CINEMATIC VISION Vol. 1

For a change of pace here on my blog, I am going to attempt something that I hope will enlighten and inform you, dear reader, who if you're here on this page, must be a fan of film in some capacity. Once every month or so, will be this column. We will spend it taking a look at an active filmmaker in the business today, how their films have affected an audience thus far, and what makes them unique as a director and/or writer. Maybe after reading this, you might be inclined to follow-up on their material you have yet to see, and expose yourself to new cinematic options.
We will begin with a director/writer who definitely made a major impact last year, with his most successful film to date, a little Batman tale known as "The Dark Knight". His name is Christopher Nolan, and we will look as to what exactly brought him to the point of box-office conqueror of the greatest comic book film ever made.


Born in London in 1970, Christopher Nolan began making films at the age of seven using his father's super 8mm camera and an assortment of male-action figures. He graduated to making films involving real people, and his super 8mm surreal short 'Tarantella' was shown on PBS' 'Image Union' in 1989. Chris studied English Literature at University College London while starting to make 16mm films at the college film society. His short film 'Larceny' was shown at the Cambridge Film Festival in 1996, and his other 16mm shorts include a three- minute surreal film called 'Doodlebug'. He was married to film producer Emma Thomas in 1997, and she has subsequently gone on to producer almost all of his feature film efforts from that point on. Which brings us to:


FOLLOWING (1998)

Nolan's first feature that he wrote and directed, was obviously a small independent effort, but it made its mark as something unique. The protagonist of the film is Bill (Jeremy Theobald), an unemployed aspiring writer who lives a solitary and boring life in London, England. He has a fascination with people, and has hopes of finding material to write about by picking individuals out of a crowd, and following them. He establishes rules to keep him out of trouble and to keep his 'following' random, but soon enough he breaks one of his rules by following someone more than once. The character he follows on numerous occasions first is Cobb (Alex Haw), a confident and intelligent burglar who catches Bill spying on him and soon involves Bill in his peculiar burglaries. Having similiar interests, Cobb has a keen focus on the individuals he is stealing from. During the robbery of a residence, Bill becomes interested in the woman (Lucy Russell) who owns the flat, so he begins to follow her. Eventually he decides to meet her and they begin seeing each other. This upsets Cobb, as he also learns the woman has asked Bill to do a job for her. But things are not as they seem, and soon Bill will find out why.

Nolan came up with the idea for the film because he had his home broken into and wondered what the thieves thought about as they went around looking at his belongings. Filmed entirely in black and white, the movie is full of tense moments, with events and on a psychological level. Principal photography of this film took over one year because all cast and crew members had other full time jobs, and they were only able to film on Saturdays. 'Following' was a small example of the type of material that Nolan would eventually love to explore in his following films, like consequences to actions that may seem immoral to others, but not to the protagonist. Nolan also utilizes here the storytelling technique of misdirection, playing with his audience, and preparing them for a surprising revelation. An interesting note in one particular scene is the second apartment Bill and Cobb break into. It has a Batman sticker on the door. A foreshadow of things to come? Perhaps. One can easily see Nolan's style developing in this fledgling effort; many of the same themes of blurred identity and expectation smashing recur in his future efforts Memento and Insomnia. A successful showing of this film in Hong Kong, led to strong funding for Nolan's next film...


MEMENTO (2000)

Hailed as the film that broke Nolan from indie-filmmaker, to legitimate mainstream threat was this tale about a man named Leonard (L.A. Confidential's Guy Pearce), an insurance salesman desperately trying to solve the murder of his wife. The catch? Leonard has irreversible short-term memory loss thanks to the same attack that killed his wife, and has to rely and permanent tattoos, notes and photographs to keep him up to speed with his investigation. The film has two storylines running at once, one in forward time with a black and white visual, and one in reverse time presented in color, on a collision course where all answers will be revealed when the two times meet and become one. Leonard also has two people assisting him, that may or may not be honest in their intentions to help him (The Matrix's Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano), and rather using him to their own ends.

