minute \u2013 the same effect you get from watching Oppenheimer in Imax.
Unlike Barbie, Nolan\u2019s film probably doesn\u2019t have its own Exclusive Oral Beauty Partner, though given his protagonist\u2019s chain-smoking tendencies there may be a teeth-whitening deal in the offing. And we shouldn\u2019t rule out Oppenheimer throwing its hat in the ring when it comes to headgear. As far back as 2010, one plaintive user on thefedoralounge.com was searching \u201cfor a lid like the one the famous nuclear physicist wore,\u201d citing a \u201c2\u00bd-inch snap brim and a very thin ribbon\u201d and concluding that \u201csuch a hat would be positively atomic\u201d. Factor in the Cillian Murphy effect \u2013 this is the man who helped popularise the Peaky Blinders newsboy cap/undercut combo \u2013 and the Oppenheimer fedora and brown wool coat could be the look to replace Barbie\u2019s summery pink once the nippier months roll around.
Some mild shade has already been thrown between the film\u2019s respective camps on social media. \u201cGreta Gerwig could do Oppenheimer but Christopher Nolan couldn\u2019t do Barbie,\u201d observed one tweet. Another overreached by proposing that \u201cMargot Robbie could do Oppenheimer but Cillian Murphy couldn\u2019t do Barbie\u201d \u2013 clearly the work of someone who has never seen him in Breakfast on Pluto or Peacock. But the encouraging thing about the Barbie v Oppenheimer discourse is that, by and large, it has not followed the contours that often prevail in our online interactions. For anyone who loves cinema, the vibe feels closer to a cuddle than a cage fight.
Murphy and Emily Blunt in Oppenheimer. Photograph: Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures
There is real genius in this tactic of opening films catering for different audiences on the same day (known as counter-programming). The canny part is not what separates Nolan and Gerwig but what unites them: despite a clear contrast of style and sensibility, both directors possess a comparable skill, intelligence and passion, and tend to inspire loyalty in their fans. This same situation could never have arisen had Oppenheimer been pitted against, say, The Super Mario Bros Movie. Though that film is a smash, having grossed more than $1bn worldwide to date, it has nothing in it to propel cultural conversation along with profits.
Opening two films together that share similar DNA would also produce less of a spark. The experience of going to an afternoon screening of Ghostbusters on opening day in December 1984, then coming out and going straight back in to see Gremlins at teatime, was thrilling for my friends and me as 13-year-olds (especially as Gremlins was rated 15), but it was a routine sort of double bill on reflection: both were comedies that trafficked in the scary or supernatural.
What makes the combination of Barbie and Oppenheimer sing is that it is unlikely but not nonsensical. And though the films\u2019 subjects are markedly different, there will be some overlap between their audiences. The major Rorschach test of our era, one Twitter user has suggested, will be whether you follow Oppenheimer with Barbie or vice versa. It\u2019s no longer the case of \u201ceither/or\u201d that it first appeared to be but rather \u201cwhich one first?\u201d. The Picturehouse chain is even extending the double bill idea by screening a selection of both directors\u2019 past work in the coming weeks; audiences can see Lady Bird take flight alongside Interstellar, or pair Little Women and Dunkirk in a double bill of wartime stories, albeit from different wars.
Contrary to the way the rivalry was initially framed, this is no replay of the hostile Blur v Oasis Britpop war of the mid-1990s. Even the formulation of Barbie v Oppenheimer misrepresents the tenor of this unusual pairing: shouldn\u2019t it be the more harmonious Barbie x Oppenheimer, in the style of today\u2019s brand collaborations? Whichever film prevails financially, the result will be less meaningful to audiences than what these movies represent in a post-pandemic landscape that has seen famished exhibitors begging for new product.
Next month\u2019s clash only came about in the first place because of Nolan\u2019s commitment to cinemas over streaming. He would likely have set up Oppenheimer at his usual home, Warner Bros, had that studio not instigated a policy in 2021 (no longer in force today) of releasing its films simultaneously in cinemas and on HBO Max, in response to uncertainty during the pandemic. (Nolan, remember, had ruled out a streaming release for his previous film, Tenet, back in 2020 when cinema exhibition was at its most precarious.) Warner Bros still hopes to woo him back. Barbie is a Warners film, and if the studio had been distributing both pictures, they would never have let them go out on the same day. But Nolan took Oppenheimer to Universal \u2013 hence the scheduling pile-up.
No matter. The impact of Covid and the streaming revolution have been bruising, even in some cases annihilating, to parts of the industry. But contrary to the tagline from Alien Vs Predator \u2013 \u201cWhoever wins \u2026 we lose\u201d \u2013 the outcome of Barbie opening in lockstep with Oppenheimer can only be positive. Whichever one triumphs, cinema rules.
\n
Barbie and Oppenheimer fight it out at the box office on 21 July.
\n \n ",
+ "page_last_modified": ""
+ },
+ {
+ "page_name": "Top 11 Christopher Nolan Movies, Ranked Worst to Best (2023)",
+ "page_url": "https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/best-christopher-nolan-movies-ranked/",
+ "page_snippet": "Check out our rankings of this neo-noir auteur. Let us know what you think and why!We\u2019ve created our list of Christopher Nolan movies ranked by the quality of the story, theme, filmmaking craft, and individual cinematic experience. We're ranking the best Christopher Nolan movies. \u00b7 There is some truly clunky dialogue, as well as some pretty cringe inducing moments in The Dark Knight, and while I can\u2019t be sure this was Nolan or Warner Brothers, we can\u2019t ignore these really odd choices. There is some truly clunky dialogue, as well as some pretty cringe inducing moments in The Dark Knight, and while I can\u2019t be sure this was Nolan or Warner Brothers, we can\u2019t ignore these really odd choices. Heath Ledger as The Joker may go down as one of the greatest performances of all time. And while Bob Kane crafted this timeless character, Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger did an incredible job of bringing him to life. The Prestige is one of the great modern films, and has the best script of any Nolan film. Nolan found what worked so well with Memento and took that electricity a step further. His pacing improved as well. The theme is carefully intertwined with the subject matter, the world of magicians, the act of filmmaking, and Nolan\u2019s personal style.",
+ "page_result": "\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n\t\n \n \n\t\n \n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\n\n\n\t \t \n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\t\n\tTop 11 Christopher Nolan Movies, Ranked Worst to Best (2020)\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n \n
Which are the best Christopher Nolan movies? How do you rank them against each other? Do Christopher Nolan films get better over the years, and how will Nolan\u2019s next movie measure up? We\u2019ve created a list of the best Christopher Nolan movies ranked not by box office haul, but rather by the quality of the story, theme, filmmaking craft, and cinematic experience.\u00a0
Christopher Nolan movies are great for filmmakers to study because he is one of the few directors who understand both how to craft a compelling story, and then support that story through very precise cinematic techniques.
Christopher Nolan\u2019s first feature film is a 69 minute Film Noir suspense thriller. The film was predominantly hand-held, shot on an Arri BL and a Bolex (both 16MM) and the entire movie is in black and white.
The film was made in 15-minute stints over the course of a year due to Nolan\u2019s financial and production constraints. And you see early signs of Christopher Nolan\u2019s directing style and cinematic values in this film.
\n
\n\n
\n
Christopher Nolan All Movies Ranked \u2022 Following (1998)
The story is great, and the chief reason the film lands at the end of our Christopher Nolan movies list is purely the technical quality. Nolan was just getting started and his directing style was just maturing.
With Tenet, Christopher Nolan took a huge swing. In fact, most would agree this was his biggest swing yet and we can't help but applaud him for doing so. Much respect also given to Warner Bros. for allowing an auteur like Nolan to continue making massive tentpoles with original content. However, if we can conclude our baseball analogy, despite the monstrous swing, it did not connect.
Since Day One, Nolan movies have been pushing the boundaries of how intellectually challenging blockbusters can be. In this case, we apparently found the breaking point. Tenet is basically unintelligible \u2014 from the headache-inducing plot to the sound mixing that made the dialogue in certain scenes impossible to hear.
\n
\n
\n
\n
Christopher Nolan All Movies Ranked \u2022 Tenet (2020)
That being said, just because Tenet is hard to understand, it is still fun to watch. The cinematography is moody yet precise, the forward/reverse action sequences are surely impressive, and the score by Ludwig G\u00f6ransson is an absolute banger. It will be interesting to see how Nolan returns from this one. His batting average (here we go again) is still unbelievably high, especially working at the peak of the Studio System. Everybody strikes out sometimes.
We said we'd judge each film as an individual, and I believe it is still safe to say the The Dark Knight Rises would not have been met with the same positive reception if it had not been for the critical acclaim of The Dark Knight.
You get the distinct feeling that this third film was highly compromised by the studio, and overly complicated even for Christopher Nolan.
Did we really want a Joseph Gordon Levitt Nightwing sequel? Probably not, but I'd like to know why we needed all of these new characters.
There are some amazing scenes which include a mid-air hijacking by a rather buff Sean Connery impersonator, but the various contrivances, plot holes, and the film\u2019s ending were not what viewers expected from Nolan. It fell flat.
Many of the visual effects in the film were created beforehand so that the filmmakers could later capture them \u201cin camera.\u201d This allowed actors to react to their surroundings without the use of a green screen. Watching Matthew McConaughey mow through an okra field with a pick-up or slip into a black hole are just some of the great moments in the film.
Inception has some of Christopher Nolan\u2019s best movie moments, but it also features some of the most... paradoxical.
An important rule to consider in filmmaking: Once you\u2019ve established a set of \u201cmagic rules\u201d you must stay consistent.
This film seems to struggle with its own rules quite a bit, and then tries to write itself out of some of the contrivances and plot holes, or ignores them completely like the relationship between gravity and time in each dream layer.
