Nolan's work regularly features in the listings of best films of their respective decades. Infused with ametaphysical outlook, his films thematiseepistemology,existentialism, ethics, the construction of time and the malleable nature of memory and personal identity. They featuremathematically inspired images and concepts, unconventionalnarrative structures,practical special effects, experimental soundscapes,large-format film photography andmaterialistic perspectives. His enthusiasm for the use and preservation of traditional film stock in cinema production as opposed to digital cameras has also garnered significant attention. He has co-written several of his films with his brother,Jonathan, and runs the production companySyncopy Inc. with his wife,Emma Thomas.
Early life and education
Christopher Edward Nolan was born on 30 July 1970 inWestminster, London.[1][2] His father, Brendan James Nolan, is a British retired advertising executive of Irish descent[3] who worked as acreative director. His mother, Christina Jensen, was an American flight attendant fromEvanston, 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 raisedCatholic inHighgate and spent their summers in Evanston.[4][5] Nolan also spent time living in Chicago during his youth, and he holds both UK and US citizenship.[6][7]
Growing up, Nolan was particularly influenced by the work of SirRidley Scott and the science fiction films2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) andStar Wars (1977).[9][10] He would repeatedly watch the latter film and extensively research its making.[11] Nolan began making films at the age of seven, borrowing his father'sSuper8 camera and shooting short films with his action figures.[12] These films included astop motion animation homage toStar Wars calledSpace Wars. He cast his brother Jonathan and built sets from "clay, flour, egg boxes and toilet rolls".[9] His uncle, who had worked atNASA building guidance systems for theApollo 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.[13] From the age of 11, he aspired to be a professional filmmaker.[14] Between 1981 and 1983, Nolan enrolled at Barrow Hills, a Catholic prep school inWitley, Surrey.[15] In his teenage years, Nolan started making films with Adrien andRoko Belic. Nolan and Roko co-directed thesurreal 8mmTarantella (1989), which was shown onImage Union, an independent film and video showcase on thePublic Broadcasting Service.[a][17][18] In 2021, after a fan posted a copy ofTarantella online, Nolan's production company filed a copyright infringement claim to have the film removed.[19]
Nolan was educated atHaileybury and Imperial Service College, an independent school inHertford Heath,Hertfordshire, and later studiedEnglish literature atUniversity College London (UCL). Opting out of a traditional film education, he pursued "a degree in something unrelated", which his father suggested "gives a different take on things".[20] He chose UCL specifically for its filmmaking facilities, which comprised aSteenbeck editing suite and16mm film cameras.[21] Nolan was president of the Union's Film Society,[21] and withEmma Thomas (his girlfriend and future wife) he screenedfeature films in35mm during the school year and used the money earned to produce 16mm films over the summers.[22] He graduated in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in English literature; Thomas, who studied history at UCL and was also active in the Film Society, met Nolan on his first day atRamsay Halls. They later married and co-founded the production companySyncopy. Both have retained strong ties with UCL, receiving honorary fellowships (Nolan in 2006, Thomas in 2013), and in 2017 Nolan was awarded an honorary doctorate.[23][24]
Career
1993–2003: Early career and breakthrough
After earning his bachelor's degree in English literature in 1993, Nolan worked as ascript reader,camera operator and director ofcorporate films andindustrial films.[21][25][26] He directed, wrote and edited the short filmLarceny (1996),[27] which was filmed over a weekend in black and white with limited equipment and a small cast and crew.[17][28] Funded by Nolan and shot with theUCL Union Film society's equipment, it appeared at theCambridge Film Festival in 1996 and is considered one of UCL's best shorts.[29] For unknown reasons, the film has since been removed from public view.[27] 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.[20][30]
Nolan and Thomas first attempted to make a feature in the mid-1990s titledLarry Mahoney, which they scrapped.[31] 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."[32]
Shortly after abandoningLarry 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.[33] Co-produced by Nolan with Thomas and Theobald,[34] it was made on a budget of around £3,000. Most of the cast and crew were friends of Nolan, and shooting took place on weekends over the course of a year.[35] To conservefilm stock, each scene was rehearsed extensively to ensure that the first or second take could be used in the final edit.[20][36]Following won several awards during its festival run and was well-received by critics who labelled Nolan a majorly talented debutant.[37][38]Scott Timberg ofNew Times LA wrote that it "echoedHitchcock classics", but was "leaner and meaner".[39]Janet Maslin ofThe 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."[40]
"The difference between shootingFollowing with a group of friends wearing our own clothes and my mum making sandwiches to spending $4 million of somebody else's money onMemento and having a crew of a hundred people is, to this day, by far the biggest leap I've ever made."
