Amid The Odyssey Buzz, Let’s Have A Look At Christopher Nolan’s Journey In Movies |
With The Odyssey finally available to watch across the globe, one can’t help but think back on the magic of director Christopher Nolan’s films. Most of us first saw Memento (2000) after the release of the Bollywood film Ghajini (2008). For someone who had grown up watching the same old heroes and heroines dancing around trees, Memento was like a breath of fresh air—and so much more. I actually watched it six times. The first time, I watched it in the order it was meant to be seen. Then, I watched it backwards (from the last scene to the first). Every time I watched it, I discovered a new element.
That is when I knew I had to look up Nolan.Blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, a round face and a quiet smile greeted me on my mobile phone. There was an amalgamation of humility and intelligence reflected in every photo I saw of the man. I was fascinated. Bas phir kya tha? I went down the rabbit hole, wanting to savour each and every Nolan film.
Nolan had made three short films prior to his Hollywood directorial debut. Following (1998) was his first film. It is a black-and-white classic noir thriller and one of his most underrated works. I highly recommend it. There was a lot of noise across the world when Batman Begins hit the silver screens in 2005. The hype was worth it. Then came The Prestige (2006), a film that inspired countless rip-offs. That twist ending was so neatly inserted into the storyline that no one saw it coming.
It was followed by The Dark Knight (2008), Inception (2010), The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Interstellar (2014), Dunkirk (2017), Tenet (2020), Oppenheimer (2023). In between all these films was a short film Quay (2015). One look at his filmography and what stands out is how different each of his ventures is.
Every filmmaker works hard to make films he or she believes in, but in Nolan’s work, it shows—and how. Also, notice how there is not much gap between each of his films, unlike other “genius” filmmakers who make a stellar film only to direct another one eons later.Nolan has moved from the 1990s to the 2000s effortlessly and is more than relevant even today. His films are not just regular releases but mega-events transcending continents. He understands the pulse of the viewer. He has the gift of connecting with the audience in a way that very few filmmakers take years to master.To the world, he is Christopher Nolan, an Oscar-winning ace director. To me, he is and will always be an extraordinarily intelligent human being with an intricate sense of the magic of cinema and beyond.Here’s to you, Mr Nolan. Keep doing what you do, so that we movie lovers keep getting amazed by your brilliance even 1,000 years from now.