The concept of dream vs reality is explored in interesting ways, specifically in regards to Cobb\u2019s relationship with his wife, but many of the antagonists and complications in Inception are also a bit... faceless and unclear.
It\u2019s true that our own mind and ideas can be our worst enemy, but much of Inception seems to suffer from the same pitfall as many Marvel films.
Hordes of faceless enemies become boring after a while.
Without a doubt, there are some amazing and iconic moments in Inception. The film grammar is very strong, the core idea is inventive, the kicks are visually stunning, and the complex ending scene is absolutely superb. All of these achievements solidify Christopher Nolan as a truly unique filmmaker.
Batman Begins is truly a standalone film. It\u2019s the origin story that Marvel and the other DC films have been chasing for a while now.
The reason they struggle to capture what Christopher Nolan was able to achieve is because they\u2019re unwilling to admit that a human story is what superhero films require to become truly immersive experiences.
Consider how he used a training montage in Act One to give us backstory, characterization and the beginnings of Wayne's character arc. Here's a video on Nolan's approach to montage.
Bruce Wayne is aflawed person. He is haunted by his guilt, consumed by anger and a desire for vengeance. Bruce is impetuous, and corrupted by his own fear. He is someone who needs to be redeemed.
And he\u2019s sort of a brat.
This makes his transformation that much more effective, and Nolan takes advantage of Joseph Campbell\u2019s mono-myth, but with his own twist.
The monastery in the eastern mountains, the psychotropic blue flowers, the sword training scene on the ice, the notorious pick-the-ninja game. How about Bruce snagging Ducard as he slides off the snowy precipice?
These remarkable moments kept us on the edge of our seats.
Insomnia is one of the most haunting detective films of all time. Why?
Because Detective Dormer is another flawed, Nolan-esque protagonist. He is compromised from the start, and the entire film gains a layer of constant logical suspense and drama.
There are no super gadgets, fantasy elements, or space travel...just a really sleepy detective. Haunted by his deeds, but still has a killer to catch.
There is a great personal relationship between the hero and villain (the late-great Robin Williams), and the lines blurred more than usual.
\n
\n\n
\n
Best Christopher Nolan Films \u2022 Insomnia (2002)
Nolan\u2019s film grammar is at the height of its effectiveness, and this is because he hit the perfect balance between a professional budget, and reasonable limitations. He had enough rope to climb, but not hang himself.
How do I mean?
When Christopher Nolan has a huge budget, he will often try to lace together visual spectacle with many of the Christopher Nolan techniques, which can betray his own carefully crafted narratives from time to time.
It\u2019s not as if we hate the spinning hallways, but sometimes Nolan is at his best when his stories are more contained, more human, more relatable.
This film has some of the best performances of any Nolan film.
There is some truly clunky dialogue, as well as some pretty cringe inducing moments in The Dark Knight, and while I can\u2019t be sure this was Nolan or Warner Brothers, we can\u2019t ignore these really odd choices.
Heath Ledger as The Joker may go down as one of the greatest performances of all time. And while Bob Kane crafted this timeless character, Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger did an incredible job of bringing him to life.
Christian Bale isn't too shabby either.
\n
\n\n
\n
Ranking All Christopher Nolan Directed Movies \u2022 The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight has some truly unforgettable moments, and some of the best performances in a superhero film. The film is all about chaos and the battle, not between good and evil, but Nolan\u2019s take on natural conflict.
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, and how every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Christopher Nolan mentioned that he intentionally built Dunkirk to play like the third act of any other war film, just stretched out across 106 minutes. This is despite the fact that the script for Dunkirk was only 76 pages.
A fantastic visual achievement that shows... rather than tells.
Dunkirk is one of the most authentic and suspenseful films ever crafted, and it puts the viewer inside the boots of the soldiers on Dunkirk beach.
Nolan also uses his favorite cinematic device \u2014 cross cutting.
The entire film\u2019s structure was influenced by The Shepard Tone, which allows the film to continually rise in suspense throughout. The use of vintage aircraft, lighting, special effects, and lack of dialogue win the day.
\n
\n\n
\n
Making one of the best Christopher Nolan movies \u2022 Dunkirk (2017)
Tom Hardy gliding in his spitfire above, the notorious whine of the dive-bombing Stukas, the slow but inevitable blast of the beach bombing.
All absolutely fantastic.
If you watched this film in the theatre you remember how absolutely deafening the sound design was. Just like a real war.
It\u2019s a roller coaster. You\u2019re strapped in. You\u2019re on it. No getting off.
The best part of this film is how Nolan took all of his past successes and combined them with a new effort. He could have done what many directors do, which is to avoid a new challenge and go back to familiar ground.
If Interstellar, Inception, and The Dark Knight Rises suffered from too much dialogue and contrivances, Dunkirk is Nolan\u2019s redemption film.
He found value in the criticism of his work, and made an adjustment.
Memento changed cinema forever, and shaped Nolan\u2019s storytelling style. The film took full advantage of the medium in a way we had never seen before, and in many respects still have yet to be capitalized upon.
The combination of themes and various cinematic devices create an eerie and unforgettable film that forces you to question your own memories.
And the best part is that, generally, it could happen to you.
\n
\n
\n
\n
Nolan Movies Ranked \u2022 Memento (2000)
Leonard Shelby\u2019s world is accessible, even if his condition is abstract. The way Nolan shot and cut the film together shows us the pinnacle of intentional filmmaking and non-linear story structure.
You can see the matured forms of his signature storytelling techniques like time jumps, inserts, Dutch angles, and a convergent narrative.
There is something to be said about Nolan\u2019s smaller films. They are often more grounded, because they have to be, and that really helps to make Nolan\u2019s complex ideas a bit more palatable. Not to mention the structure of the film places us in a very similar situation to that of Leonard Shelby.
The Prestige is one of the great modern films, and has the best script of any Nolan film. Nolan found what worked so well with Memento and took that electricity a step further. His pacing improved as well.
The theme is carefully intertwined with the subject matter, the world of magicians, the act of filmmaking, and Nolan\u2019s personal style.
\n
\n\n
\n
The Best of Christopher Nolan Movies \u2022 The Prestige (2006)
Nolan\u2019s found a story structure and subject matter that acts as a thematic metaphor for everything surrounding the film. As others have noted, this is a film about magicians, but is also itself, a magic trick.
He built his story upon the structure of a magic trick, and then gave nods to that process as well as his own personal obsessions.
The acting, cinematography, production design, costumes, story, editing \u2014 everything is top-notch. It also brings up important questions about life, death, careers, time, duplicity, magic, memory, and commitment.
Commitment to others, you family, your friends, but also to one\u2019s craft.
So the next step is for you to rent the film, pop some corn, flush your phone, turn down the lights, and enjoy the best Christopher Nolan movie\u2026
So far.
UP NEXT
More on Christopher Nolan
We've got much more to discuss about Christopher Nolan. Follow the navigation below to explore his directing style, directing tips, his use of \"circles\" and some of his shot list favorites.
\n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
+ "page_last_modified": " Wed, 06 Mar 2024 21:59:06 GMT"
+ },
+ {
+ "page_name": "Christopher Nolan - Wikipedia",
+ "page_url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Nolan",
+ "page_snippet": "Most of the cast and crew were friends of Nolan, and shooting took place on weekends over the course of a year. To conserve film stock, each scene was rehearsed extensively to ensure that the first or second take could be used in the final edit. Following won several awards during its festival run and was well ...Most of the cast and crew were friends of Nolan, and shooting took place on weekends over the course of a year. To conserve film stock, each scene was rehearsed extensively to ensure that the first or second take could be used in the final edit. Following won several awards during its festival run and was well received by critics who labelled Nolan a majorly talented debutant. Following won several awards during its festival run and was well received by critics who labelled Nolan a majorly talented debutant. Scott Timberg of New Times LA wrote that it \"echoed Hitchcock classics\", but was \"leaner and meaner\". Janet Maslin of The New York Times was impressed with its \"spare look\" and \"agile hand-held camerawork\", saying, \"As a result, the actors convincingly carry off the before, during and after modes that the film eventually, and artfully, weaves together.\" Memento earned Nolan many accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay, as well as two Independent Spirit Awards: Best Director and Best Screenplay. Six critics listed it as one of the best films of the 2000s. In 2001, Nolan and Emma Thomas founded the production company Syncopy Inc. Nolan's use of practical, in-camera effects, miniatures and models, as well as shooting on celluloid film, has been highly influential in early 21st century cinema. IndieWire wrote in 2019 that, Nolan \"kept a viable alternate model of big-budget filmmaking alive\", in an era where blockbuster filmmaking has become \"a largely computer-generated art form\". David Bordwell observed that Nolan is \"considered one of the most accomplished living filmmakers\", citing his ability to turn genre movies into both art and event films, as well as his box office numbers, critical acclaim and popularity among cinemagoers. In 2008, Philip French deemed Nolan \"the first major talent to emerge this century\".",
+ "page_result": "\n\n\n\nChristopher Nolan - Wikipedia\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJump to content\n
Christopher Edward Nolan was born on 30 July 1970, in Westminster, London. His father, Brendan James Nolan, was a British advertising executive of Irish descent [1] who worked as a creative director. His mother, Christina Jensen, was an American flight attendant from Evanston, Illinois; she would later work as a teacher of English. He has an elder brother, Matthew, and a younger brother, Jonathan, also a filmmaker. The three brothers were raised Catholic in Highgate and would spend their summers in Evanston.[2][3] Nolan holds both UK and US citizenship.[4]\n
