How Christopher Nolan Has Mastered Multiple Genres

The Dark Knight. Inception. Dunkirk. What do all these films have in common? They're directed by one of the most successful auteur directors of our generation. If you've watched several of Christopher Nolan's films, then you know that he has certain themes running throughout them all. He likes to study psychology, which is something that stands out a lot in his films. Inception, for instance, really explores the depths of people's minds and the science of it.

However, there is one thing he likes to change when he approaches new film ideas and that is the genre. There are many auteur directors, like Tim Burton, who will stick to the same genre but Nolan continues to master different ones. Superhero, crime, sci-fi, war: where will he stop? Comedy perhaps, but even then he may surprise us.

Let's take a look at how Christopher Nolan mastered these genres to become one of the biggest names in Hollywood.

Superhero

The Dark Knight Trilogy was a complete reinvention of the popular Batman and his alter-ego Bruce Wayne. They were hugely successful and can be regarded as some of the best superhero films of all time by critics and fans alike.

When Nolan was first hired to be a part of Batman Begins (2005), he co-wrote the script with David S. Goyer and they took a completely different approach to it. They turned it into a darker film that aimed at an older audience, they made it feel more realistic. When the script became the film itself, you can see the changes that were made with regards to the previous Batman films, and they're welcome changes.

Nolan revitalized the genre by giving it a much more serious tone. Superhero films were all about entertainment, you can sit down, eat popcorn and enjoy yourself. There was nothing really immersive about them. Until Nolan came along. The trilogy was injected into a deeper and more thoughtful world. The films were still entertaining but they drew the audience in much deeper because they were more serious.

Nolan isn't the only director to submerge these characters into a much darker world. Tim Burton turned Gotham into a dark town but Nolan took it a step further with his trilogy. Many superhero films have some light-hearted moments and sometimes some silliness but Nolan didn't do that. This was a story about a man who witnessed the murder of his parents and sought revenge on criminals. It needed to be serious.

Rachel Dawes' death was a huge shock, not only because it took place right in the second film but because superhero films never kill off the love interest. It's a bold and risky move and showed that Nolan was going to do anything to make an awesome movie. This move paid off because it drove the rest of the characters forward and set in motion a chain of events that made the films what they are now. If she hadn't died, the films might not have been as profound.

I have to mention that The Dark Knight spawned the greatest villain of all time in the form of The Joker played by Heath Ledger. Nolan gets it right once again by casting the perfect actors for the right roles.

Nolan explored Bruce Wayne's psychology and showed us what drove him to dress up in the bat costume. He gives us a more in-depth backstory of the character and makes it believable. Everything in these films has an importance, every scene, every character. The movies are relentless and pulsating with energy. That's how Nolan mastered this genre.

What makes this superhero trilogy stand out, is that it's like no other superhero film out there. Look at Marvel's films, for instance, they're full of sarcastic one liners and sassy characters. They're funny films, whereas Nolan's trilogy wasn't. He was daring and it paid off. The Dark Knight trilogy is one of the finest trilogies to ever grace our screens.

Would there be any point in a new director coming along to create a new Batman movie because these were so successful? They were critically-praised and received many awards and nominations. They're just fantastic and they wouldn't have been the same if it wasn't for Christopher Nolan. I can't imagine a new Batman film coming out and even coming close to what these films achieved.

Crime

Memento became one of the best films of the 2000s, which comes as no surprise to those who have seen it. With the use of color and black and white images to separate two different timelines, the color being in reverse (apart from the very first shot) and the black and white shown in chronological order, Nolan creates something completely different. He creates a puzzle that needs to be solved.

It can be very complicated switching from monochrome to color and things being in reverse but it's actually not that hard to follow if you look at it like this. Watch all the monochrome scenes first, as they're in order. Once you reach scene 22 the black and white slowly comes into color (some people may miss this on the first viewing), so watch that scene and then watch all the color scenes backwards so that you're actually watching them forwards, only then will you be watching the film chronologically.

It seems really complicated but if you understand it it's quite simple. Nolan just wanted to give us a lot to think about and by making it like this, it puts us in the characters shoes. He doesn't really know what's going on because he keeps forgetting things and that's how the audience can feel, like they're a bit lost.

It is a unique experience. From the non-linear structure to the improvisation of dialogue, the film is extraordinary. It's a film that you can't just watch once. Nolan gives you clues throughout so you are able to solve the puzzle, but you have to go back for a second viewing to pick up on bits you missed the first time.

It is a fantastic crime film that was praised for its portrayal of an accurate memory disorder. It is considered to be one of the most truthful representations in popular media.

