Profile of Christopher Nolan on Famous Like Me

See Christopher Nolan (author) for the award-winning Irish author

Christopher Nolan (born July 30, 1970) is a British film director, writer and producer.

Early life

Nolan began filmmaking at age of seven by using his father's Super8 camera and his toy action figures. His short film Tarantella was shown on Image Union, an independent film and video showcase, in 1989.

Nolan studied English literature at University College London while filming several short films in the college film society. His short film Larceny was shown during Cambridge Film Festival in 1996. He married Emma Thomas in 1997.

Themes

Nolan's work is often based around an emotional or conceptual theme, often associated additionally with guilt. Memento is about guilt (Leonard's failure to save his wife and inability to remember what he has done about it since) and the human reliance on memory. Insomnia is about guilt (Dormer accidentally kills a friend) and the human reliance on sleep. Batman Begins is about guilt (Bruce Wayne's belief that he was responsible for the deaths of his parents) and the nature of fear.

Professional career

Following

Nolan directed his first professional film, Following, in 1998. The film depicts the story of a writer who becomes obsessed with following random people. Scenes are shown out of chronological order, and as such the viewer becomes disorientated, having to piece together the elements of the story in the same way as the protagonist pieces together what is going on around him.

Nolan presented this film during the 1999 Hong Kong Film Festival and raised money to write and direct his most successful psychological thriller to date, Memento.

Memento

While not a box office hit, Memento (2000) is a critically acclaimed cult classic and was nominated for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award (Oscar) for best screenplay.

The movie, based on a short story written by Christopher's brother Jonathan Nolan titled Memento Mori, follows widower Leonard Shelby (played by English-born Australian actor Guy Pearce) who, as a result of a head injury delivered by his wife's rapist and murderer, is unable to form new memories. What distinguishes the film within its genre is Nolan's technique in presenting events within the storyline in reverse-chronological order. Using this technique, Nolan forces viewers to relate with the mentally-impaired protagonist, since they encounter each event disorientated.

The same method of disorientating audiences is used in Nolan's previous film Following, which is very much a precursor to the production of Memento. Following, however, presents a three-act structure in which the three acts are cut together, whereas Memento presents two linear timelines -- one running forwards, one backwards -- which are cut together and meet in the middle. The changeover from forwards to backwards is signified by the transition from black and white film stock to color.

As of 2005, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) ranks Memento at number twenty-three in its list of the top 250 films of all time. IMDb's rankings are based on ratings by Internet users.

Insomnia

In 2002 Nolan directed Insomnia, an American remake of a 1997 Norwegian film of the same name. The plot involves two police detectives as they search for a killer. The film stars Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank.

Mr. Hughes

Prior to the announcement by Martin Scorsese that he was planning to make The Aviator, Nolan had begun scripting his own biopic of Howard Hughes, to star Jim Carrey. Nolan, in an interview with Empire dated July 2005, stated, "I guess I just didn't write quickly enough." The project was ultimately abandoned.

Batman Begins

Nolan had said that while he was content with his directing resumé, he had always dreamed as a child to direct a big blockbuster film, and he got his first opportunity to do so in 2003.

In 1997, Warner Brothers, owner of the Batman movie franchise, released Batman and Robin, directed by Joel Schumacher. The film received mostly negative reviews and earned the least box office revenue out of the series, forcing Warner Brothers to cancel any sequels and put the franchise on indefinite hiatus.

Six years later, Nolan, together with Blade screenwriter David S. Goyer, pitched the idea of restarting the franchise with a serious origin story. Warner Brothers took the risk of hiring the relatively unknown director to direct the fifth installment of one of their biggest franchises. Batman Begins was released on June 15, 2005 and has become a solid box office hit, ranking as the third biggest blockbuster of the summer. The movie received a very positive critical and public reception, with many ranking it as superior to even the 1989 original. Batman Begins was also seen as having a dark but intelligent storyline and strong emphasis on charaterisation, two aspects that many summer blockbusters are known to lack.

As of 2005, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) ranks Batman Begins at number 115 in its list of the top 250 films of all time. IMDb's rankings are based on ratings by Internet users.

Upcoming Projects

The Exec

Based upon the comic of the same name, The Exec shows future business played out as war. The screenplay is to be written by Christopher's brother Jonathan.

The Prestige

An adaptation of the Christopher Priest novel about two rival magicians in the 19th century, The Prestige has been optioned for a while, and is allegedly high on Nolan's list of post-Batman priorities. It is reportedly to be another collaboration for Christopher with his brother Jonathan.

The Keys To The Street

While Nolan wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of the Ruth Rendell novel, he looks unlikely to direct it, reportedly since it "has a lot in common with the three films [Nolan has] made" .

Batman Begins sequel

It has been rumoured that Nolan will return for one or more sequels to the critically-acclaimed Batman Begins, though it hasn't yet officialy been announced if he will return to direct.

Director Filmography

Short Films

• Tarantella (1989) (Also writer-producer)
• Larceny (1996) (Also writer-producer)
• Doodlebug (1997) (Also writer-producer)

Features

• Following (1998) (also writer-producer)
• Memento (2000) (also writer)
• Insomnia (2002)
• Batman Begins (2005) (also co-writer)
• The Prestige (2006)

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