Growing up, Nolan was particularly influenced by the work of Ridley Scott and the science fiction films 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and Star Wars (1977).[6][7] He would repeatedly watch the latter film and extensively research its making.[8] Nolan began making films at the age of seven, borrowing his father's Super8 camera and shooting short films with his action figures.[9] These films included a stop motion animation homage to Star Wars called Space Wars. He cast his brother Jonathan and built sets from \"clay, flour, egg boxes and toilet rolls\".[6] His uncle, who had worked at NASA building guidance systems for the Apollo rockets, sent him some launch footage: \"I re-filmed them off the screen and cut them in, thinking no-one would notice\", Nolan later remarked.[10] From the age of 11, he aspired to be a professional filmmaker.[11] Between 1981 and 1983, Nolan enrolled at Barrow Hills, a Catholic prep school in Witley, Surrey.[12] In his teenage years, Nolan started making films with Adrien and Roko Belic. Nolan and Roko co-directed the surreal 8mm Tarantella (1989), which was shown on Image Union, an independent film and video showcase on the Public Broadcasting Service.[a][14][15] After a fan posted a copy of Tarantella online, in 2021, Nolan's production company filed a copyright infringement claim, to have the film removed.[16]\n
After earning his bachelor's degree in English literature in 1993, Nolan worked as a script reader, camera operator and director of corporate films and industrial films.[18][20][21] He directed, wrote and edited the short film Larceny (1996),[22] which was filmed over a weekend in black and white with limited equipment and a small cast and crew.[14][23] Funded by Nolan and shot with the UCL Union Film society's equipment, it appeared at the Cambridge Film Festival in 1996 and is considered one of UCL's best shorts.[24] For unknown reasons, the film has since been removed from public view.[22] Nolan filmed a third short, Doodlebug (1997), about a man seemingly chasing an insect with his shoe, only to discover that it is a miniature of himself.[17][25]\n
Nolan and Thomas first attempted to make a feature in the mid-1990s titled Larry Mahoney, which they scrapped.[26] During this period in his career, Nolan had little to no success getting his projects off the ground, facing several rejections; he added, \"[T]here's a very limited pool of finance in the UK. To be honest, it's a very clubby kind of place ... Never had any support whatsoever from the British film industry.\"[27]\n
Shortly after abandoning Larry Mahoney, Nolan conceived the idea for his first feature, Following (1998), which he wrote, directed, photographed and edited. The film depicts an unemployed young writer (Jeremy Theobald) who trails strangers through London, hoping they will provide material for his first novel, but is drawn into a criminal underworld when he fails to keep his distance. It was inspired by Nolan's experience of living in London and having his apartment burgled; he observed that the common attribute between larceny and pursuing someone through a crowd was that they both cross social boundaries.[28] Co-produced by Nolan with Thomas and Theobald,[29] it was made on a budget of around \u00a33,000. Most of the cast and crew were friends of Nolan, and shooting took place on weekends over the course of a year.[30] To conserve film stock, each scene was rehearsed extensively to ensure that the first or second take could be used in the final edit.[17][31]Following won several awards during its festival run and was well received by critics who labelled Nolan a majorly talented debutant.[32][33]Scott Timberg of New Times LA wrote that it \"echoed Hitchcock classics\", but was \"leaner and meaner\".[34]Janet Maslin of The New York Times was impressed with its \"spare look\" and \"agile hand-held camerawork\", saying, \"As a result, the actors convincingly carry off the before, during and after modes that the film eventually, and artfully, weaves together.\"[35]\n
\n
\n
\n
\"The difference between shooting Following with a group of friends wearing our own clothes and my mum making sandwiches to spending $4 million of somebody else's money on Memento and having a crew of a hundred people is, to this day, by far the biggest leap I've ever made.\"\n
\n
\n
\u2014Nolan on the jump from his first film to his second (2012)[36]
\n
\n
Following's success afforded Nolan the opportunity to make Memento (2000), which became his breakthrough film. His brother Jonathan pitched the idea to him, about a man with anterograde amnesia who uses notes and tattoos to hunt for his wife's murderer. Jonathan worked the idea into a short story, \"Memento Mori\" (2001), and Nolan developed it into a screenplay that told the story in reverse. Aaron Ryder, an executive for Newmarket Films, said it was \"perhaps the most innovative script I had ever seen\".[37] The film was optioned and given a budget of $4.5million, with Guy Pearce and Carrie-Anne Moss in the starring roles.[38] Newmarket also distributed the film after it was rejected by studios who feared that it would not attract a wide audience. Following a positive word of mouth and screenings in 500 theatres, it earned $40million.[39]Memento premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2000 to critical acclaim.[40]Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal wrote in his review, \"I can't remember when a movie has seemed so clever, strangely affecting and slyly funny at the very same time.\"[41] In the book The Philosophy of Neo-Noir, Basil Smith drew a comparison with John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, which argues that conscious memories constitute our identities \u2013 a theme Nolan explores in the film.[42]Memento earned Nolan many accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay, as well as two Independent Spirit Awards: Best Director and Best Screenplay.[43][44] Six critics listed it as one of the best films of the 2000s.[45] In 2001, Nolan and Emma Thomas founded the production company Syncopy Inc.[46][b]\n
Impressed by his work on Memento, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh recommended Nolan to Warner Bros. to direct the psychological thrillerInsomnia (2002), although the studio initially wanted a more seasoned director.[48] A remake of the 1997 Norwegian thriller of the same name, the film is viewed as \"the outlier of Nolan's filmography\" due to its perceived lack of unconventionality he is known for.[49] Starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank,[50]Insomnia follows two Los Angeles detectives sent to a northern Alaskan town to investigate the murder of a local teenager. It received positive reviews from critics and earned $113million against a budget of $46million.[51][52] Film critic Roger Ebert praised the film for introducing new perspectives and ideas on the issues of morality and guilt, adding, \"Unlike most remakes, the Nolan Insomnia is not a pale retread, but a re-examination of the material, like a new production of a good play.\"[53]Richard Schickel of Time deemed Insomnia a \"worthy successor\" to Memento and \"a triumph of atmosphere over a none-too-mysterious mystery\".[54]\n
Following, Memento and Insomnia established Nolan's image as an \"auteur\".[55] After the lattermost, he wrote a screenplay for a Howard Hughes biopic. Nolan reluctantly tabled his script after learning that Martin Scorsese was already making one such film: The Aviator (2004).[56] He was then briefly attached to direct a film adaptation of Ruth Rendell's novel The Keys to the Street for Fox Searchlight Pictures but chose to direct Batman Begins instead.[57] Nolan turned down an offer to direct the historical epic Troy (2004).[58] In April 2003, filmmaker David O. Russell put Nolan in a headlock at a Hollywood party after learning that Jude Law, whom Russell wanted to cast, had decided to work with Nolan instead. Russell pressured Nolan to display \"artistic solidarity\" by relinquishing Law from his cast.[59][60]\n
\n
2003\u20132013: Widespread recognition
\n
In early 2003, Nolan approached Warner Bros. with the idea of making a new Batman film, based on the character's origin story.[61] Nolan was fascinated by the notion of grounding it in a more realistic world than a comic-book fantasy.[62] He relied heavily on traditional stunts and miniature effects during filming, with minimal use of computer-generated imagery (CGI).[63]Batman Begins (2005), the biggest project Nolan had undertaken to that point,[64] was released to critical acclaim and commercial success.[65][66] Starring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman\u2014along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Liam Neeson\u2014Batman Begins revived the franchise.[67][68]Batman Begins was 2005's ninth-highest-grossing film and was praised for its psychological depth and contemporary relevance;[66][69] it is cited as one of the most influential films of the 2000s.[70] Film author Ian Nathan wrote that within five years of his career, Nolan \"[went] from unknown to indie darling to gaining creative control over one of the biggest properties in Hollywood, and (perhaps unwittingly) fomenting the genre that would redefine the entire industry\".[71]\n
Nolan directed, co-wrote and produced The Prestige (2006), an adaptation of the Christopher Priest novel about two rival 19th-century magicians.[72] The screenplay was the result of an intermittent, five-year collaboration between him and his brother Jonathan, who had begun writing it already in 2001. Nolan initially intended to make the film as early as 2003, but had postponed the project after agreeing to make Batman Begins.[73][74] Starring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale in the lead roles of rival magicians, The Prestige received critical acclaim and received two Academy Award nominations.[75][76] Roger Ebert described it as \"quite a movie – atmospheric, obsessive, almost satanic\",[77] and Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times called it an \"ambitious, unnerving melodrama\".[78]The Guardian'sPhilip French wrote: \"In addition to the intellectual or philosophical excitement it engenders, The Prestige is gripping, suspenseful, mysterious, moving and often darkly funny.\"[79] Despite a negative box-office prognosis, the film earned over $109million against a budget of $40million.[80]\n
\nNolan (left) with the cast and crew of The Dark Knight at the 2008 European premiere in London\n
The Dark Knight (2008), the follow-up to Batman Begins, was Nolan's next venture. Initially reluctant to make a sequel, he agreed after Warner Bros. repeatedly insisted.[81] Nolan wanted to expand on the noir quality of the first film by broadening the canvas and taking on \"the dynamic of a story of the city, a large crime story... where you're looking at the police, the justice system, the vigilante, the poor people, the rich people, the criminals\".[82] Continuing to minimalise the use of CGI, Nolan employed high-resolution IMAX cameras, making it the first major motion picture to use this technology.[83][84]The Dark Knight has been ranked as one of the best films of the 2000s and one of the best superhero films ever made.[c] Many critics declare The Dark Knight to be \"the most successful comic book film ever made\".[89]Manohla Dargis of The New York Times found the film to be of higher artistic merit than many Hollywood blockbusters: \"Pitched at the divide between art and industry, poetry and entertainment, it goes darker and deeper than any Hollywood movie of its comic-book kind.\"[90] Ebert expressed a similar point of view, describing it as a \"haunted film that leaps beyond its origins and becomes an engrossing tragedy\".[91]The Dark Knight set many box-office records during its theatrical run,[92] earning over $1billion worldwide.[93] At the 81st Academy Awards, the film was nominated in eight categories, winning two: Best Sound Editing for Richard King and a posthumous Best Supporting Actor award for Heath Ledger.[94] The film's failure to garner a Best Picture nomination was criticised by the media. Beginning in 2010, the Academy increased their Best Picture nominees from five to ten, a change known as \"The Dark Knight Rule\".[95] Nolan received many awards and nominations for his work on the film.[43] In the late 2000s, Nolan was reported to direct a film adaptation of the 1960s television series The Prisoner.[57][96]\n
