Christopher Nolan Study
Sean Weitzel
Professor Howell
ENG 267
September 27, 2011
Writer/Director Study
Some filmmakers know exactly the right formula to create intriguing themes and subtle subliminal progression in their audience’s mind. Christopher Nolan just happens to be one of those filmmakers. His style is not merely traditional cinema; rather Nolan draws his viewers in by producing what feels like a renaissance of tried and true cinematic conventions. Described as ‘meta-noir’ by many film critics and showing the film world a glimpse into postmodernism, the stories are intellectually deep, and approach modern thoughts from a new angle. Nolan’s innovations in filmmaking, writing, and his overall signature as a auteur nominate him as one who stands out in the crowd in the realm of movie storytelling. Chris’ first major debut (excluding short projects, and corporate training videos) Following was shot on in his spare time, Saturdays mostly. The idea was inspired by actual events; his home in London was broken into and it made him curious about the burglar must have thought of Nolan’s own life. From that idea comes the plot for Following (Buchanan). Nolan seems to be telling the audience that despite all of our modern privacy and data security, someone will always be able to gain access to your most intimate moments and things if they so desire. The Following cast was comprised of Nolan’s friends and associates. Rigorous rehearsal was paramount, with the intention of only one or two takes at most required for a scene. Taking over a year to complete, Following was designed to be as low budget as possible. The only real expense was the 16mm roll that Nolan himself purchased (Lahiri). A mere six thousands dollars was the final cost, and filmed was premiered at the San Francisco Film Festival in 1998. His attitude towards Following shows incredible drive and determination as a young filmmaker. Nolan was patient, had everything planned to a tee, and he saw the vision and direction
Professor Howell
ENG 267
September 27, 2011
Writer/Director Study
Some filmmakers know exactly the right formula to create intriguing themes and subtle subliminal progression in their audience’s mind. Christopher Nolan just happens to be one of those filmmakers. His style is not merely traditional cinema; rather Nolan draws his viewers in by producing what feels like a renaissance of tried and true cinematic conventions. Described as ‘meta-noir’ by many film critics and showing the film world a glimpse into postmodernism, the stories are intellectually deep, and approach modern thoughts from a new angle. Nolan’s innovations in filmmaking, writing, and his overall signature as a auteur nominate him as one who stands out in the crowd in the realm of movie storytelling. Chris’ first major debut (excluding short projects, and corporate training videos) Following was shot on in his spare time, Saturdays mostly. The idea was inspired by actual events; his home in London was broken into and it made him curious about the burglar must have thought of Nolan’s own life. From that idea comes the plot for Following (Buchanan). Nolan seems to be telling the audience that despite all of our modern privacy and data security, someone will always be able to gain access to your most intimate moments and things if they so desire. The Following cast was comprised of Nolan’s friends and associates. Rigorous rehearsal was paramount, with the intention of only one or two takes at most required for a scene. Taking over a year to complete, Following was designed to be as low budget as possible. The only real expense was the 16mm roll that Nolan himself purchased (Lahiri). A mere six thousands dollars was the final cost, and filmed was premiered at the San Francisco Film Festival in 1998. His attitude towards Following shows incredible drive and determination as a young filmmaker. Nolan was patient, had everything planned to a tee, and he saw the vision and direction
Cited: Buchanan, Jason. "Christopher Nolan." Movies.nytimes.com. The New York Times, 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. . The Dark Knight. By Christopher Nolan. Perf. Michael ,. Caine, Aaron ,. Eckhart, and Christian Bale. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2008. Film. Following. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Perf. Jeremy Theobald. Next Wave Films, 1998. Film. John. "The Dark Knight Is About George W. Bush." Verum Serum. Verum Serum, 24 July 2008. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. . Lahiri, Shubhajit. "Following - Christopher Nolan." Www.culturazzi.org. 22 July 2008. Web. 26 Sept. 2011. . Memento. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Perf. Guy Pearce. Newmarket Capital Group, 2000. DVD. Quinn, Karl. "Can 't Get Him out of Our Heads." The Age - Business, World & Breaking News | Melbourne, Australia. Fairfax Digital, 8 Sept. 2002. Web. 27 Sept. 2011. . Rjpurves@aol.com. "Christopher Nolan - Biography." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 27 Sept. 2011. .