Memento is a brilliant piece of screenplay writing that Nolan adapted from a short story by his brother Jonathan before it ever went on to be published. The movie was filmed in Southern California, in and around the Sunland/Tujunga area, and took only 25 days to finish. In Memento, Nolan also tackled a subject that would run constant in his work, that of a man haunted by the tragic death of someone close to him, much like Will Dormer's partner in Insomnia, Robert Angier's wife in The Prestige, and Bruce Wayne/Batman's parents in Batman Begins. With Memento, also came a gritty film-noir mood in Nolan's visual skills and editing style, that pierced with orginality. Look no further than the opening sequence that runs in reverse, with Leonard's gun flying back into his hand as a prime example. Ironically, there is also a Batman symbol that appears in the film, when Leonard drives by a comic-book store. Memento caught fire with audiences and critics, and slowly became a success (budget: $ 5 million, gross: $ 25 million) that caught the attention of the first studio to work with Nolan, Warner Bros., on his next project...


INSOMNIA (2002)

Nolan next delved into a crime/thriller story that was an Americanized version of a 1997 Norweigan foreign film with the same name, and adapted by another writer named Hilary Seitz, who made changes in this version to better suit a general audience unfamiliar to the original film. Acting only as director, this was now officially Nolan's first mainstream effort, and he had three high profile stars to handle that were all Academy Award winners in Al Pacino, Hilary Swank, and Robin Williams. Pacino plays Will Dormer, a seasoned L.A. cop with a deep secret of corrupting one his previous cases, who is called to Alaska with his partner to assist in the murder investigation of a young girl. When his partner is accidentally shot by Dormer himself trying to apprehend the killer, who sees the incident, Dormer again manipulates the evidence to hide his mistake. This leads the suspect (Williams) to step out of the shadows and engage in a battle of wits with the mentally haunted, guilt-ridden Dormer, who can't sleep because of the constant sunlight, and is blurring the lines of right and wrong with each step he takes.

Insomnia is another solid, gritty effort, wonderfully acted and it beautifully captures the Alaskan landscape (even though there was additional filming in British Colombia, Canada). The play between hero and villain in Pacino and Williams is remarkable, especially considering the amount of dialogue that possesses a great subtext behind it. Nolan's affinity for electric editing style continues to play out in this particular film as well, making a shot of a bloody cotton swab all the more interesting each time it appears. Unfortunately, Insomnia was theatrically released during a very tough month of May, which posed two gargantuan summer movie franchises that Insomnia had to weather during its opening weekend (one being Spider-Man, and the other Star Wars). This awkward release, resulted in Insomnia being considered commercially a disappointment even though it turned a profit (budget: $46 million, gross: $ 67 million), when in reality it was anything but for those who had the guts to see quality over hype. Still, Warner Bros. seemed impressed with Nolan's effort, enough so that they put their faith in him to handle one of their most entrusted and lucrative franchises in need of a massive reboot...


BATMAN BEGINS (2005)

The Batman franchise at this point had become rather laughable, and ridiculous, thanks mostly to the last film that was made (which many consider to be the most horrendous), 1997's Batman & Robin, directed by Joel Schumacher (The Lost Boys). That film just barely broke the $ 100 million mark, and it was the weakest performance a Batman film had given in the history of the franchise. Looking to take the property in a new direction, Warner Bros. tinkered with several ideas, but the strongest seemed to be a reboot into Batman's early years. Originally titled "Batman: Year One", the project was based on a same name graphic novel by Frank Miller (Sin City), and Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain), a director known for dark material and frenetic visual style, was originally attached. After stalling for a few years, Warner finally brought the project to Nolan, who teamed up with writer David S. Goyer (who had garnered success writing the Blade films), in an effort to churn out a fresh original story about Batman, all the while keeping the texture dark and as close to realistic as possible.