The success of The Dark Knight allowed Warner Bros. to sign Nolan to write, direct and co-produce Inception (2010) \u2013 a film for which he had the idea around nine years before its release.[97] Nolan described the film as \"a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind\".[98] Starring a large ensemble cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, the film became a critical and commercial success upon its release.[99] Film critic Mark Kermode named it the best film of 2010, stating \"Inception is proof that people are not stupid, that cinema is not trash, and that it is possible for blockbusters and art to be the same thing.\"[100] Philosophy professor David Kyle Johnson wrote that \"Inception became a classic almost as soon as it was projected on silver screens\", praising its exploration of philosophical ideas, including leap of faith and allegory of the cave.[101] The film grossed over $836million worldwide.[102] Nominated for eight Academy Awards\u2014including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay\u2014it won Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.[103] Nolan was nominated for a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Director, among other accolades.[43]\n
\nNolan at the 2013 premiere of Man of Steel in London\n
Around the release of The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Nolan's third and final Batman film, Joseph Bevan of the British Film Institute wrote a profile on him: \"In the space of just over a decade, Christopher Nolan has shot from promising British indie director to undisputed master of a new brand of intelligent escapism.\"[104] After initial hesitation, Nolan agreed to return to direct The Dark Knight Rises and worked with his brother and David S. Goyer to develop a story that he felt would end the trilogy on a high note.[105] The film was released to positive reviews.[106] Kenneth Turan found the film \"potent, persuasive and hypnotic\" and \"more than an exceptional superhero movie, it is masterful filmmaking by any standard\".[107]Christy Lemire of HuffPost wrote in her review that Nolan concluded his trilogy in a \"typically spectacular, ambitious fashion\", but disliked the \"overloaded\" story and excessive grimness.[108]The Dark Knight Rises was a box office success, becoming the thirteenth film to gross $1billion.[109] During a midnight showing of the film in Aurora, Colorado, a gunman opened fire inside the theatre, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others.[110] Nolan released a statement expressing his condolences for the victims of what he described as a \"senseless tragedy\".[111]\n
The Dark Knight trilogy inspired a trend in future superhero films seeking to replicate its gritty, realistic tone to little success. The second instalment in particular revitalised the genre at a time when recent superhero films had failed to meet expectations.[112][113] Ben Child of The Guardian wrote that the three films \"will remain thrilling totems of the genre for decades to come\".[112] During story discussions for The Dark Knight Rises, Goyer told Nolan of his idea about Man of Steel (2013), which the latter would produce.[114] Impressed with Zack Snyder's work in 300 (2006) and Watchmen (2009), Nolan hired him to direct the film.[115] Starring Henry Cavill as Clark Kent who learns that he is a powerful alien, Man of Steel received mixed reviews and grossed more than $660million against a budget of $220million.[116][117]\n
\n
2014\u20132019: Interstellar, Dunkirk and other activities
\nNolan and his younger brother, Jonathan (pictured in 2017), wrote several screenplays together, including that of Interstellar.\n
Nolan next directed, wrote and produced the science-fiction film Interstellar (2014). The first drafts of the script were written by Jonathan Nolan, and it was originally to be directed by Steven Spielberg.[118] Based on the scientific theories of theoretical physicistKip Thorne, the film follows a group of astronauts who travel through a wormhole in search of a new home for humanity.[119] In a 2014 discussion of the film's physics, Nolan expressed his admiration for scientific objectivity, wishing it were applied \"in every aspect of our civilisation\".[120]Interstellar \u2013 starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain \u2013 was released to positive reviews and grossed $773million worldwide.[121][122] Observing its \"visual dazzle, thematic ambition\", The New York Times'sA. O. Scott wrote that Interstellar is a \"sweeping, futuristic adventure driven by grief, dread and regret\".[123] Documentary filmmaker Toni Myers called the film \"a real work of art\" and praised it for exploring a story spanning multiple generations.[124]Interstellar was particularly praised for its scientific accuracy, which led to the publication of two academic papers.[125][126] The American Journal of Physics called for it to be shown in school science lessons.[127][128] At the 87th Academy Awards, the film won Best Visual Effects and received four other nominations.[129] Also in 2014, Nolan and Emma Thomas served as executive producers on Transcendence, the directorial debut of his longtime cinematographer Wally Pfister.[130]\n
In the mid-2010s, Nolan took part in several ventures for film preservation and distribution of the work of lesser-known filmmakers. His production company, Syncopy, formed a joint venture with Zeitgeist Films to release Blu-ray editions of Zeitgeist's films.[131] As a part of the Blu-ray release of the animation films of the Brothers Quay, Nolan directed the documentary short Quay (2015). He initiated a theatrical tour, showcasing the Quays' In Absentia, The Comb and Street of Crocodiles. IndieWire wrote that the brothers \"will undoubtedly have hundreds, if not thousands more fans because of Nolan, and for that The Quay Brothers in 35mm will always be one of [the] latter's most important contributions to cinema\".[132][133] An advocate for the survival of the analogue medium, Nolan and visual artist Tacita Dean invited representatives from leading American film archives, laboratories and presenting institutions to participate in an informal summit entitled Reframing the Future of Film at the Getty Museum in March 2015.[134][135] Subsequent events were held at Tate Modern in London, Museo Tamayo in Mexico City and Tata Theatre in Mumbai.[136] In April 2015, Nolan joined the board of directors of The Film Foundation, a non-profitable organisation dedicated to film preservation,[137] and was appointed, along with Martin Scorsese, by the Library of Congress to serve on the National Film Preservation Board as DGA representatives.[138] Nolan serves on the Motion Picture & Television Fund Board of Governors.[139]\n
After serving as an executive producer on Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017),[140][141] Nolan returned to directing with Dunkirk (2017). Based on his own original screenplay and co-produced with Thomas, the film is set amid World War II in 1940 and the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk, France. Describing the film as a survival tale with a triptych structure, Nolan wanted to make a \"sensory, almost experimental movie\" with minimal dialogue.[142] He said he waited to make Dunkirk until he had earned the trust of a major studio to let him make it as a British film but with an American budget.[143] Before filming, Nolan sought advice from Spielberg, who later said in an interview with Variety, \"knowing and respecting that Chris [Nolan] is one of the world's most imaginative filmmakers, my advice to him was to leave his imagination, as I did on Ryan, in second position to the research he was doing to authentically acquit this historical drama\".[144] Starring an ensemble cast,[145]Dunkirk was released to widespread critical acclaim and strong box office results.[146][147][148] It grossed over $526million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing World WarII film of all time.[149] In his review, Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote: \"It's one of the best war films ever made, distinct in its look, in its approach and in the effect it has on viewers. There are movies\u2014they are rare\u2014that lift you out of your present circumstances and immerse you so fully in another experience that you watch in a state of jaw-dropped awe. Dunkirk is that kind of movie.\"[150] The film received many accolades, including Nolan's first Oscar nomination for Best Director.[151]\n
In 2018, Nolan supervised a new 70mm print of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), made from the original camera negative; he presented it at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.[152]USA Today observed that festival-goers greeted Nolan \"like a rock star with a standing ovation\".[153] A year later, Nolan and Thomas received executive producer credits on The Doll's Breath (2019), an animated short directed by the Quay brothers.[154]\n
\n
2020\u2013present: Tenet and Oppenheimer
\n
Nolan's next film was the science fiction film Tenet (2020), described by Tom Shone of The Sunday Times as \"a globe-spinning riff on all things Nolanesque\".[155] Nolan had worked on the screenplay for more than five years after deliberating about its central ideas for over a decade.[156] Delayed three times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tenet was the first Hollywood tent-pole to open in theatres after the pandemic shutdown.[157] The film tells the story of an unnamed protagonist (played by John David Washington) who travels through time to stop a world-threatening attack.[158] It grossed $363million worldwide on a production budget of $200million, becoming Nolan's first to underperform at the box-office.[159]Tenet was described as his most polarising film; critics praised the ambition and technical aspects but found its story confusing.[160][151]Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian awarded it five out of five, calling it \"a cerebral cadenza, a deadpan flourish of crazy implausibility\u2014but supercharged with steroidal energy and imagination\".[161] Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter described it as \"a chilly, cerebral film\u2014easy to admire, especially since it's so rich in audacity and originality, but almost impossible to love, lacking as it is in a certain humanity\".[162] At the 93rd Academy Awards, the film won Best Visual Effects and was nominated for Best Production Design.[163] Following the release of Tenet, Nolan joined the Advisory Board of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.[164] He served as an executive producer on Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021), a director's cut of 2017's Justice League.[165]\n
