Christopher Nolan.
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Christopher Nolan.
by Le Samourai Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:17 pm
This is a guy who many have divided opinions on, some believe he's the greates to ever hold a camera, the best since Kubrick while some completely hate him for various reasons.I'd be interested to see what you guys think about his body of work, where he's earned his praised , what aspects of his style and process you feel makes him unique and/or average in any way.
Also you can perhaps use this as a vehicle to discuss any of his movies.
Full list
1998 Following
2000 Memento
2002 Insomnia
2005 Batman Begins
2006 The Prestige
2008 The Dark Knight
Inception
2012 The Dark Knight Rises
You can rank them in order from best to worst but please try to justify your rankings.
Also you can perhaps use this as a vehicle to discuss any of his movies.
Full list
1998 Following
2000 Memento
2002 Insomnia
2005 Batman Begins
2006 The Prestige
2008 The Dark Knight
Inception
2012 The Dark Knight Rises
You can rank them in order from best to worst but please try to justify your rankings.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Ganso Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:30 pm
TDK is the only movie i really like from him.My top 3 favorite movie actually...the rest i didnt like or was just ok.Really dont get the hype on Inception and Insomnia
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by BarrileteCosmico Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:34 pm
I think GL should be a huge fan, he's made a career making movies about deception :vagi:
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Great Leader Sprucenuce Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:38 pm
Wait, Nolan directed The Prestige?
He just went up in my estimation for that alone, i love that film.....
I thought he just done the Batman films and Inception which i loved anyways.
But nowhere near as much as i enjoyed The Prestige.
He just went up in my estimation for that alone, i love that film.....
I thought he just done the Batman films and Inception which i loved anyways.
But nowhere near as much as i enjoyed The Prestige.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Le Samourai Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:53 pm
I’m just engaging in discussion if you view differently I don't have a problem.What I took away from Inception
I think it’s a mistake for a moviegoer to write off a film simply because it may or may not deliver the cinematic equivalent of an essay’s thesis statement.Philosophically, Inception wasn't deep enough to teach you any lesson or give you an answer , but it did just enough to make you question things , like reality , like dreams, it was certainly thought provoking.
While I certainly love the art house (Godard, Tarkovsky, Kubrick, etc.), I recognize with deliberate fervor the extreme skill it takes for a filmmaker (specifically, Nolan) to entertain an audience (a skill that remains grossly unappreciated in the elitist circles).
Cobb’s admonition to his team that, to properly plant an idea, one must plant the notion in a simple, visceral form so that it “grows naturally in the subject’s mind,” loosely, I think, applies to cinema.
Obviously I don’t mean that a film should dumb down cerebral themes or spoon-feed simplistic notions to its audience, but I do mean that film is a primarily emotional art; Nolan, rather than self-consciously treading deep existential waters, has dropped a few simple-yet-enthralling psychological themes into Inception’s mesmerizing world, and trusted that the audience will cultivate these insight-seeds through post-screening conversation and rumination.
Generally speaking, an audience should lean forward in empathy and suspense before it sits back in detached, impersonal reflection. It is this brand of pure entertainment (as opposed to the numb, flashbang mindlessness of say Transformers 2
) that makes a film a different thing than a textbook.
I Nolan for his achievement, for I know from personal experience that to enthrall an audience is far more difficult than to deliver a dry lecture and call it a film.
Pure film is dreamlike, and I prefer not to psychoanalyze while I dream; I’ll leave such left-braining for the waking hours when the lights come up.
And even though in contemplation I realise that there are holes in almost every sequence shot in the movie, that there is stuff that just can't be re consolidated, I forgive it because nothing can replace my initial awe upon first seeing it.
I think it’s a mistake for a moviegoer to write off a film simply because it may or may not deliver the cinematic equivalent of an essay’s thesis statement.Philosophically, Inception wasn't deep enough to teach you any lesson or give you an answer , but it did just enough to make you question things , like reality , like dreams, it was certainly thought provoking.