—Nolan on the jump from his first film to his second (2012)[41]
Following's success afforded Nolan the opportunity to makeMemento (2000), which became his breakthrough film. His brother Jonathan pitched the idea to him, about a man withanterograde amnesia who uses notes and tattoos to hunt for his wife's murderer.[42] 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 forNewmarket Films, said it was "perhaps the most innovative script I had ever seen".[43] The film was optioned and given a budget of $4.5million,[44] withGuy Pearce andCarrie-Anne Moss in the starring roles.[45] Newmarket also distributed the film after it was rejected by studios who feared that it would not attract a wide audience. Following a positiveword of mouth and screenings in 500 theatres, it earned $40million.[46]Memento premiered at theVenice Film Festival in September 2000 to critical acclaim.[47]Joe Morgenstern ofThe 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."[48] In the bookThe Philosophy of Neo-Noir, Basil Smith drew a comparison withJohn Locke'sAn Essay Concerning Human Understanding, which argues that conscious memories constitute our identities – a theme Nolan explores in the film.[49]Memento earned Nolan many accolades, including nominations for anAcademy Award and aGolden Globe Award for Best Screenplay, as well as twoIndependent Spirit Awards:Best Director andBest Screenplay.[50][51] Six critics listed it as one of the bestfilms of the 2000s.[52] In 2001, Nolan and Emma Thomas founded the production companySyncopy Inc.[53][b]
Impressed by his work onMemento, filmmakerSteven Soderbergh recommended Nolan toWarner Bros. to direct thepsychological thrillerInsomnia (2002), although the studio initially wanted a more seasoned director.[55] A remake of the 1997Norwegian 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.[56][57] StarringAl Pacino,Robin Williams andHilary Swank,[58]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.[59][60] Film criticRoger Ebert praised the film for introducing new perspectives and ideas on the issues of morality and guilt, adding, "Unlike most remakes, the NolanInsomnia is not a pale retread, but a re-examination of the material, like a new production of a good play."[61]Richard Schickel ofTime deemedInsomnia a "worthy successor" toMemento and "a triumph of atmosphere over a none-too-mysterious mystery".[62]
Following,Memento andInsomnia established Nolan's image as an "auteur".[63] After the lattermost, he wrote a screenplay for aHoward Hughes biopic. Nolan reluctantly tabled his script after learning thatMartin Scorsese was already making one such film:The Aviator (2004).[64] He was then briefly attached to direct a film adaptation ofRuth Rendell's novelThe Keys to the Street forFox Searchlight Pictures but chose to directBatman Begins instead.[65] In April 2003, filmmakerDavid O. Russell put Nolan in aheadlock at a Hollywood party after learning thatJude 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.[66][67]
2003–2013: Widespread recognition
In early 2003, Nolan was set to directTroy (2004), based onHomer's theIliad.[68][69][70] After leavingTroy, Nolan approached Warner Bros. with the idea of making a newBatman film, based on the character's origin story.[71] Nolan was fascinated by the notion of grounding it in a more realistic world than a comic-book fantasy.[72] He relied heavily on traditionalstunts andminiature effects during filming, with minimal use ofcomputer-generated imagery (CGI).[73]Batman Begins (2005), the biggest project Nolan had undertaken to that point,[74] was released to critical acclaim and commercial success.[75][76] StarringChristian Bale asBruce Wayne / Batman—along withMichael Caine,Gary Oldman,Morgan Freeman andLiam Neeson—Batman Begins revived the franchise.[77][78]Batman Begins was 2005's ninth-highest-grossing film and was praised for its psychological depth and contemporary relevance;[76][79] it is cited as one of the most influential films of the 2000s.[80] 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".[81]
Nolan directed, co-wrote and producedThe Prestige (2006), an adaptation ofthe Christopher Priest novel about two rival 19th-century magicians.[82] 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 makeBatman Begins.[83][84] StarringHugh Jackman and Christian Bale in the lead roles of rival magicians,The Prestige received critical acclaim and received two Academy Award nominations.[85][86] Roger Ebert described it as "quite a movie – atmospheric, obsessive, almost satanic",[87] andKenneth Turan of theLos Angeles Times called it an "ambitious, unnerving melodrama".[88]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."[89] Despite a negative box-office prognosis, the film earned over $109million against a budget of $40million.[90]