Nolan's 12th film was Oppenheimer (2023), a biopic based on J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy) and his role in the development of the atom bomb.[166] It was Nolan's first R-rated film since Insomnia (2002).[167] The film was financed and distributed by Universal Pictures, making it Nolan's first since Memento that was not made for Warner Bros. He disagreed with Warner Bros.' decision to simultaneously release their films in theatres and on HBO Max.[168] Nolan secured the deal with Universal after he was promised a production budget of around $100 million with an equal marketing budget, total creative control, 20 per cent of first-dollar gross, a 100-day theatrical window and a blackout period from the studio wherein the company would not release another film three weeks before or after Oppenheimer's release.[169] The film received critical acclaim.[170] Matthew Jackson of The A.V. Club wrote, \"Oppenheimer deserves the title of masterpiece. It's Christopher Nolan's best film so far, a step up to a new level for one of our finest filmmakers, and a movie that burns itself into your brain.\"[171] Terming it \"boldly imaginative and [Nolan's] most mature work yet\", BBC Culture's Caryn James added that it combined the \"explosive, commercially-enticing action of The Dark Knight trilogy\" with the \"cerebral underpinnings\" of Memento, Inception and Tenet.[172]Oppenheimer grossed over $960million worldwide, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 2023.[173] Among the film's numerous accolades,[174][175] Nolan won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture.[176]\n
\n
Personal life and public image
\nNolan and his wife Emma Thomas in January 2011\n
Nolan prefers to maintain a certain level of mystery about his work.[179] Refusing to discuss his personal life,[180] he feels that too much biographical information about a filmmaker detracts from the experience of his audiences. \"I actually don't want people to have me in mind at all when they're watching the films.\"[179]\n
Nolan's films are largely centred in metaphysical themes, exploring the concepts of time, memory and personal identity.[181][182] His work is characterised by mathematically-inspired ideas and images, unconventional narrative structures, materialistic perspectives, and evocative use of music and sound.[d] Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro called Nolan \"an emotional mathematician\".[187]BBC's arts editor Will Gompertz described him as \"an art house auteur making intellectually ambitious blockbuster movies that can leave your pulse racing and your head spinning\".[188] Joseph Bevan wrote, \"His films allow arthouse regulars to enjoy superhero flicks and multiplex crowds to engage with labyrinthine plot conceits.\"[104] Nolan views himself as \"an indie filmmaker working inside the studio system\".[189]\n
\n
\n
\n
\"Christopher Nolan doesn't make sense. And that is exactly how he likes it. In twenty-three years and through twelve films, he has defied the laws of Hollywood by creating startling, original genre pieces that have revelled in their own complexity, confounding every maxim by which the studios hope to appeal to the widest audience. And yet he does that too. Cinemas fill on the possibility of the next Nolan film. Whatever form it might take.\"\n
\n
\n
\u2014Film author Ian Nathan on Nolan as a filmmaker (2022)[190]
\n
\n
In the sixteen-essay book The Philosophy of Christopher Nolan, professional philosophers and writers analysed Nolan's work; they identified themes of self-destruction, the nature and value of the truth, and the political mindset of the hero and villain, among others.[191] Robbie B. H. Goh, a professor of English literature, described Nolan as a \"philosophical filmmaker\" who includes philosophical ideas\u2014existentialism, morality, epistemology and the distinction between appearance and reality\u2014in films that frequently portray suspense, action and violence. Goh appreciated his ability to incorporate such themes in films that possess \"elements of the Hollywood blockbuster\"\u2014which help keep the audiences engaged\u2014but simultaneously remain \"more thoughtful and self-reflexive than the typical consumerist action film\".[192] He further wrote that Nolan's body of work reflect \"a heterogeneity of conditions of products\" extending from low-budget films to lucrative blockbusters, \"a wide range of genres and settings\" and \"a diversity of styles that trumpet his versatility\".[193]\n
David Bordwell, a film theorist, wrote that Nolan has been able to blend his \"experimental impulses\" with the demands of mainstream entertainment, describing his oeuvre as \"experiments with cinematic time by means of techniques of subjective viewpoint and crosscutting\".[194] Nolan's use of practical, in-camera effects, miniatures and models, as well as shooting on celluloid film, has been highly influential in early 21st century cinema.[195][196] IndieWire wrote in 2019 that, Nolan \"kept a viable alternate model of big-budget filmmaking alive\", in an era where blockbuster filmmaking has become \"a largely computer-generated art form\".[196] Because of Nolan's deep involvement in the technical facet of his films, Stuart Joy described him as a \"complete filmmaker\", who \"oversees all aspects of production while also managing cultural and industrial factors outside of the text\".[197]\n
\n
Recognition
\n
Nolan has made some of the most influential and popular films of his time.[e] Many of his films have been regarded by critics as among the best of their respective decades,[45][202][203] and according to The Wall Street Journal, his \"ability to combine box-office success with artistic ambition has given him an extraordinary amount of clout in the industry\".[204] His films have earned more than $6billion.[205] Nolan's films Memento and The Dark Knight have been selected by the US Library of Congress to be preserved in the National Film Registry for being \"culturally, historically or aesthetically\" significant.[206][207] These films and Inception appeared in BBC's 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century and The Hollywood Reporter's poll of best films ever made.[208][209] In 2017, The Dark Knight, Inception and Interstellar featured in Empire magazine's poll of \"The 100 Greatest Movies\".[210] In 2018, The Hollywood Reporter listed Nolan as one of the 100 most powerful people in entertainment and described him as a \"franchise unto himself\".[211]Parade ranked Nolan number eight in its 2022 list of 75 Best Movie Directors of All Time.[212]\n
Nolan's work has been as \"intensely embraced, analysed and debated by ordinary film fans as by critics and film academics\".[180][213] Calling him \"a persuasively inventive storyteller\", Geoff Andrew of the British Film Institute named Nolan one of the few contemporary filmmakers producing highly personal films within the Hollywood mainstream. Andrew wrote that Nolan's films are \"not so much [notable] for their considerable technical virtuosity and visual flair as for their brilliant narrative ingenuity and their unusually adult interest in complex philosophical questions\".[214] David Bordwell observed that Nolan is \"considered one of the most accomplished living filmmakers\", citing his ability to turn genre movies into both art and event films, as well as his box office numbers, critical acclaim and popularity among cinemagoers.[194][215] In 2008, Philip French deemed Nolan \"the first major talent to emerge this century\".[216]Mark Kermode complimented Nolan for bringing \"the discipline and ethics of art-house independent moviemaking and apply[ing] them to Hollywood blockbusters. He's living proof that you don't have to appeal to the lowest common denominator to be profitable\".[217]The Observer's Ryan Gilbey described Nolan as a \"skillful, stylish storyteller, capable of combining the spectacle of Spielberg with the intellectual intricacy of Nicolas Roeg or Alain Resnais\".[218]Mark Cousins applauded Nolan for embracing big ideas, \"Hollywood filmmakers generally shy away from ideas\u2014but not Christopher Nolan\".[219] Scott Foundas of Variety declared Nolan \"the premier big-canvas storyteller of his generation\",[220] and Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times called him \"the great proceduralist of 21st century blockbuster filmmaking, a lover of nuts-and-bolts minutiae\".[221]\n
Nolan has been praised by many of his contemporaries, and his work has influenced them.[222][223][224]Kenneth Branagh called Nolan's approach to large-scale filmmaking \"unique in modern cinema\", adding, \"regardless of how popular his movies become, he remains an artist and an auteur. I think for that reason he has become a heroic figure for both the audience and the people working behind the camera.\"[225]Michael Mann complimented Nolan for his \"singular vision\" and credited with \"invent[ing] the post-heroic superhero\".[226] Nicolas Roeg said of Nolan, \"People talk about 'commercial art' and the term is usually self-negating; Nolan works in the commercial arena and yet there's something very poetic about his work.\"[227]Martin Scorsese identified Nolan as a filmmaker creating \"beautifully made films on a big scale\".[228]\n
Damien Chazelle lauded Nolan for his ability \"to make the most seemingly impersonal projects\u2014superhero epics, deep-space mind-benders\u2014feel deeply personal\".[229] Discussing the difference between art films and big studio blockbusters, Steven Spielberg referred to Nolan's Dark Knight series as an example of both;[230] he has described Memento and Inception as \"masterworks\".[231]Denis Villeneuve was impressed by Nolan's ability \"to keep his identity and create his own universe in that large scope... To bring intellectual concepts and to bring them in that scope to the screen right now\u2014it's very rare. Every movie that he comes out with, I have more admiration for his work.\"[232]James Cameron expressed disappointment that Nolan was not nominated for an Academy Award as Best Director for Inception, calling it \"the most astounding piece of film creation and direction of the year, hands down\".[231]\n
^Nolan has continued his collaboration with the Belic brothers, receiving a credit for his editorial assistance on their Oscar-nominated documentary Genghis Blues (1999).[13]\n
\n
^The name of the company is derived from syncope, a medical term for fainting. Sorcha N\u00ed Fhlainn, a lecturer specialising in film studies, alluded this wordplay to Nolan's style of \"disorientation\" in his work. She also associated the name with synthetic and philosopher Jean Baudrillard's treatiseSimulacra and Simulation.[47]\n
^Phipps, Keith; Robinson, Tasha; Rabin, Nathan; Tobias, Scott; Murray, Noel (3 December 2009). \"The best films of the '00s\". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 29 November 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2019.\n
Blouin, Michael J. (2013). \"Difference and Doubt in Christopher Nolan's Inception\". Japan and the Cosmopolitan Gothic: Specters of Modernity. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 143\u2013160. ISBN978-1-137-30522-0.
Elsaesser, Thomas (2020). \"Stanley Kubrick's Prototypes: The Author as World-Maker\". In Szaniawski, Jeremi (ed.). After Kubrick: A Filmmaker's Legacy. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 29\u201351. ISBN978-1-501-34765-8.
Joy, Stuart. \"Dreaming a Little Bigger, Darling\". In Furby & Joy (2015), pp. 1\u201316.
\n
Hill-Parks, Erin. \"Developing an Auteur Through Reviews: The Critical Surround of Christopher Nolan\". In Furby & Joy (2015), pp. 17\u201330.
\n
N\u00ed Fhlainn, Sorcha. \"'You keep telling yourself what you know, but what do you believe?': Cultural Spin, Puzzle Films and Mind Games in the Cinema of Christopher Nolan\". In Furby & Joy (2015), pp. 147\u2013163.
Koole, Sander L.; Fockenberg, Daniel; Tops, Mattie; Schneider, Iris K. (2013). \"The Birth and Death of the Superhero Film\". In Sullivan, Daniel; Greenberg, Jeff (eds.). Death in Classic and Contemporary Film. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 135\u2013150. ISBN978-1-137-27688-9.
