by Sophia Caneira ’29 on October 9, 2025
Arts & Entertainment
Maybe you heard about Oppenheimer (2023) through the summer “Barbenheimer” phenomenon. Maybe you saw Interstellar (2014) and fell in love with Hans Zimmer’s score. Maybe your dad made you watch The Prestige (2006) during a family movie night one weekend. Maybe you’re a big Batman fan and do a great imitation of Heath Ledger’s “Why so serious”? Maybe you watched Inception (2010) and you enjoyed it, but were also thoroughly confused. Here we have the father of the nuclear bomb, space travel resulting in the discovery of a fifth dimension, warring magicians, Bruce Wayne, and dream thieves. Quite a wide range. But what do all these films have in common? The imagination and creative touch of critically-acclaimed director Christopher Nolan.
Nolan was born in London in 1970; his father was British and shot commercials in Los Angeles, while his mother was an American flight attendant. His childhood was spent in both London and Chicago, playing with action figures, making films, and constantly going to the movies with his younger brother Jonanthan. Notably, Nolan’s father took him to see Star Wars (1977) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), the latter of which inspired the highly acclaimed and well-received Interstellar. Nolan attended the University College London (UCL), where he studied English literature and met his future wife, producer Emma Thomas. Together, the two of them participated heavily in an on-campus film society, the UCL Film Society.
Nolan made his first film, Following (1998), in his 20s and on a $6,000 budget. When he did the press tour for the film, he began to realize just how dependent moviemaking was on audience reception. Nolan has at least some of the writing credit for all of his films except Insomnia, and has collaborated on scripts with his brother since his film Memento (2000). He also collaborates with his wife, with whom he created the production company Syncopy.
Memento, Nolan’s first big film, began as a short story written by Nolan’s brother. The two of them worked on the story together, discussing points of view and elements that could be translated between the short story and the film. The movie is not structured chronologically, but Nolan wrote the script in chronological order to make sure the foundation of the story made sense before shifting the scenes into the order that they would be seen by audiences. He also credits the actors in the film, notably Guy Pearce, with helping to ensure the logic of the story remained intact.
Nolan’s technique—from both narrative and technical standpoints—is what sets him apart as a director and as an auteur. His films frequently involve the use of symbolism, which he often incorporates visually (totems in Inception, stethoscope in Batman Begins (2005), etc). Many of his films include shocking plot twists and nonlinear timelines. Nolan also emphasizes the importance of realism. For example, when creating Interstellar, Nolan spoke with scientists in order to ascertain that the film didn’t violate any established laws of physics. He believes that every aspect of a film must contribute to the film’s logic, and tries to think from the perspective of the audience, asking: what does the typical moviegoer like, want, or expect from his films? Nolan is very deliberate; as the director, he knows what he wants from a story and a film, but he also allows room for the plot of his films to be open to interpretation by the audience.
From a technical standpoint, and something I find rather remarkable, is that Nolan doesn’t use computer-generated imagery—he believes one can get a better result from shooting real scenes in real locations. During his creation of Interstellar, he didn’t use any green screens. Instead, he built the entire set and enhanced the film with special effects. Nolan’s postproduction coordinator has said that he has worked on rom-coms with more post-production effects than The Dark Knight Rises (2012). In a digital age when CGI has become such a common technology, especially for movies in the superhero genre, it is remarkable that Nolan has made so many films that are beautiful to look at without the use of CGI. Nolan also takes note of where the camera is aligned relative to the subjects within the frame, always aware of the relationship between the characters and the audience. He doesn’t use the zoom on his cameras, but instead places the camera within physical proximity to the subject. He often shoots on IMAX, intending to create an experience for the viewer that is as immersive as possible. Nolan holds to the idea that the technical aspects of a film, even the ones we unconsciously register, make the experience.
Nolan has been highly influenced by big names in Hollywood such as Ridley Scott, Stanley Kubrick, Terrence Malick, and Nicolas Roeg. He has been praised by his actors as a great problem-solver who is very hands-on on set. He is known for being on time, on schedule, very organized and prepared, with a deep sense of responsibility for efficiency in the making of his films. He won his first Oscar with Oppenheimer, which received much attention on its own accord, aside from being released the same weekend as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (2023). His next movie, The Odyssey, stars Matt Damon and Tom Holland and is scheduled for release in July of next year. In the last few weeks, he was also elected president of the Directors Guild of America.
Ever since I first saw Nolan’s take on the Batman character in The Dark Knight trilogy, I have been fascinated with his work. I recently had the chance to see Inception, which I really loved. All of his stories are riveting and his cinematography captivating. His movies are full of twists and turns that make for a unique viewing experience and leave you with a whole host of thoughts long after the credits roll. Being an aspiring screenwriter and filmmaker myself, Nolan serves as a muse. His passion and devotion to his work and his team are extremely admirable. Having a sister who loves writing as much as I do makes Nolan’s collaboration with his brother all the more inspiring. I leave you with a quote from a Nolan interview on The Director’s Chair: “I think really the only useful advice I ever got in terms of trying to figure out your way into the film business, the film industry, is to get yourself a script and hang onto it. You have to play to your strengths, you have to do something that really excites you, and whatever’s different about that. It’s that idea, that screenplay, that concept that’s so important, and that’s what’s going to distinguish it, if you can do it successfully.”
One thing’s for sure: Nolan has never been afraid to dream a little bigger (if you know, you know).