Batman Begins retells the origin of the Caped Crusader, but this time done correctly (Tim Burton's 1989 version made certain changes that fell against faithful purists). It follows Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) as a young boy, who witnesses his parents gunned down in an alley by a lone criminal, to a young man who travels the world in search of a way to prevent what happened to him, happening to anyone else. He hones his mind and body in training preparation for returning home to a broken Gotham City that is plagued with corruption and crime through a powerful crime boss, Carmine Falcone, and a deranged psychologist known as The Scarecrow. Bruce dons the image of an old childhood fear, a bat, in a uniform that enables him to utilize his masterful training of physical combat and fear tactics. When he comes close to making the first significant dent in his war on crime, a former mentor (Liam Neeson) steps out from the shadows with plans to destroy the city even further.

Filmed in Iceland, Chicago, and several sound stages in London, England, Begins was not only a brilliant comic book film visually thanks to Nolan's kinetic shadowy style, but it also had incredible depth and substance for a film that is usually waved off as mindless entertainment. Playing with the primary subject of fear, and overcoming one's demons, Batman was once again relevant, interesting, and finally taken seriously as a complex character. Never before had creators taken a look at Bruce's in-depth training, and preparation to becoming Batman. The film was also Nolan's first test of directing serious action sequences, and he passed with flying colors, giving us a ferocious Batmobile and a relentless physical hero to dazzle us in several instances. Nolan also made the conscious choice to avoide CGI technology wherever possible, keeping the film on a hard-hitting track of what you see is what really happened. The film was also backed up by a credible supporting cast instead of bankable faces, with the likes of Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman as Bruce's allies. At times psychologically intense, and scary, Begins was here to make a statement that the kid gloves were off. But nothing jazzed a fan more than the final moments of the movie which hinted at a great future for the dark knight detective. But Nolan had a passion project to attend to first...

THE PRESTIGE (2006)

Nolan took his experience on Batman Begins, and used several of those tools in telling the story of two feuding magicians who elevate their conflict to murderous levels. Working with the Disney studio on this occasion, Nolan re-united with his brother Jonathan to write the script, and as a result The Prestige has a similar narrative to their previous collaboration Memento, with the same visual look as Batman Begins. There are two stories running together, surrounding events in present time, and showing events that led to it in the past, through the perspective of the two magicians Robert Angier (played by Hugh Jackman), and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). When Angier's wife dies from a mistake during an illusion, Angier blames Borden for it, and the two go on to try and outdo one another in the business for years afterward. When Borden pulls off the ultimate magic trick that Angier can't even fathom, he seeks out scientific methods which prove to be dangerous, to take Borden's trick to new heights. What follows is a grisly path of murder, that has both magicians revealing incredible secrets about one another in the film's final moments.

What thrills a viewer while watching The Prestige is Nolan's familiar use of misdirection, almost like the film was being handled by a magician of sorts, as the narrative and the editing style purposely reveal information in the form of a magic act. Along with two fantastic lead peformances, Nolan also brings Michael Caine back for the ride along with the likes of Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie. Filmed almost entirely in California, The Prestige seems awkward at first, but soon has you hooked, and Bale and Jackman explore Nolan's issues of duality like never before. Like Bruce Wayne's Batman, Borden and Angier both explore their own alter-egos at various times in the film, sometimes through costume, presence on stage, and even beyond the limits of their own physical bodies (you will have to see the film to get my meaning). It is here that Nolan finally matured as a disciplined and extraordinary filmmaker/storyteller that unquestionably had mastered his craft. The Prestige is presented with an unbeliveable feel of confidence and grace, that asks the viewer to let go, and if they do the experience will be rewarding. This couldn't have come at a better time, considering what was about to happen next...

