WHY CHRISTOPHER NOLAN IS MY FAVOURITE DIRECTOR

 

With the upcoming release of his latest film, Tenet, in this blogpost, I'll be explaining why Christopher Nolan is one of my favourite directors. 

Original films

The latest film releases have been filled with sequels, remakes and superhero films. At times, it does seem like Hollywood is running out of an ideas. However, viewers can always rely on Christopher Nolan to provide them with original films that he's written and directed. Inception, Interstellar and Memento are Nolan's best films as they feature exciting action and a thought provoking and compelling narrative. Of the three, Inception is my favourite film by Nolan as it tells an original story, features a star studded cast, led by Leonardo DiCaprio, and features thrilling action sequences, especially in the film's second half. When I first saw it at the cinema, I was 13 at the time and wasn't interested in films and found Inception to be boring, confusing and too long. However, I rewatched it a few years later and I enjoyed it a lot more on my second watch. I watched behind the scenes videos and was fascinated by how Nolan came up with the idea for Inception and how he filmed certain stunts/ I recently rewatched it at my local cinema and, despite it being a decade since its release, it still holds up as one of the greatest films ever made. When Interstellar was first released in 2014, I didn't see it as I wasn't that interested, however, I watched it when it was released on DVD. While I enjoyed it, I found the ending to be confusing. However, I liked it more on my second watch and understood it better and I definitely think that it's one of Nolan's best films. While Memento isn't one of my favourite films that Nolan has made. I still think that it's a great film that benefits from his impressive writing and directing skills. Nolan's latest film, Tenet, features another original story written by the director and, judging from the trailer, it looks like it could be his best yet.

Practical effects

A lot of big budget films, like the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, use computer generated imagery and special effects, which aren't necessarily a bad thing, however, I respect filmmakers, like Nolan, who use practical effects in their features as they look more realistic and are more impressive. One of the most memorable sequences in inception is when Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) performs a stunt in a rotating hallway. While other filmmakers would have used CGI to create this scene, I like that Nolan built the set with Gordon-Levitt performing the stunt himself instead of relying on a professional stunt double. In his epic World War II drama, Dunkirk, there are quite a few explosives which aren't created through CGI and are real. with a lot of the actors' shocked reactions being genuine. While I understand that a lot of films can't be created by using practical effects, I always find it refreshing and all the more impressive when filmmakers use them.

The Dark Knight trilogy

In the 1990s, there were several films about the famous caped crusader known as Batman, however, they were over the top and hard to take seriously, especially the 1997 film Batman & Robin, which starred George Clooney in the titular role, and is regarded as one of the worst films based on Batman, because of its camp tone and cringey performances, including Arnold Schwarzeneggar as Mr. Freeze. Following the release of Batman & Robin, a lot of people thought there was never going to be another Batman film until Nolan released his take on the Dark Knight when he released Batman Begins which starred Christian Bale in the role. Because it had a more serious tone, a star studded cast and exhilarating action sequences, Batman Begins was a major improvement and proved to be the best Batman film until Nolan released his follow up in 2008, The Dark Knight, which exceeded all expectations and made over a billion dollars at the box office. The stand out aspect of The Dark Knight was Heath Ledger's unforgettable performance as the twisted villain, the Joker. Following the actor's death in early 2008, he received a posthumous Oscar for his incredible supporting performance. Aside from Ledger's performance, there are other aspects of The Dark Knight that made it one of the greatest films ever made, including the impressive ensemble cast led by Bale in the role as Bruce Wayne/Batman. The actor has delivered a wide range of roles and is one of the most versatile actors working today, however, in The Dark Knight, he delivers his best performance. He captures Wayne's charming personality but is also convincing as the menacing Dark Knight. The rest of the cast includes Michael Caine as Wayne's faithful butler, Alfred, Morgan Freeman as the tech smart, Lucius Fox, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Jim Gordon, Aaron Eckhart as Gotham's district attorney, Harvey Dent, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel/ The action sequences are where The Dark Knight is at its best, including the exhilarating car chase sequence that takes place in the middle of the film. In 2012, Nolan released the final film in the trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, and while it wasn't as good as its predecessor, it still provided an exciting conclusion to the franchise and all three films represent the best Batman films.

No bad films

While a lot of directors have made mostly great films, many of them have created films that have been disappointments, however, I don't think that is the case for Nolan. I've seen all of his feature films, from his debut, Following, to Dunkirk, and, while there are films I enjoy more than others, including Inception, I think that all of his films are great features. The director's passion for creating films is clearly shown in every one of his features and his unique vision is evident. His 2006 feature, The Prestige, is based on Christopher Priest's 1995 novel of the same name and benefits from Nolan's directing. With The Prestige, he successfully brought Priest's novel to the big screen and created an exciting film full of twists and starring Bale, Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson.

Overall, because of his original stories, unique vision and impressive use of practical effects, Christopher Nolan is one of my favourite directors and someone whose films I always get excited about. I highly recommend you give his films a watch if you haven't already. If you want to know my ranking of his films, click here to visit the list on my letterboxd page.