Nolan (left) with the cast and crew ofThe Dark Knight at the 2008 European premiere in London
The Dark Knight (2008), the follow-up toBatman Begins, was Nolan's next venture. Initially reluctant to make a sequel, he agreed after Warner Bros. repeatedly insisted.[91] Nolan wanted to expand on thenoir 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".[92] Continuing to minimise the use of CGI, Nolan employed high-resolutionIMAX cameras, making it the first major motion picture to use this technology.[93][94]The Dark Knight has been ranked as one of the best films of the 2000s and one of thebest superhero films ever made.[c] Many critics declareThe Dark Knight to be "the most successful comic book film ever made".[99]Manohla Dargis ofThe 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."[100] Ebert expressed a similar point of view, describing it as a "haunted film that leaps beyond its origins and becomes an engrossing tragedy".[101]The Dark Knight set many box-office records during its theatrical run,[102] earning over $1billion worldwide.[103] At the81st Academy Awards, the film was nominated in eight categories, winning two:Best Sound Editing forRichard King and a posthumousBest Supporting Actor award forHeath Ledger.[104] The film's failure to garner a Best Picture nomination was criticised by the media. Beginning in 2010, theAcademy increased their Best Picture nominees from five to ten, a change known as "The Dark Knight Rule".[105] Nolan received manyawards and nominations for his work on the film.[50] In the late 2000s, Nolan was reported to direct a film adaptation of the 1960s television seriesThe Prisoner.[65][106]
The success ofThe Dark Knight allowed Warner Bros. to sign Nolan to write, direct and co-produceInception (2010) – a film for which he had the idea around nine years before its release.[107] Nolan described the film as "a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind".[108] Starring a large ensemble cast led byLeonardo DiCaprio, the film became a critical and commercial success upon its release.[109] Film criticMark 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."[110] Philosophy professorDavid Kyle Johnson wrote that "Inception became a classic almost as soon as it was projected on silver screens", praising its exploration of philosophical ideas, includingleap of faith andallegory of the cave.[111] The film grossed over $836million worldwide.[112] Nominated for eight Academy Awards—including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay—it wonBest Cinematography,Best Sound Mixing,Best Sound Editing andBest Visual Effects.[113] Nolan was nominated for aBAFTA Award and aGolden Globe Award for Best Director,among other accolades.[50]
Nolan at the 2013 premiere ofMan of Steel in London
Around the release ofThe Dark Knight Rises (2012), Nolan's third and final Batman film, Joseph Bevan of theBritish 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."[114] After initial hesitation, Nolan agreed to return to directThe Dark Knight Rises and worked with his brother andDavid S. Goyer to develop a story that he felt would endthe trilogy on a high note.[115] The film was released to positive reviews.[116] Kenneth Turan found the film "potent, persuasive and hypnotic" and "more than an exceptional superhero movie, it is masterful filmmaking by any standard".[117]Christy Lemire ofHuffPost wrote in her review that Nolan concluded his trilogy in a "typically spectacular, ambitious fashion", but disliked the "overloaded" story and excessive grimness.[118]The Dark Knight Rises was a box office success, becoming the thirteenth film to gross $1billion.[119] During a midnight showing of the film inAurora, Colorado,a gunman opened fire inside the theatre, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others.[120] Nolan released a statement expressing his condolences for the victims of what he described as a "senseless tragedy".[121]
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.[122][123] Ben Child ofThe Guardian wrote that the three films "will remain thrilling totems of the genre for decades to come".[122] During story discussions forThe Dark Knight Rises, Goyer told Nolan of his idea aboutMan of Steel (2013), which the latter would produce.[124] Impressed withZack Snyder's work in300 (2006) andWatchmen (2009), Nolan hired him to direct the film.[125] StarringHenry Cavill asClark 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.[126][127]
2014–2019:Interstellar,Dunkirk and other activities
Nolan and his younger brother,Jonathan (pictured in 2017), wrote several screenplays together, including that ofInterstellar.
