Our Favourite Nolan Moments
Tomorrow sees the release of Christopher Nolan’s ninth film and his first post-Batman: Interstellar. A sci-fi film on a grand scale, which audiences are hoping matches the depth and imagination of his previous work. You can read Alice Hubley’s fantastic Interstellar review.
With anticipation rising to see whether Nolan has made another hit, cerebral blockbuster, we thought it was time to delve in and look at some of his best moments from his previous films.
Memento – The End of the Beginning
This film from 2000 cemented Nolan’s status as a visionary director, mainly due to its unconventional narrative. The story of Leonard (Guy Pearce) and his short-term memory loss is gradually revealed to the audience by going backwards through his story, with added flashbacks that are going forward.
This scene is at the end of the film, but actually at the beginning (or the middle?) of the story. Although it reveals the truths of Leonard’s relationship with the suspicious Teddy (Joe Pantaliano), and subsequently allows the audience to see the ripple effect that has had on Leonard’s actions, they are still left with questions and doubts. How can you trust a protagonist’s tale of events when he has short term memory loss?
The Prestige – The Multiple Hats
Made in between 2005’s Batman Begins and 2008 follow-up The Dark Knight, The Prestige made considerably less money than both of those films, but is no less creative. The film deals with the complex story of two competing magicians, each trying to one-up the other with the creativity of their magic tricks. As with most of Nolan’s original films, the audience has to try and keep up with all the twists and turns and many layers of narrative, and will certainly be left with questions long after the credits have rolled.
The short but visually stunning opening shot answers at least some of those questions, and demonstrates how much can be told with a single image. The fact that it is repeated later in the film should emphasise to the audience its importance, as it proves to be a major clue in unlocking the complex puzzle.
Batman Begins – The Docks
It’s well regarded by now that, with this 2005 film, Christopher Nolan changed the way superhero films would be received for years to come. By forgoing the camp spectacle of former Batman films, and stripping it back to its realistic-looking origin story, Nolan premiered a dark and flawed hero to an eager audience who were ready for more from their blockbusters.
The scene by the docks is the first time we see Nolan’s Bruce Wayne in full ‘Batman’ mode. He fights from the shadows, picking off henchmen one by one and terrifying the remainder. This is Batman as Batman should be: dark and intimidating.
The Dark Knight – The Bank Job
A film that manages to be even better than the first, The Dark Knight will mainly be remembered for the phenomenal, Oscar-winning and, tragically, final performance of Heath Ledger as The Joker, but it is arguably the greatest comic book film ever produced.
In the opening scene, the action starts straight away as the camera follows men in clown masks as they are breaking into a bank. One by one the clowns eliminate each other, stating that the organiser had instructed them to do so, until there is one left: The Joker. Once he has killed the final clown, he takes off his mask to reveal an even more disturbing face underneath. This scene sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the film, highlighting the Joker’s indifference in killing supposed allies, and his penchant for showmanship.
Inception – The Corridor Fight
Made in between The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, Inception is a highly creative and complex masterpiece that keeps the audience on their toes the whole way through, as they struggle to understand each layer of dream. Not only is Inception highly original, it is visually breathtaking, with Nolan allowing the seemingly normal-looking dream worlds to be peppered with unreal moments that defy the laws of gravity and reality.
One such moment is a scene where Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is trying to fight off two men in a hotel hallway, as it rotates around them. The technically masterful moment is one of the few awe-inspiring scenes in modern cinema that doesn’t use CG effects. Rotating sets were constructed, and over 500 crew members were involved in the scene’s creation.
Will any scenes from Interstellar make it onto our list in the future? Do you agree/disagree with our picks? Let us know in the comments!
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