Zornado, Joseph L.; Reilly, Sara (2021). \"Superhero Fantasy in Crisis\". The Cinematic Superhero as Social Practice. Springer Nature. pp. 155\u2013189. ISBN978-3-030-85458-4.
\n\n\n\n",
+ "page_last_modified": " Sat, 16 Mar 2024 18:30:58 GMT"
+ },
+ {
+ "page_name": "Top 11 Christopher Nolan Movies, Ranked Worst to Best (2023)",
+ "page_url": "https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/best-christopher-nolan-movies-ranked/",
+ "page_snippet": "Check out our rankings of this neo-noir auteur. Let us know what you think and why!We\u2019ve created our list of Christopher Nolan movies ranked by the quality of the story, theme, filmmaking craft, and individual cinematic experience. We're ranking the best Christopher Nolan movies. \u00b7 There is some truly clunky dialogue, as well as some pretty cringe inducing moments in The Dark Knight, and while I can\u2019t be sure this was Nolan or Warner Brothers, we can\u2019t ignore these really odd choices. There is some truly clunky dialogue, as well as some pretty cringe inducing moments in The Dark Knight, and while I can\u2019t be sure this was Nolan or Warner Brothers, we can\u2019t ignore these really odd choices. Heath Ledger as The Joker may go down as one of the greatest performances of all time. And while Bob Kane crafted this timeless character, Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger did an incredible job of bringing him to life. The Prestige is one of the great modern films, and has the best script of any Nolan film. Nolan found what worked so well with Memento and took that electricity a step further. His pacing improved as well. The theme is carefully intertwined with the subject matter, the world of magicians, the act of filmmaking, and Nolan\u2019s personal style.",
+ "page_result": "\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n\t\n \n \n\t\n \n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\n\n\n\t \t \n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n\t\n\tTop 11 Christopher Nolan Movies, Ranked Worst to Best (2020)\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n\n\n\n \n
Which are the best Christopher Nolan movies? How do you rank them against each other? Do Christopher Nolan films get better over the years, and how will Nolan\u2019s next movie measure up? We\u2019ve created a list of the best Christopher Nolan movies ranked not by box office haul, but rather by the quality of the story, theme, filmmaking craft, and cinematic experience.\u00a0
Christopher Nolan movies are great for filmmakers to study because he is one of the few directors who understand both how to craft a compelling story, and then support that story through very precise cinematic techniques.
Christopher Nolan\u2019s first feature film is a 69 minute Film Noir suspense thriller. The film was predominantly hand-held, shot on an Arri BL and a Bolex (both 16MM) and the entire movie is in black and white.
The film was made in 15-minute stints over the course of a year due to Nolan\u2019s financial and production constraints. And you see early signs of Christopher Nolan\u2019s directing style and cinematic values in this film.
\n
\n\n
\n
Christopher Nolan All Movies Ranked \u2022 Following (1998)
The story is great, and the chief reason the film lands at the end of our Christopher Nolan movies list is purely the technical quality. Nolan was just getting started and his directing style was just maturing.
With Tenet, Christopher Nolan took a huge swing. In fact, most would agree this was his biggest swing yet and we can't help but applaud him for doing so. Much respect also given to Warner Bros. for allowing an auteur like Nolan to continue making massive tentpoles with original content. However, if we can conclude our baseball analogy, despite the monstrous swing, it did not connect.
Since Day One, Nolan movies have been pushing the boundaries of how intellectually challenging blockbusters can be. In this case, we apparently found the breaking point. Tenet is basically unintelligible \u2014 from the headache-inducing plot to the sound mixing that made the dialogue in certain scenes impossible to hear.
\n
\n
\n
\n
Christopher Nolan All Movies Ranked \u2022 Tenet (2020)
That being said, just because Tenet is hard to understand, it is still fun to watch. The cinematography is moody yet precise, the forward/reverse action sequences are surely impressive, and the score by Ludwig G\u00f6ransson is an absolute banger. It will be interesting to see how Nolan returns from this one. His batting average (here we go again) is still unbelievably high, especially working at the peak of the Studio System. Everybody strikes out sometimes.
We said we'd judge each film as an individual, and I believe it is still safe to say the The Dark Knight Rises would not have been met with the same positive reception if it had not been for the critical acclaim of The Dark Knight.
You get the distinct feeling that this third film was highly compromised by the studio, and overly complicated even for Christopher Nolan.
Did we really want a Joseph Gordon Levitt Nightwing sequel? Probably not, but I'd like to know why we needed all of these new characters.
There are some amazing scenes which include a mid-air hijacking by a rather buff Sean Connery impersonator, but the various contrivances, plot holes, and the film\u2019s ending were not what viewers expected from Nolan. It fell flat.
Many of the visual effects in the film were created beforehand so that the filmmakers could later capture them \u201cin camera.\u201d This allowed actors to react to their surroundings without the use of a green screen. Watching Matthew McConaughey mow through an okra field with a pick-up or slip into a black hole are just some of the great moments in the film.
Inception has some of Christopher Nolan\u2019s best movie moments, but it also features some of the most... paradoxical.
An important rule to consider in filmmaking: Once you\u2019ve established a set of \u201cmagic rules\u201d you must stay consistent.
This film seems to struggle with its own rules quite a bit, and then tries to write itself out of some of the contrivances and plot holes, or ignores them completely like the relationship between gravity and time in each dream layer.
The concept of dream vs reality is explored in interesting ways, specifically in regards to Cobb\u2019s relationship with his wife, but many of the antagonists and complications in Inception are also a bit... faceless and unclear.
It\u2019s true that our own mind and ideas can be our worst enemy, but much of Inception seems to suffer from the same pitfall as many Marvel films.
Hordes of faceless enemies become boring after a while.
Without a doubt, there are some amazing and iconic moments in Inception. The film grammar is very strong, the core idea is inventive, the kicks are visually stunning, and the complex ending scene is absolutely superb. All of these achievements solidify Christopher Nolan as a truly unique filmmaker.
Batman Begins is truly a standalone film. It\u2019s the origin story that Marvel and the other DC films have been chasing for a while now.
The reason they struggle to capture what Christopher Nolan was able to achieve is because they\u2019re unwilling to admit that a human story is what superhero films require to become truly immersive experiences.
Consider how he used a training montage in Act One to give us backstory, characterization and the beginnings of Wayne's character arc. Here's a video on Nolan's approach to montage.
Bruce Wayne is aflawed person. He is haunted by his guilt, consumed by anger and a desire for vengeance. Bruce is impetuous, and corrupted by his own fear. He is someone who needs to be redeemed.
And he\u2019s sort of a brat.
This makes his transformation that much more effective, and Nolan takes advantage of Joseph Campbell\u2019s mono-myth, but with his own twist.
The monastery in the eastern mountains, the psychotropic blue flowers, the sword training scene on the ice, the notorious pick-the-ninja game. How about Bruce snagging Ducard as he slides off the snowy precipice?
These remarkable moments kept us on the edge of our seats.
Insomnia is one of the most haunting detective films of all time. Why?
Because Detective Dormer is another flawed, Nolan-esque protagonist. He is compromised from the start, and the entire film gains a layer of constant logical suspense and drama.
There are no super gadgets, fantasy elements, or space travel...just a really sleepy detective. Haunted by his deeds, but still has a killer to catch.
There is a great personal relationship between the hero and villain (the late-great Robin Williams), and the lines blurred more than usual.
\n
\n\n
\n
Best Christopher Nolan Films \u2022 Insomnia (2002)
Nolan\u2019s film grammar is at the height of its effectiveness, and this is because he hit the perfect balance between a professional budget, and reasonable limitations. He had enough rope to climb, but not hang himself.
How do I mean?
When Christopher Nolan has a huge budget, he will often try to lace together visual spectacle with many of the Christopher Nolan techniques, which can betray his own carefully crafted narratives from time to time.
It\u2019s not as if we hate the spinning hallways, but sometimes Nolan is at his best when his stories are more contained, more human, more relatable.
This film has some of the best performances of any Nolan film.
There is some truly clunky dialogue, as well as some pretty cringe inducing moments in The Dark Knight, and while I can\u2019t be sure this was Nolan or Warner Brothers, we can\u2019t ignore these really odd choices.
Heath Ledger as The Joker may go down as one of the greatest performances of all time. And while Bob Kane crafted this timeless character, Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger did an incredible job of bringing him to life.
Christian Bale isn't too shabby either.
\n
\n\n
\n
Ranking All Christopher Nolan Directed Movies \u2022 The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight has some truly unforgettable moments, and some of the best performances in a superhero film. The film is all about chaos and the battle, not between good and evil, but Nolan\u2019s take on natural conflict.
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, and how every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Christopher Nolan mentioned that he intentionally built Dunkirk to play like the third act of any other war film, just stretched out across 106 minutes. This is despite the fact that the script for Dunkirk was only 76 pages.
A fantastic visual achievement that shows... rather than tells.
Dunkirk is one of the most authentic and suspenseful films ever crafted, and it puts the viewer inside the boots of the soldiers on Dunkirk beach.
Nolan also uses his favorite cinematic device \u2014 cross cutting.
The entire film\u2019s structure was influenced by The Shepard Tone, which allows the film to continually rise in suspense throughout. The use of vintage aircraft, lighting, special effects, and lack of dialogue win the day.
\n
\n\n
\n
Making one of the best Christopher Nolan movies \u2022 Dunkirk (2017)
Tom Hardy gliding in his spitfire above, the notorious whine of the dive-bombing Stukas, the slow but inevitable blast of the beach bombing.
All absolutely fantastic.
If you watched this film in the theatre you remember how absolutely deafening the sound design was. Just like a real war.
