The Ultimate Christopher Nolan Analysis: How a Director Rises

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About this video essay:
An in-depth exploration of the movies of Christopher Nolan. This first episode - A Director Begins - covers Following, Memento, Insomnia and Batman Begins.

Content:
0:00 Introduction
0:57 Following
14:30 Memento
28:55 Insomnia
44:28 Batman Begins
59:28 The Breakout Years

Listen to my podcast, Cinema of Meaning:

Further Reading:

[samuelh]

I have always been captivated by Christopher Nolan, an exceptionally talented director. I wholeheartedly recommend indulging in one of his finest yet somewhat overlooked films, "The Prestige." This cinematic masterpiece transcends mere entertainment and delves into the realm of pure artistry

[erichurtado]

Personally what I like most about Nolan is that the film always feels like it matters to him, which is becoming less common for directors today. And I don’t even think it’s their fault in most cases- too many studios try to insert themselves and because most of the time the directors have to play the game, there’s a personality that’s being lost in filmmaking and it’s a shame.

[JBeck]

Nolan is the GOAT hands down, extremely thought provoking and emotion grabs that linger with every film. I hope he's already working on a new project, Oppenheimer will be nearly impossible to top.

[HeatherHolt]

A one hour LSOO video?! Heck yeah just what I needed!!
❤

[papasitoman]

One of his best was The Prestige. It's beautiful from beginning to end.

[blaisetelfer]

I still remembered how floored I was upon seeing Batman Begins for the first time; we had never seen anything like it. I had always accepted that Bruce Wayne risks his life to be a vigilante instead of just living comfortably as a billionaire, because it's part of the setup, but once Nolan told his story, I understood *why*

[IronSouledWarrior]

Been watching you every day since your beginning and you’ve blessed me with an epic hour video on my birthday!

[thamsanqajantjies]

"He does over explain but he doesn't dumb down" I love this quote and it is so true.

[randallgregerson]

I have reserve tickets to see Oppenheimer July 20 in 70 mm at an IMAX theatre. This should be one of the best cinematic experiences of my life.

[aninjaguardian]

Excellent work! A one hour video by LSOO on my favorite filmmaker

[alechall]

If there is anyone qualified to make this video, its you, Tom. That intro was fantastic, can't wait to watch this later.

[alexxx]

44:20 It's very convenient to act moral when your life is about to end. You sacrifice nothing by being moral here. That's why hearing confessions and regrets at deathbeds is a trope. But when there is still plenty of life left it's very hard to be moral rather than selfish, usually self-interest takes priority.

[GrainneMhaol]

Anyone interested in Memento should check out Without Memory, a documentary about a man with a similar condition to Leonard's. It's a though provoking work directed by Japanese master Hirokazu Koreeda, who would repeatedly explore how memory forms our identity, most notably in After Life.

[ndiranguwarugongo]

I would like to take a second to appreciate the level of research that was put into this video 😮 I'm half way through and already you have shared at least three different research papers and that's not including the film watching side - truly well done - like!

[jed]

Your film analysis is so lucid, nuanced, and well considered. I don't mean this in a sinister way, but to quote Hannibal Lecter, "I think it must be quite something to know you in private life". I bet your friends and family get a kick out if your insights. Well done! Subscribed.

[OB-LA]

Excellent! I always get so much from your analysis, thank you for all of your hard work.

[ManSeekingMeaning]

I watched this unexpected (but incredibly appreciated) retrospective of one of my favorite filmmakers as soon as I possibly could, and having just signed up for Nebula (what timing!), I immediately watched the second and even better video. I appreciated so much of what you had to say about each film in Nolan’s journey, it would take pages to convey. I especially loved your breakdown of The Prestige, Inception, and TDKR. Taking out the good first step into Kai’s freak that was BB and the massive leap forward in his craft that was TDK, the three aforementioned films are such interesting place holders in his development. I especially appreciated your acknowledgement of how criticism for TDKR was instantaneous, often pedantic or in bad faith, for reasons that the much loved TDK could also have been criticized and yet wasn’t.

[verficationaccount]

Great stuff. I always love it when creators put the next part of a series on Nebula instantly. Did not regret the subscription over the past year. Thanks!

[JustinArmstrong-uw]

Excellent work! A one hour video by LSOO on my favorite filmmaker. A one hour LSOO video?! Heck yeah just what I needed!!.

[ryanmartin]

Just saw Following for the first time not too long ago and I love it even more now that you’ve examined it through such a fascinating lens. Great stuff!