While I certainly love the art house (Godard, Tarkovsky, Kubrick, etc.), I recognize with deliberate fervor the extreme skill it takes for a filmmaker (specifically, Nolan) to entertain an audience (a skill that remains grossly unappreciated in the elitist circles).
Cobb’s admonition to his team that, to properly plant an idea, one must plant the notion in a simple, visceral form so that it “grows naturally in the subject’s mind,” loosely, I think, applies to cinema.
Obviously I don’t mean that a film should dumb down cerebral themes or spoon-feed simplistic notions to its audience, but I do mean that film is a primarily emotional art; Nolan, rather than self-consciously treading deep existential waters, has dropped a few simple-yet-enthralling psychological themes into Inception’s mesmerizing world, and trusted that the audience will cultivate these insight-seeds through post-screening conversation and rumination.
Generally speaking, an audience should lean forward in empathy and suspense before it sits back in detached, impersonal reflection. It is this brand of pure entertainment (as opposed to the numb, flashbang mindlessness of say Transformers 2
) that makes a film a different thing than a textbook. I Nolan for his achievement, for I know from personal experience that to enthrall an audience is far more difficult than to deliver a dry lecture and call it a film.
Pure film is dreamlike, and I prefer not to psychoanalyze while I dream; I’ll leave such left-braining for the waking hours when the lights come up.
And even though in contemplation I realise that there are holes in almost every sequence shot in the movie, that there is stuff that just can't be re consolidated, I forgive it because nothing can replace my initial awe upon first seeing it.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Sushi Master Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:43 pm
I love every single one of his movies. Need to watch Following, which was the only one I haven't watched.
Great director with massive talent. Needs to keep on doing movies.
The Prestige is indeed his most underrated movie. Can't go wrong with Tesla wank, plus the ending is deceiving as usual.
Great director with massive talent. Needs to keep on doing movies.
The Prestige is indeed his most underrated movie. Can't go wrong with Tesla wank, plus the ending is deceiving as usual.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Le Samourai Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:49 pm
What aspects of his movies do you guys specifically enjoy?
Ganso, why didn't you think Inception was great , care to point out what you felt it didn't do?
Ganso, why didn't you think Inception was great , care to point out what you felt it didn't do?
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Guest Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:56 pm
Great thread, Josh.
"Memento" is an amazing film. I actually loved it as a child and realized the love was true when I watched it again as an adult.
"The Prestige" was also a great film.
I enjoyed "Following" and I'm not normally a big fan of the black and white films.
I think "Inception" is quite underrated and I think most people don't actually know what was really going on in that movie. Shout out to dmize for sharing this video with me; I think everyone should watch it...
Trust me when I say it's worth the 40 minutes.
Josh, you should check out "A Scanner Darkly" and "Waking Life"; those are two of my favorite films.
"Memento" is an amazing film. I actually loved it as a child and realized the love was true when I watched it again as an adult.
"The Prestige" was also a great film.
I enjoyed "Following" and I'm not normally a big fan of the black and white films.
I think "Inception" is quite underrated and I think most people don't actually know what was really going on in that movie. Shout out to dmize for sharing this video with me; I think everyone should watch it...
Trust me when I say it's worth the 40 minutes.
Josh, you should check out "A Scanner Darkly" and "Waking Life"; those are two of my favorite films.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by dmize Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:30 pm
^^ That Inception guy is awesome.
I've seen all of Nolan's movies(even Following). I liked Following a lot, really well done considering the budget he had(made it in college I believe). Pretty cool how you can find a Batman logo in the movie a few times. Shows he was a big fan long before he directed BB.
Memento is still probably my favorite followed closely by TDK. The Prestige right behind that. Inception, Following, BB, Insomnia after those.
I've seen all of Nolan's movies(even Following). I liked Following a lot, really well done considering the budget he had(made it in college I believe). Pretty cool how you can find a Batman logo in the movie a few times. Shows he was a big fan long before he directed BB.
Memento is still probably my favorite followed closely by TDK. The Prestige right behind that. Inception, Following, BB, Insomnia after those.
Last edited by dmize on Sat Feb 18, 2012 1:01 am; edited 1 time in total
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by McAgger Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:24 am
Christopher Nolan is one of my favorite directors of ALL time. Loved everyone of his movies that I saw.