Nolan next directed, wrote and produced the science-fiction filmInterstellar (2014). The first drafts of the script were written by Jonathan Nolan, and it was originally to be directed bySteven Spielberg.[128] Based on the scientific theories oftheoretical physicistKip Thorne, the film follows a group ofastronauts who travel through awormhole in search of a new home for humanity.[129] In a 2014 discussion of the film's physics, Nolan expressed his admiration forscientific objectivity, wishing it were applied "in every aspect of our civilisation".[130]Interstellar – starringMatthew McConaughey,Anne Hathaway andJessica Chastain – was released to positive reviews and grossed $773million worldwide.[131][132] Observing its "visual dazzle, thematic ambition",The New York Times'sA. O. Scott wrote thatInterstellar is a "sweeping, futuristic adventure driven by grief, dread and regret".[133] Documentary filmmakerToni Myers called the film "a real work of art" and praised it for exploring a story spanning multiple generations.[134]Interstellar was particularly praised for its scientific accuracy, which led to the publication of twoacademic papers.[135][136] TheAmerican Journal of Physics called for it to be shown in school science lessons.[137][138] At the87th Academy Awards, the film won Best Visual Effects and received four other nominations.[139] Also in 2014, Nolan and Emma Thomas served as executive producers onTranscendence, the directorial debut of his longtime cinematographerWally Pfister.[140]
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 withZeitgeist Films to releaseBlu-ray editions of Zeitgeist's films.[141] As a part of the Blu-ray release of the animation films of theBrothers Quay, Nolan directed the documentary shortQuay (2015). He initiated a theatrical tour, showcasing the Quays'In Absentia,The Comb andStreet of Crocodiles.IndieWire wrote that the brothers "will undoubtedly have hundreds, if not thousands more fans because of Nolan, and for thatThe Quay Brothers in 35mm will always be one of [the] latter's most important contributions to cinema".[142][143] An advocate for the survival of the analogue medium, Nolan and visual artistTacita Dean invited representatives from leading American film archives, laboratories and presenting institutions to participate in an informal summit entitledReframing the Future of Film at theGetty Museum in March 2015.[144][145] Subsequent events were held atTate Modern in London,Museo Tamayo in Mexico City andTata Theatre inMumbai.[146] In April 2015, Nolan joined the board of directors ofThe Film Foundation, a non-profitable organisation dedicated tofilm preservation,[147] and was appointed, along with Martin Scorsese, by theLibrary of Congress to serve on theNational Film Preservation Board as DGA representatives.[148] Nolan serves on theMotion Picture & Television Fund Board of Governors.[149]
After serving as an executive producer on Zack Snyder'sBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) andJustice League (2017),[150][151] Nolan returned to directing withDunkirk (2017). Based on his own original screenplay and co-produced with Thomas, the film is set amid World War II in 1940 and theevacuation ofAllied soldiers from the beaches ofDunkirk, France. Describing the film as a survival tale with atriptych structure, Nolan wanted to make a "sensory, almost experimental movie" with minimal dialogue.[152] He said he waited to makeDunkirk until he had earned the trust of a major studio to let him make it as a British film but with an American budget.[153] Before filming, Nolan sought advice from Spielberg, who later said in an interview withVariety, "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 onRyan, in second position to the research he was doing to authentically acquit this historical drama".[154] Starring an ensemble cast,[155]Dunkirk was released to widespread critical acclaim and strong box office results.[156][157][158] It grossed over $526million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing World WarII film of all time.[159] In his review,Mick LaSalle of theSan Francisco Chronicle wrote: "It's one of the bestwar films ever made, distinct in its look, in its approach and in the effect it has on viewers. There are movies—they are rare—that 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."[160] The film receivedmany accolades, including Nolan's first Oscar nomination forBest Director.[161]