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)

Fans had been begging for it, and Warner Bros. couldn't wait for it to happen. After Batman Begins brought in over $ 200 million for the first time since the 1989 film, Warner was itching to cash in. During the time of The Prestige, Nolan had already worked out a story idea with David S. Goyer, but instead of Goyer pumping out the script this time, Nolan once again teamed up with his brother Jonathan to tackle the sequel. The title for the film had already been decided well in advance, and in this installment Batman was going to deal with some iconic and deadly familiar foes in The Joker and Two-Face. With Bale set to return, and most of the supporting cast already intact (with the exception of Katie Holmes being replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal), a casting blitz ensued for the parts of the villains. This led to some rich, and spot on casting choices in Heath Ledger and Aaron Eckhart. With Warner upping the budget to $ 185 million, they decided to back Nolan wholeheartedly and roll the dice on what he could produce.

The Dark Knight picks up roughly a year after the events of Begins, with Batman now possessing a stranglehold on organized crime in Gotham with the help of his allies and a new District Attorney, Harvey Dent. But the subject of escalation gets brought up frighteningly fast by a make-up covered clown bent on complete and total destructive anarchy to muck up Batman's plans on cleaning the city of corruption. The Joker's actions throw the police force, citizens, and the mob in desparate directions, stretching Batman to his moral limits to stop the chaos. But by the time things come to a head, some of Batman's closest allies meet their end, become scarred in unimaginable ways, and Batman himself becomes a hunted man by law enforcement.

Much more epic in scope, The Dark Knight was filmed primarily in the streets of Chicago, along with one sequence in China. Nolan also brought a new technique to the table, by filming several sequences with an IMAX camera, giving the film a higher resolution in some areas, and a grander presentation. The film also plays as his most linear effort to date, never once jumping back to the past in the narrative, and instead continously pushes things forward. The action sequences are also breathtakingly ramped up to thrilling proportions. Storywise, Nolan continues to push Batman further, by playing with his personal rule of never killing even though circumstance dictates he should, and showcasing his growing detective skills. Another beat is Batman's immoral need to know everything even at the cost of another's privacy. He also continues to work the angle of true crime fitting into Batman's world through mob characters, and the larger-than-life villains arise as an extension of that reality based evil. But the quality of acting performances here has never been more prominent in a film of this type. Bale plays Bruce much more emotionally conflicted about his mission, and Batman more shockingly intense. Eckhart handles Nolan's love for duality with precision as Dent morphs into Two-Face. But notably, Ledger steals the film as the unpredictable and terrifying Joker, with a method acting performance that is sure to garner him an Oscar. As a viewer, you hinder on his every line, gesture, and moment on screen, ultimately wanting more.

Sadly, as many of you probably are already aware, Ledger passed away before the film's release and Nolan had been fortunate enough that Ledger had finished enough of his post-production work to complete it. With that situation fresh in everyone's heads, and the demand for a new Batman film at an all-time high, The Dark Knight became Nolan's most massively successful film to date, generating $ 531 million here in North America and almost $ 1 billion worldwide theatrically, with only Titanic hovering above it as the highest grossing film of all-time. It is now considered as Nolan's comic-book counterpart to The Godfather series, where a sequel is considered to be better than its original, and at a higher level than other films of its kind. Under Nolan's direction, he made Batman the best he ever has been on the silver screen, and hopefully it is not the last time that he takes the Caped Crusader under his wing.




The Future: While Nolan currently has no film projects on his plate, there has already been a lot of speculation about the third possible Batman film. Questions as to who might be in it, and if Nolan will return to direct, which he has not confirmed or denied to this point. But looking at his body of work is almost like watching an amateur painter become a seasoned canvas artist. His small, story-driven efforts surrounding duality, and characters driven by tragic events paved the way for the epic results that happened when Nolan went mainstream after only two independent projects to his credit. Each film that Nolan generated, got better with each result, and the mistakes he made in his earlier films never repeated themselves again later on. The same cannot be said for other directors who usually falter after greatness, and pick up bad habits that last within their future endeavours even if they become a success (take M. Night Shymalan for instance). The Dark Knight is being talked about as a possible Best Picture contender, with Nolan's name dropped as a possible dark horse nomination for director, and its the first time his name or one of his film's is being considered for both honors. Even though he loves to jump from the present, to the past, it looks as if Christopher Nolan is poised to position himself as a legendary filmmaker for the future.