I haven't seen Insomnia or Following yet, but the rest have been amazing.
I'd rate his movies something like this:
1. The Dark Knight
2. The Prestige
3. Inception
4. Batman Begins
5. Memento
Hopefully The Dark Knight Arises will top my list once it comes out.
I haven't seen Insomnia or Following yet, but the rest have been amazing.
I'd rate his movies something like this:
1. The Dark Knight
2. The Prestige
3. Inception
4. Batman Begins
5. Memento
Hopefully The Dark Knight Arises will top my list once it comes out.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by The Lizard King Sat Feb 18, 2012 3:40 am
I'd rank Inception and Following highest on the list solely for the fact that he wrote those movies himself ( not just the screenplays ). I wouldn't say he's the best, and neither is Kubrick ( I personally thought he massacred Space Odyssey ), but he provides high octane entertainment without resorting to the usual mainstream tactics.
Nolan's definitely one of the top tier directors in Hollywood, But this shouldn't take away from the fact that there's plenty of directors with tenfold the skill and vision ; while only working with a relative fraction of the acting talent and budget .
If I were to measure Hollywood directors, the bar to meet would be Wes Anderson. Then again, I really like my auteurs so my opinion is fairly biased in their favor.
If I were to rank Nolan's movies based on personal entertainment value, it would be the Dark Knight followed by The Prestige
Nolan's definitely one of the top tier directors in Hollywood, But this shouldn't take away from the fact that there's plenty of directors with tenfold the skill and vision ; while only working with a relative fraction of the acting talent and budget .
If I were to measure Hollywood directors, the bar to meet would be Wes Anderson. Then again, I really like my auteurs so my opinion is fairly biased in their favor.
If I were to rank Nolan's movies based on personal entertainment value, it would be the Dark Knight followed by The Prestige
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Le Samourai Sat Feb 18, 2012 3:29 pm
THC 10 wrote:Great thread, Josh.
Trust me when I say it's worth the 40 minutes.
Josh, you should check out "A Scanner Darkly" and "Waking Life"; those are two of my favorite films.
I watched Scanner Darkly and loved i'll check out Waking life......
The guy in the vid
.I need to learn to do this type of stuff, it's amazing how they do that off movies , it's so much easier with literature, you have time to mull over stuff,but with movies you really are really required to make instant connections when they're asked of you.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Le Samourai Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:11 pm
Interesting analysis of a particular philosophical argument posed by Memento.
- Spoiler:
- Christopher Nolan’s “Memento” proves to be a psychological thriller like few, if any, others have managed to be. Throughout the telling of this film noir detective story the topics of memory, identity and truth are discussed. The premise behind the film is a man, Leonard Shelby, without the ability to form new memories searches for the man, John G., who raped and murdered his wife. His only information retained after the incident, in which he as well was injured causing his condition, are notes, Polaroid photos, and an assortment of odd tattoos. Everyday he awakes as though he had just witnessed his wife’s last breath as she died before him, only to become confused as to his location. He first notices a tattoo on his hand telling him to “remember Sammy Jankis”, who was a man he knew before the incident that also had this condition. This reminds him that he too has this condition.
Once he looks in the mirror he sees the mirrored tattoo that reads, ”John G. raped and murdered my wife.” This tattoo reminds him of his goal, to find and kill whomever it was that harmed his wife. This happens each day, he wakes up as though it was right after her death and he chooses to find and murder the culprit. Every day he must relearn whom he has met and what he has learned since the incident. He uses Polaroid photos with notes written underneath and on the back with names, phone numbers, and other information to learn who he is dealing with and whether he should trust them or not. Living like this is nearly impossible, let alone finding the murderer. His particular condition is not complete amnesia though, which is better than it could be.