Nolan's next film was the science fiction filmTenet (2020), described byTom Shone ofThe Sunday Times as "a globe-spinning riff on all things Nolanesque".[165] Nolan had worked on the screenplay for more than five years after deliberating about its central ideas for over a decade.[166] Delayed three times due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,Tenet was the first Hollywoodtent-pole to open in theatres after the pandemic shutdown.[167] The film tells the story of an unnamed protagonist (played byJohn David Washington) who travels through time to stop a world-threatening attack.[168] It grossed $363million worldwide on a production budget of $200million, becoming Nolan's first to underperform at the box-office.[169]Tenet was described as his most polarising film; critics praised the ambition and technical aspects but found its story confusing.[170][161]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian awarded it five out of five, calling it "a cerebralcadenza, a deadpan flourish of crazy implausibility—but supercharged with steroidal energy and imagination".[171] Leslie Felperin ofThe Hollywood Reporter described it as "a chilly, cerebral film—easy 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".[172] At the93rd Academy Awards, the film won Best Visual Effects and was nominated forBest Production Design.[173] Following the release ofTenet, Nolan joined the Advisory Board of theSociety of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.[174] He served as an executive producer onZack Snyder's Justice League (2021), adirector's cut of 2017'sJustice League.[175]
Nolan's 12th film wasOppenheimer (2023), a biopic based onJ. Robert Oppenheimer (played byCillian Murphy) and his role in the development of theatom bomb.[176] It was Nolan's firstR-rated film sinceInsomnia (2002).[177] The film was financed and distributed byUniversal Pictures, making it Nolan's first feature film sinceMemento that was not made for Warner Bros. He disagreed with Warner Bros.' decision to simultaneously release their films in theatres and onHBO Max.[178] 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% offirst-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 afterOppenheimer's release.[179] The film received critical acclaim.[180] Matthew Jackson ofThe 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."[181] Terming it "boldly imaginative and [Nolan's] most mature work yet",BBC Culture'sCaryn James added that it combined the "explosive, commercially-enticing action ofThe Dark Knight trilogy" with the "cerebral underpinnings" ofMemento,Inception andTenet.[182]Oppenheimer grossed over $975million worldwide, making it thethird-highest-grossing film of 2023.[183] Among the film'snumerous accolades,[184][185] Nolan won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture.[186]
As of February 2025, Nolan will once again work with Universal Studios onThe Odyssey, an adaptation of theAncient Greekepic poem theOdyssey byHomer. It is scheduled to be released in July 2026.[187] It followsOdysseus (portrayed byMatt Damon), the legendaryGreek king ofIthaca, on his perilous journey to return home following theTrojan War, his encounters with the cyclopsPolyphemus,the Sirens, and the witch goddessCirce, and his reunion with his wife,Penelope.[188] With an estimated production budget of $250 million, it is poised to be the most expensive film of Nolan's career.[189] The film will be the first mainstream blockbuster to be shot entirely on IMAX film.[190][191] Nolan was elected president of theDirectors Guild of America, a labour organisation representing more than 19,500 members, in September 2025.[192]
Personal life and public image
Nolan and his wifeEmma Thomas in January 2011. Thomas has worked as a producer on all of Nolan's films since 1997.
Nolan prefers to maintain a certain level of mystery about his work.[196] Refusing to discuss his personal life,[197] he feels that too much biographical information about a filmmaker detracts from the experience of his audiences. He stated, "I actually don't want people to have me in mind at all when they're watching the films."[196] He does not own a smartphone or have an email address, preferring to hand-deliver his scripts to actors instead and have his wife handle outreach with producers and distributors.[198]
Nolan's films are largely centred inmetaphysical themes, exploring the concepts oftime,memory andpersonal identity.[199][200] His work is characterised bymathematically inspired ideas and images, unconventionalnarrative structures,materialistic perspectives, and evocative use of music and sound.[d] FilmmakerGuillermo del Toro called Nolan "an emotional mathematician".[205]BBC's arts editorWill Gompertz described him as "an art house auteur making intellectually ambitious blockbuster movies that can leave your pulse racing and your head spinning".[206] Joseph Bevan wrote, "His films allow arthouse regulars to enjoy superhero flicks and multiplex crowds to engage with labyrinthine plot conceits."[114] Nolan views himself as "an indie filmmaker working inside the studio system".[207]
"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."