It\u2019s a roller coaster. You\u2019re strapped in. You\u2019re on it. No getting off.
The best part of this film is how Nolan took all of his past successes and combined them with a new effort. He could have done what many directors do, which is to avoid a new challenge and go back to familiar ground.
If Interstellar, Inception, and The Dark Knight Rises suffered from too much dialogue and contrivances, Dunkirk is Nolan\u2019s redemption film.
He found value in the criticism of his work, and made an adjustment.
Memento changed cinema forever, and shaped Nolan\u2019s storytelling style. The film took full advantage of the medium in a way we had never seen before, and in many respects still have yet to be capitalized upon.
The combination of themes and various cinematic devices create an eerie and unforgettable film that forces you to question your own memories.
And the best part is that, generally, it could happen to you.
\n
\n
\n
\n
Nolan Movies Ranked \u2022 Memento (2000)
Leonard Shelby\u2019s world is accessible, even if his condition is abstract. The way Nolan shot and cut the film together shows us the pinnacle of intentional filmmaking and non-linear story structure.
You can see the matured forms of his signature storytelling techniques like time jumps, inserts, Dutch angles, and a convergent narrative.
There is something to be said about Nolan\u2019s smaller films. They are often more grounded, because they have to be, and that really helps to make Nolan\u2019s complex ideas a bit more palatable. Not to mention the structure of the film places us in a very similar situation to that of Leonard Shelby.
The Prestige is one of the great modern films, and has the best script of any Nolan film. Nolan found what worked so well with Memento and took that electricity a step further. His pacing improved as well.
The theme is carefully intertwined with the subject matter, the world of magicians, the act of filmmaking, and Nolan\u2019s personal style.
\n
\n\n
\n
The Best of Christopher Nolan Movies \u2022 The Prestige (2006)
Nolan\u2019s found a story structure and subject matter that acts as a thematic metaphor for everything surrounding the film. As others have noted, this is a film about magicians, but is also itself, a magic trick.
He built his story upon the structure of a magic trick, and then gave nods to that process as well as his own personal obsessions.
The acting, cinematography, production design, costumes, story, editing \u2014 everything is top-notch. It also brings up important questions about life, death, careers, time, duplicity, magic, memory, and commitment.
Commitment to others, you family, your friends, but also to one\u2019s craft.
So the next step is for you to rent the film, pop some corn, flush your phone, turn down the lights, and enjoy the best Christopher Nolan movie\u2026
So far.
UP NEXT
More on Christopher Nolan
We've got much more to discuss about Christopher Nolan. Follow the navigation below to explore his directing style, directing tips, his use of \"circles\" and some of his shot list favorites.
\n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n",
+ "page_last_modified": " Wed, 06 Mar 2024 21:59:06 GMT"
+ },
+ {
+ "page_name": "Christopher Nolan | Writer, Producer, Director",
+ "page_url": "https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0634240/",
+ "page_snippet": "Christopher Nolan. Writer: Tenet. Best known for his cerebral, often nonlinear, storytelling, acclaimed writer-director Christopher Nolan was born on July 30, 1970, in London, England. Over the course of 15 years of filmmaking, Nolan has gone from low-budget independent films to working on ...Christopher Nolan. Writer: Tenet. Best known for his cerebral, often nonlinear, storytelling, acclaimed writer-director Christopher Nolan was born on July 30, 1970, in London, England. Over the course of 15 years of filmmaking, Nolan has gone from low-budget independent films to working on some of the biggest blockbusters ever made. Nolan was recognized by his peers with D.G.A. and P.G.A. Award nominations, as well as a W.G.A. Award for his work on the film. One of the best-reviewed and highest-grossing movies of 2012, The Dark Knight Rises (2012) concluded Nolan's Batman trilogy. Due to his success rebooting the Batman character, Warner Bros. enlisted Nolan to produce their revamped Superman movie Man of Steel (2013), which opened in the summer of 2013. Nolan and Thomas also have their own production company, Syncopy. ... Christopher Nolan has legions of devoted fans thanks to hits like The Dark Knight, Interstellar, and Oppenheimer. See how IMDb users rank all of his feature films as director.See the rankings Keep track of how much of Christopher Nolan\u2019s work you have seen. Go to your list.",
+ "page_result": "Christopher Nolan - IMDb
Best known for his cerebral, often nonlinear, storytelling, acclaimed writer-director Christopher Nolan was born on July 30, 1970, in London, England. Over the course of 15 years of filmmaking, Nolan has gone from low-budget independent films to working on some of the biggest blockbusters ever made.
At 7 years old, Nolan began making short movies with his father's Super-8 camera. While studying English Literature at University College London, he shot 16-millimeter films at U.C.L.'s film society, where he learned the guerrilla techniques he would later use to make his first feature, Following (1998), on a budget of around $6,000. The noir thriller was recognized at a number of international film festivals prior to its theatrical release and gained Nolan enough credibility that he was able to gather substantial financing for his next film.
Nolan's second film was Memento (2000), which he directed from his own screenplay based on a short story by his brother Jonathan. Starring Guy Pearce, the film brought Nolan numerous honors, including Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay. Nolan went on to direct the critically acclaimed psychological thriller, Insomnia (2002), starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank.
The turning point in Nolan's career occurred when he was awarded the chance to revive the Batman franchise in 2005. In Batman Begins (2005), Nolan brought a level of gravitas back to the iconic hero, and his gritty, modern interpretation was greeted with praise from fans and critics alike. Before moving on to a Batman sequel, Nolan directed, co-wrote, and produced the mystery thriller The Prestige (2006), starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as magicians whose obsessive rivalry leads to tragedy and murder.
In 2008, Nolan directed, co-wrote, and produced The Dark Knight (2008) which went on to gross more than a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. Nolan was nominated for a Directors Guild of America (D.G.A.) Award, Writers Guild of America (W.G.A.) Award and Producers Guild of America (P.G.A.) Award, and the film also received eight Academy Award nominations.
In 2010, Nolan captivated audiences with the sci-fi thriller Inception (2010), which he directed and produced from his own original screenplay. The thought-provoking drama was a worldwide blockbuster, earning more than $800,000,000 and becoming one of the most discussed and debated films of the year. Among its many honors, Inception received four Academy Awards and eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay. Nolan was recognized by his peers with D.G.A. and P.G.A. Award nominations, as well as a W.G.A. Award for his work on the film.
One of the best-reviewed and highest-grossing movies of 2012, The Dark Knight Rises (2012) concluded Nolan's Batman trilogy. Due to his success rebooting the Batman character, Warner Bros. enlisted Nolan to produce their revamped Superman movie Man of Steel (2013), which opened in the summer of 2013. In 2014, Nolan directed, wrote, and produced the science-fiction epic Interstellar (2014), starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. released the film on November 5, 2014, to positive reviews and strong box-office results, grossing over $670 million dollars worldwide.
Nolan resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife, producer Emma Thomas, and their children. Nolan and Thomas also have their own production company, Syncopy.
Christopher Nolan has legions of devoted fans thanks to hits like The Dark Knight, Interstellar, and Oppenheimer. See how IMDb users rank all of his feature films as director.
He initially directed his Batman films so he could get funding and support for his bigger films. The one he had planned for years was Inception (2010).