"I have this condition… it’s my memory… I have no short term memory. I know who I am, I know all about myself. It’s just, since my injury, I can’t make new memories – everything fades. If we talk for too long, I’ll forget how we started. Next time I see you I’m not going to remember this conversation. I won’t even know if I’ve met you before." - Leonard Shelby

The innovative structure of this film made it what it is today, which is a film that new generations are dying to see.

Sci-Fi

Brain-teasing blockbuster Inception blew fans away with its release in 2010 and I mean that literally. If you watch this film and your mind isn't blown, are you sure you even watched it? It messes with your head and it makes you question everything. We know Christopher Nolan likes to explore psychology, it's something that is apparent in several of his films. That's an aspect that he brings to every genre. He explores the mind and reality in Inception, making it mind-bending.

"Generally someone says something along the lines of ‘chase your dreams’, but I don’t want to tell you that because I don’t believe that, I want you to chase your reality.” - Christopher Nolan

What makes this film so special is that it makes you question your own reality. There are loads of sci-fi movies out there but this is a stand alone film, it has no sequels or adaptations and it works because of what Nolan was able to create. It's a film that's not about technology, it's about the science of a person's mind. It's deep and meaningful.

Like Memento, it is a film that may need several viewings for you to completely get the concept. Again, you will pick up on new things that you missed the first time. The film was a risk because there's so much to keep up with that it can go over some people's heads. Some might not be able to understand it, but for those who do, it is outstanding and smart. It's a risk that paid off because it is loved by so many people.

In 2011, Inception was voted as the third best sci-fi movie of all time via an online poll for ABC and People. In 2014, Empire named Inception as the 10th greatest film ever made. Not to mention the film also appeared on over 200 critics' top 10 lists. Nolan, once again, chose a new genre to explore and he mastered it by creating something different and getting audiences talking by provoking them with the ending.

Inception has one of the most perplexed endings ever. It left audiences completely baffled and still, to this day, people are still confused. After spending so long in a dream world, Cobb (Leonardo Dicaprio) returns home and is seen with his kids. He spins the top that tells him whether he is in a dream world or not. If it continues to spin it means he is still in a dream world. If it stops, he's in the real world. At the end of the film he spins the top but the film ends before we find out if it stopped. So is Cobb still in the dream world?

That is the question that every audience member was left with when the film ended. However, Cobb can be seen walking away from the top, which means he obviously doesn't care which world he's in anymore. He didn't want to know, which is why we didn't get to find out either. It's up to us to interpret our own understanding of the ending because the fact is, we will never fully know the truth.

Nolan has garnered a reputation for making films with mind-boggling twists and even though it's frustrating, audiences love it because it gets them talking and debating.

War

Christopher Nolan's latest feature film Dunkirk is currently being shown around the world and is becoming a box office success. Surprisingly, it's a linear film but there's a twist. Nolan gives us three different timelines. One is The Mole, which follows the main protagonist and his timeline lasts one week. The second is The Sea, which follows a man and his son as they take off on their boat to save as many troops as possible, their timeline takes place in one day. Then there is the air force, whose timeline lasts for one hour. It is never simple with Nolan and that's the beauty of his films.

Dunkirk has authenticity. It is Christopher Nolan's first feature length film that is based on true events and so he wanted to make it as real as possible. Not only that, the film looks beautiful, in the way that it's shot. It looks like art.

"There's little doubt that [Nolan] has, without sentimentality or sanctimony, raised that genre to the level of art. Dunkirk is a landmark with the resonant force of an enduring screen classic". - Peter Travers (Rolling Stone)

Not only is Dunkirk considered by many critics and fans as Nolan's best film to date, it is also considered to be the greatest war film ever made. That is a huge statement and an honour for Nolan. The film will also, no doubt about it, be a major contender at the Oscars.

What makes the film so special is it hits you like a gunshot in the heart. The depiction of events in this film is harrowing. By keeping the dialogue to a minimum, Nolan was able to focus solely on the events that take place by using staggering imagery. The tight running time allows for the film to cut straight to the point, it's all action, the whole 106 minutes.

Reality never seemed to be Nolan's thing with films like Inception and Memento but he's proved any doubters wrong. War was a new genre for him and so was basing a film on real events but he was the perfect man for the job. He created a phenomenal film that will live on for generations.

Christopher Nolan makes movies about all sorts of things but they're all uniquely his. No matter what genre he chooses, he makes sure to put his own personal stamp on them and that's what makes him truly special. He creates remarkable films. This man is unstoppable. With the release of Dunkirk and its success, there's nothing Nolan can't do so what will be next for the talented director?

What is your favourite Christopher Nolan film?