By Adrian Nguyen
As Christopher Nolan’s epic fantasy film The Odyssey stirs and enthuses audiences across the world, we go deep into the acclaimed director’s back catalogue to log and discuss the iconoclastic Brit’s ten best shots.
With The Odyssey breaking box office records and receiving acclaim from both critics and audiences, Christopher Nolan’s status as one of the most powerful filmmakers in Hollywood is complete. In his thirteen movies, there is no shortage of great shots. The ten shots that define him all share a recurring pattern: they depict the emotional fragilities of his heroes and the world he portrays. Nolan is also red-green colorblind, which means that his colour palette often favours blue-orange hues that are often so muted. His penchant for puzzle-like narratives means that his editing tends to be disorienting, allowing time to be twisted and distorted, with events flashed back and fast-forwarded to drive and develop his characters.
Here are the ten shots that define Nolan as a director.
1 – THE ENDING OF INCEPTION
In Inception, dreams derive from the emotional climate of their host, and one of the rules that the film establishes is whether the dreamer’s totem can reach its physical endpoint. If so, then they are ultimately in reality. As it reaches the ultimate moment, the camera pans to the totem, and the film continues for a couple more seconds, heightening the discomfort about whether all we see is real. This level of catharsis revealed that it can be earned, but Nolan asks if that effect can ever be determined and if it can be compromised. This has become the filmmaker’s defining shot and cemented his reputation as a man who can maintain mystery.
2 – THE OPENING IN MEMENTO
What is fascinating about this dimly lit composition is that Nolan ensures that its premise, narrative structure, and tone are fully established. As the opening credits roll, the story rewinds from the ending to the beginning, the photo fades, and the mystery begins. Memento is about how finite memories are, even when it happens to people who aren’t long-term sufferers or are surrounded by them. As Leonard Shelby’s obsession unravels, it is plain as day that he is in the midst of a tragic loop that he perpetuates and is responsible for.
3 – HUGH JACKMAN ENTERS THE MACHINE IN THE PRESTIGE
Forget Batman and the Joker; The Prestige showcases two magicians fixated on creating the prestige through any means necessary. Here, Angier brings the glamorous spectacle of magic, entering the machine perfected by Nikola Tesla, as Borden closely looks at any possible holes to outwit him. Here, Nolan shows that he’s capable of demonstrating minimalism in some of his smaller setpieces with nuanced effects, striking a balance with the maximalist tendencies that he’d be known for in his future efforts.
4 – THE STUKA BOMBING AT THE BEACH IN DUNKIRK
In Dunkirk, the British and their allies are surrounded by the enemy, and from the film’s beginning, cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema makes an effort to depict them as ants stuck in their own tank. The ground troops are otherwise helpless in avoiding the Stuka bombers, who have annihilated most of their resources. This shot shows a ground soldier resorting to any means necessary to deter the dogfighters, even if the chances are minimal. Nolan’s reliance on Hoyte Van Hoytema means the colours are more muted and saturated, but his IMAX shooting transforms the landscape into a hellhole.
5 – THE ATOM BOMB TEST IN OPPENHEIMER
The Trinity Test is the centrepiece in Oppenheimer, serving as a halfway point in J Robert Oppenheimer being the architect of the atomic bomb and seeing it succeed by ending wars and killing thousands of innocent lives. There is a minute of deafening explosions that resembles the apocalyptic vision that tortured him. Each successive shot sees the sound muted, with the viewer being exposed to their horrors. Once Oppenheimer utters, “now I became death, the destroyer of worlds,” the eerie, bleak future becomes a reality.
6 – THE BUILDING EXPLOSION IN TENET
What does time look like when it’s weaponised in war? In Tenet, where palindromic events can only be felt, rather than explained, buildings can explode and be constructed back to make sure that the events seem rather logical. It makes this shot, with all its manic energy, incredibly exciting, and distills Nolan’s vision at its purest.
7 – A JOKER ROBBERY BY THE DARK KNIGHT
The Dark Knight relies less on flash-forwards and flashbacks, only dealing with the present in the most linear narrative possible. This moment sees Joker relishing the downfall of Harvey Dent and the death of Rachel Dawes. He celebrates by stealing a police car, as the music mutes and Gotham is going to collapse. The Joker comes off terrifying in many shots, as a result of Heath Ledger’s bravado performance, but here, his evil prevails, less likely to be put under the lid.
8 – THE PIT IN THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
This is a direct reference to Batman Begins, when Bruce Wayne first fell into the well that defined him as Batman. Here he is in a similar situation, where Bruce, after being brutally shattered by Bane, has to escape from the same prison that kept him. Unlike the well that shattered his psychology, the way out is incredibly steep, and no person can ever get out. But unlike the well, this shot promises redemption for Bruce.
9 – VIDEO MESSAGE IN INTERSTELLAR
Interstellar is one of Nolan’s most beloved films, purely because of its emotional sentiment, and the video message from Murph, now grown up after Cooper departs from the planet, exemplifies this. Imagine trying to save it, but wasting twenty years to witness his birth.
10 – THE SWORD FIGHT BETWEEN BRUCE AND RA AL GHUL IN BATMAN BEGINS
Of all the action sequences in Batman Begins, the sword fight between Bruce and his mentor Ra’s Al-Ghul literally over thin ice is the most compelling of them all. Al Ghul reminds him to be aware of his surroundings, a norm that defines Batman. The icy blues here represent the fragilities that he needs to overcome.
The Odyssey is screening in cinemas now. Click here for our review.