—Film author Ian Nathan on Nolan as a filmmaker (2022)[208]
In the sixteen-essay bookThe 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.[209] Robbie B. H. Goh, a professor of English literature, described Nolan as a "philosophical filmmaker" who includes philosophical ideas—existentialism,morality,epistemology and the distinction between appearance and reality—in 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"—which help keep the audiences engaged—but simultaneously remain "more thoughtful and self-reflexive than the typical consumerist action film".[210] 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".[211]
David Bordwell, afilm 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".[212] Nolan's use of practical, in-camera effects, miniatures and models, as well as shooting on celluloid film, has been highly influential in early21st century cinema.[213][214] 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".[214] 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".[215]
Recognition
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,[52][220][221] and according toThe Wall Street Journal, his "ability to combine box-office success with artistic ambition has given him an extraordinary amount of clout in the industry".[222] His films have earned more than $6billion.[223] Nolan's filmsMemento andThe Dark Knight have been selected by the US Library of Congress to be preserved in theNational Film Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant.[224][225] These films andInception appeared inBBC's 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century andThe Hollywood Reporter's poll of best films ever made.[226][227] In 2017,The Dark Knight,Inception andInterstellar featured inEmpire magazine's poll of "The 100 Greatest Movies".[228] 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".[229]Parade ranked Nolan number eight in its 2022 list of 75 Best Movie Directors of All Time.[230]
Nolan's work has been as "intensely embraced, analysed and debated by ordinary film fans as by critics and film academics".[197][231] 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".[232] 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.[212][233] In 2008,Philip French deemed Nolan "the first major talent to emerge this century".[234]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".[235]The Observer's Ryan Gilbey described Nolan as a "skillful, stylish storyteller, capable of combining the spectacle of Spielberg with the intellectual intricacy ofNicolas Roeg orAlain Resnais".[236]Mark Cousins applauded Nolan for embracing big ideas, "Hollywood filmmakers generally shy away from ideas—but not Christopher Nolan".[237] Scott Foundas ofVariety declared Nolan "the premier big-canvas storyteller of his generation",[238] andJustin Chang of theLos Angeles Times called him "the greatproceduralist of 21st century blockbuster filmmaking, a lover of nuts-and-bolts minutiae".[239]
Nolan has been praised by many of his contemporaries, and his work has influenced them.[240][241][242]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."[243]Michael Mann complimented Nolan for his "singular vision" and credited with "invent[ing] the post-heroic superhero".[244] 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."[245]Martin Scorsese identified Nolan as a filmmaker creating "beautifully made films on a big scale".[246]
Damien Chazelle lauded Nolan for his ability "to make the most seemingly impersonal projects—superhero epics, deep-space mind-benders—feel deeply personal".[247] Discussing the difference betweenart films and big studio blockbusters, Steven Spielberg referred to Nolan'sDark Knight series as an example of both;[248] he has describedMemento andInception as "masterworks".[249]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—it's very rare. Every movie that he comes out with, I have more admiration for his work."[250]James Cameron expressed disappointment that Nolan was not nominated for an Academy Award as Best Director forInception, calling it "the most astounding piece of film creation and direction of the year, hands down".[249][251]
^Nolan has continued his collaboration with the Belic brothers, receiving a credit for his editorial assistance on their Oscar-nominated documentaryGenghis Blues (1999).[16]
^The name of the company is derived fromsyncope, a medical term for fainting.Sorcha Ní 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 philosopherJean Baudrillard'streatiseSimulacra and Simulation.[54]
^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. Retrieved27 November 2019.
Blouin, Michael J. (2013). "Difference and Doubt in Christopher Nolan'sInception".Japan and the Cosmopolitan Gothic: Specters of Modernity.Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 143–160.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. 29–51.ISBN978-1-501-34765-8.
Joy, Stuart. "Dreaming a Little Bigger, Darling". InFurby & Joy (2015), pp. 1–16.
Hill-Parks, Erin. "Developing an Auteur Through Reviews: The Critical Surround of Christopher Nolan". InFurby & Joy (2015), pp. 17–30.
Ní 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". InFurby & Joy (2015), pp. 147–163.
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. 135–150.ISBN978-1-137-27688-9.
Zornado, Joseph L.; Reilly, Sara (2021). "Superhero Fantasy in Crisis".The Cinematic Superhero as Social Practice.Springer Nature. pp. 155–189.ISBN978-3-030-85458-4.
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