![\"Composite](\"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/f5d77a3cb9c75f00eb9eed2b1b2e62c673b70fa0/1_0_3765_2260/master/3765.jpg?width=1300&dpr=2&s=none\")
![\"Greta](\"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/8487911407a1080251eeae0ae641c82bd77d52a9/617_0_1327_1326/master/1327.jpg?width=380&dpr=2&s=none\")
![\"Christopher](\"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/890aa1eadd6746996a2a13a3f1ebe96f673a95e9/779_136_1559_1948/master/1559.jpg?width=380&dpr=2&s=none\")
![\"Murphy](\"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/413fe4100357619783471abb7acbf5b42353bb5c/0_205_3074_1844/master/3074.jpg?width=620&dpr=2&s=none\")
![\"Best](\"https://s.studiobinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Best-Christopher-Nolan-Movies-Ranked-StudioBinder.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https://s.studiobinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/series-color.svg?resolution=1440,1\" "\\"series-color\\"")
![\"Solution](\"https://s.studiobinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/solution-shot-list.svg\" "\\"solution-shot-list\\"")
![\"\"](\"https://s.studiobinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/play-purple-light.svg\" "\\"play-purple-light\\"")
![\"StudioBinder](\"https://s.studiobinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/studiobinder-footer-logo.svg\"\n){kind=logo}
\n\t![\"\"](\"/static/images/icons/wikipedia.png\"){kind=icon}
\n\t![\"Wikipedia\"](\"/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en.svg\")
\n\t\t![\"The](\"/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en.svg\")
\n\t![\"Featured](\"//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e7/Cscr-featured.svg/20px-Cscr-featured.svg.png\")
![\"Page](\"//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1b/Semi-protection-shackle.svg/20px-Semi-protection-shackle.svg.png\")
![\"Nolan](\"/wiki/File:Christopher_Nolan_Cannes_2018.jpg\")
![\"An](\"/wiki/File:Flaxman_Gallery,_UCL.JPG\")
![\"Christopher](\"/wiki/File:The_Dark_Knight_European_Premier_-_Leicester_square2.jpg\")
![\"Christopher](\"/wiki/File:Christopher_Nolan,_London,_2013_(crop).jpg\")
![\"Jonathan](\"/wiki/File:Jonathan_Nolan_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg\")
![\"A](\"/wiki/File:Cannes_2018_4.jpg\")
![](\"/wiki/File:ChrisNolanBFI150224_(10_of_12)_(53532289710)_(cropped).jpg\")
![\"Christopher](\"/wiki/File:Christopher_Nolan_and_Emma_Thomas.jpg\")
![\"Four-color](\"/wiki/File:National_Film_Registry_logo_vector.svg\"){kind=logo}
![\"A](\"/wiki/File:Christopher_Nolan_TCL.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/20px-Commons-logo.svg.png\"){kind=logo}
![\"\"](\"//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/23px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png\"){kind=logo}
![\"\"](\"//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/27px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png\"){kind=logo}
![\"\"](\"//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/96/Symbol_category_class.svg/16px-Symbol_category_class.svg.png\")
![\"Edit](\"//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png\"){kind=icon}
![\"Christopher](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjE3NDQyOTYyMV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODcyODU2Mw@@._V1_QL75_UY207_CR5,0,140,207_.jpg\")
![\"Was](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzA3MjQ4M2MtMjgyNi00OGI2LTljZDEtZjY5ZWIyZmZlOGNhXkEyXkFqcGdeQWFsZWxvZw@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"Production](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2RjYTdjNDYtNjAzYi00MTA0LWE3M2EtY2U4MjY2ZmZmN2I3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODk4OTc3MTY@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"Al](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDM0MjdkNmItNTRlYi00YTczLTg1ZjctZmNiNzM2NDdlNWFjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUwNzk3NDc@._V1_QL75_UY140_CR36,0,140,140_.jpg\")
![\"Al](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BM2Q1YjMyNzctYTY5Yy00MTIzLWEzMGItZjYyNTNmZjgyODRmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUwNzk3NDc@._V1_QL75_UY140_CR38,0,140,140_.jpg\")
![\"Al](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTk3ZTA2MjMtZWMyNi00ZDYwLWI1YWEtMjM5NDVlNWU3M2M1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUwNzk3NDc@._V1_QL75_UY140_CR37,0,140,140_.jpg\")
![\"Al](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYTY0NGNjOGUtOWJlZi00OTQwLWI5NTctMThmMWY1YWUyNWQ0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUwNzk3NDc@._V1_QL75_UY140_CR38,0,140,140_.jpg\")
![\"Cillian](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMGQ5NGEzOWEtNGNmNi00YjAxLTg5YTUtNDNhOWYzMWI5MjgwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUwNzk3NDc@._V1_QL75_UY140_CR37,0,140,140_.jpg\")
![\"Christopher](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjcxODI4OTgtYWI4NC00ZjhjLWFjYjYtNGZkODM4OTE4NGFhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUwNzk3NDc@._V1_QL75_UY140_CR44,0,140,140_.jpg\")
![\"Cillian](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWVlM2M2YWQtNzg0MC00MGJmLWIwMjEtYzdmODkwZjU4ODE3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUwNzk3NDc@._V1_QL75_UY140_CR54,0,140,140_.jpg\")
![\"Christopher](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjg4YmVkZWEtYWJhNy00MmIwLTlhMTYtZTVhZGQ1MzdlODEyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUwNzk3NDc@._V1_QL75_UY140_CR54,0,140,140_.jpg\")
![\"Guy](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOWIzOGNkODYtYTc5NC00MDlhLTk5YzAtODhlYjIxNjA0ZmY1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzQ3Nzk5MTU@._V1_QL75_UY140_CR36,0,140,140_.jpg\")
![\"Morgan](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTUzMzUxNzc0NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzAzNTMxOA@@._V1_QL75_UY140_CR36,0,140,140_.jpg\")
![\"Christopher](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTc4NzYyMDM1NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMjgyNTMxOA@@._V1_QL75_UX140_CR0,0,140,140_.jpg\")
![\"Christian](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQ1MDM3NzM4NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzk4OTIyNw@@._V1_QL75_UY140_CR35,0,140,140_.jpg\")
![\"Dimple](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzU3YWYwNTQtZTdiMC00NjY5LTlmMTMtZDFlYTEyODBjMTk5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Matthew](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjdkOTU3MDktN2IxOS00OGEyLWFmMjktY2FiMmZkNWIyODZiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMxODk2OTU@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Leonardo](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjAxMzY3NjcxNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTI5OTM0Mw@@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Christian](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjA4NDI0MTIxNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNTM0MzY2._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Cillian](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDBmYTZjNjUtN2M1MS00MTQ2LTk2ODgtNzc2M2QyZGE5NTVjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzAwMjU2MTY@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Fionn](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BN2YyZjQ0NTEtNzU5MS00NGZkLTg0MTEtYzJmMWY3MWRhZjM2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDA4NzMyOA@@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Henry](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTk5ODk1NDkxMF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTA5OTY0OQ@@._V1_QL75_UY133_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Morgan](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTk4ODQzNDY3Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODA0NTM4Nw@@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Inception:](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjE0NGIwM2EtZjQxZi00ZTE5LWExN2MtNDBlMjY1ZmZkYjU3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjMwNzk3Mjk@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,2,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Morgan](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTMxNTMwODM0NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODAyMTk2Mw@@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Christian](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWU4MDMxZDEtZmYzMy00ZWRlLTliYmUtZjk1NzliN2M5NjRiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTA0MTM5NjI2._V1_QL75_UY133_CR2,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Christian](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTY4YjI2N2MtYmFlMC00ZjcyLTg3YjEtMDQyM2ZjYzQ5YWFkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_QL75_UY133_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Guy](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTcyNjk1MjgtOWI3Mi00YzQwLWI5MTktMzY4ZmI2NDAyNzYzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjU0OTQ0OTY@._V1_QL75_UY133_CR1,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Jeremy](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDVhYTAyMDgtM2NhNS00MmQ3LWE0ZDMtNWIxMjlhODFmOWUwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTA5NjIyODcx._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,1,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Jeremy](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZGMxYTUwNGMtODk1NC00YjFkLWE1NWQtZDgxN2NkMTdmMzM1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc5NjEzNA@@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Ben](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjI3NDg0ZTEtMDEwYS00YWMyLThjYjktMTNlM2NmYjc1OGRiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTEyMjM2NDc2._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"The](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDAyNGViM2YtY2JjMy00NmNmLWFkZjItMmI2NDVhOGExYmM5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjExMjE5OTM@._V1_QL75_UY133_CR22,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Ben](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYWVhZjZkYTItOGIwYS00NmRkLWJlYjctMWM0ZjFmMDU4ZjEzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTMxODk2OTU@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Ben](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYThjYzcyYzItNTVjNy00NDk0LTgwMWQtYjMwNmNlNWJhMzMyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Quay](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjYzM2QyNWEtYmQzYi00Mzg2LWFmOTUtZTk2NGY4OTIzMWRkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjc2NTc3NDA@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Johnny](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTc1MjQ3ODAyOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjI1NDQ0MTE@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Al](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzlkZTEyYjUtMTY5NS00ZjU0LTk5OTYtM2M0ZDg1NmNjMzhkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,1,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Larceny](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZGRkNmNjNmYtZWQwOS00MWYxLTgwYjktODUxNTJlZTVlN2EyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjc2NDE0NTI@._V1_QL75_UY133_CR6,0,90,133_.jpg\")
![\"Why](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjUwMTBlNzgtNWY3ZC00MDk5LWJlYTktMzdlZGFkNzBmODk3XkEyXkFqcGdeQWFsZWxvZw@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"Exclusive:](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWE4OTM1ZjItYzc5Ni00MDFhLWFiZWEtOWM1ODlkZjQyNzM0XkEyXkFqcGdeQWthc2hpa2F4._V1_QL75_UY281_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"All](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTc3ZGQ0MjItZWE3MS00ZDg4LWE5YTMtMGUxZDMzYTgzNGZlXkEyXkFqcGdeQWdjYWlyZWxs._V1_QL75_UY281_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"'Tenet'](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNmRlNGQyMzktNDY3NC00MzExLTljNzItODY5YWJjOTgzYzE4XkEyXkFqcGdeQWFybm8@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"What](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjRmZWJhNWUtYjQ0Ny00NjdiLTg5N2UtMWNkOWUyOGYzMzdjXkEyXkFqcGdeQWZlZGVyaWdh._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"A](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTRhM2IzY2YtNTgxZi00YjE2LWIwOTQtNGVkYTkxNGYwYWE3XkEyXkFqcGdeQW1hZGV0aXNj._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"'The](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWQxZjRjMDUtYzYxZC00MWQ4LThiYTctNDkwN2QwMTkxYTk5XkEyXkFqcGdeQWFybm8@._V1_QL75_UY281_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"Toss](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOWFkYzFkYmEtMzAwNy00ZDM2LTgxZTMtZWQ2YTRmNzU2MTU5XkEyXkFqcGdeQWFsZWxvZw@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"Is](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzE0MjQzZjItOGFiZC00NGU5LWIyNzItMzkzNzgxZGRiYjQzXkEyXkFqcGdeQWFsZWxvZw@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"What](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOThkZDVhZTMtYTRmMS00MDYwLWI2ZDYtMmU2YTE3YTYyYjY5XkEyXkFqcGdeQWxpenpp._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"How](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjVhZjVhYWEtNTBhYi00YWM3LWExYWEtZjkzOGQzMTZiYzVjXkEyXkFqcGdeQWFsZWxvZw@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg\")
![\"Product](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDEzNGFlZTYtZDNhZS00ODE3LTgzYjAtNTBiZmI1NmEyMDc5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTUzMTg2ODkz._V1_QL75_UX380_CR0,0,380,214_.jpg\")
![\"Production](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYTlhZjE2ZWMtNzY2OS00Zjg2LTg0ODMtYzRmY2FkNGJjNDFjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODk4OTc3MTY@._V1_QL75_UX380_CR0,0,380,214_.jpg\")
![\"Demo](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/G/01/IMDbPro/MG_072722_WK_NameMainDemoReelAsset_4.png\")
![\"Poster\"](\"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNGJlMjE1MGQtYTI5Yi00MDU4LTgxZGQtMWM4YjMzNDVmYWNhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_QL75_UX380_CR0,0,380,214_.jpg\")