Christopher Edward Nolan is a British-American film director. He is considered one of the most acclaimed and successful filmmakers of the 21st century. His films have so far earned 34 nominations at the ‘Oscars,’ with seven wins. His films have also grossed nearly $5 billion worldwide.
Early Life
Born on July 30, 1970, in London, England, Christopher Nolan started creating films as a child, making his first short at the age of 7. Nolan traveled between Chicago and London while growing up — his mother was from America and his father was from Britain — and eventually went on to attend University College London, where he studied English literature and joined the school's film society. He created shorts like Tarantula, Larceny and Doodlebug before releasing longer-form work.
Career
Nolan's major film debut, Following, was a black-and-white,
small-budget work about a lonely writer who's obsessed with
following strangers and then partners with a burglar. The film's
unconventional, non-linear narrative scheme helped garner interest
in Nolan's work and propelled him to his next film, Memento. The
noir-ish indie feature starred Guy Pearce as an amnesiac man who
relies on Polaroids and copious note-taking while seeking vengeance.
Nolan adapted the work from a story written by his brother Jonathan
Nolan, and the film received two Oscar nominations for its editing
and screenplay.
Nolan continued presenting psychological thrillers
with the remake Insomnia, starring Al Pacino as a police officer in
Alaska handling a murder investigation while contending with a
lingering guilt. The director's career then traveled into the
stratosphere, when he agreed to helm the re-launch of the comic book
hero Batman with the 2005 film Batman Begins, starring Christian
Bale as the titular character. The movie went on to earn more than
$372 million worldwide. Nolan next released 2006's The Prestige, a
well-received story about dueling magicians starring Bale, Hugh
Jackman and Scarlett Johansson.
Major works
The Prestige (2006)
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’s personal style.
Dunkirk (2017)
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 — cross
cutting.
The entire film’s 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.
Interstellar (2014)
Interstellar has some of the greatest scenes set in outer space
since Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Many of the visual
effects in the film were created beforehand so that the
filmmakers could later capture them “in camera”. 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.
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight has some truly unforgettable moments, and some
of the best performances in a super-hero film. The film is all
about chaos and the battle, not between good and evil, but
Nolan’s take on natural conflict.
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable
object, and how every action has an equal and opposite reaction.