Leonard remembers everything up until the point of injury; how to drive, how to use a telephone, his name, his occupation, his past, and his identity, or so he thinks. Some say identity is formed out of “sameness of substance”, that in order to have identity over time something must contain identical substance as it always had. However, cells die and are replaced in humans as well as other organisms, so this definition of identity is flawed at best. John Locke believed that identity was not in substance but in “sameness of consciousness” or memory. Identity of a person over time to Locke as Shoemaker states, ”consists in facts about memory and the capacity to remember.” Technically Leonard has facts about memory, but he lacks the capacity to remember.
Yes, he remembers the distant past, but his actions and feelings of the present slip away into nothingness for he can’t remember them. Thomas Reid uses forgetfulness as an objection to Locke’s thesis. He uses an example of a man in his old age recounting heroic deeds but forgetting his childhood floggings. If in order to establish identity over time memory were required, the old man would not have the same identity as the boy, thus the objection. Shoemaker defends Locke by stating, ”...for identity with a ‘past self’ is not that one remember the actions and experiences of that past self but that one have ‘memory continuity’ with that past self.” An example from the film “Waking Life” were a woman discusses how in order to say that a baby picture of you is truly you a story must be told to link the two together, illustrates what Shoemaker is saying. Linking together events or what he dubs “personal-stages” is the basis for memory continuity.
Leonard’s character can build memory continuity from his first conscious memory to the murder, but nothing thereafter. Since he lacks the continuity of memory for all his actions and experiences after his injury, according to Shoemaker’s account of identity, Leonard of the present has a separate identity from the past Leonard. However, how altered can his identity truly become. If he does not remember any of his actions after the incident, they cannot affect his mannerisms, tastes, personality or character. This meaning that he is influenced in these areas by his previous memories before the loss of his short-term memory. Based on this, Leonard could be argued to hold the same identity due to Shoemaker’s revision including psychological continuity, ”...two person-stages will be directly connected psychologically, if the latter of them contains psychological state (a memory impression, personality trait, etc.) which stands in the appropriate relation of casual dependence to the state contained in the earlier one.”
This argument may not hold true though, because it could also be argued that although Leonard cannot be obviously influenced by his actions, he has changed his personality. When comparing the Leonard of the past with the present Leonard stark contrasts can be seen. He went from being a button down, neatly parted insurance investigator, to an unkempt, loosely dressed vigilante. He previously had an occupation that involved seeing through lies. Now those skills are useful in protecting himself from others, but he cannot see through his own lies. Leonard is able to write himself a note knowing it is a lie and read it later believing it as absolute truth. Since he is dependent on his “facts” he writes down, he acts upon these lies without any conflict of conscience.
When a man, Teddy, helping him find the killer/rapist tells him that the real attacker was found years ago but Leonard did not remember killing him, Leonard is stunned into disbelief. He is furthermore when his memory of his wife dying was revealed false, because his wife survived the attack. When confronted with the possibility that memories he believed were real were challenged, Leonard intentionally left himself notes that would later lead him to believe that Teddy was the real killer. He even admits to himself that he is lying to cause his own happiness. While this statement will fade in Leonard’s mind, it does show a change in his character. He can no longer be seen as the hero avenging his wife, but as a man on an imaginary quest designed merely to occupy his otherwise meaningless life.
Shoemaker acknowledges that there can be false memories or as he called them memory illusions. Leonard basing all his “facts” on intuition or hearsay (from others or himself) forges false memories constantly. In addressing why memory illusions cannot be used as a basis for personal identity Shoemaker says, “...it is a necessary condition of a person’s remembering a past event that his apparent memory of that event should be caused, in an appropriate way, by that event itself.” By this he means events read about in books or on little Polaroid picture notes do not constitute real memories of an event. Shoemaker believes that identity through memory can only be established by “remembering from the inside.” This means that the memory is that of actually doing or having something oneself. Since Leonard is incapable of forming memories in his mind, he is thus unable to remember from the inside. Due to the fact that he can not establish a link psychologically or in memory to his past, his identity can never truly be established either.
Since no identity can be established, it is impossible, according to Lockean thought, for Leonard to bear any responsibility for his actions. Therefore, the three (or arguably four) murders committed by him during the film should not be bound to him morally. Lock wrote of one personality leaving a body and entering another using a prince and cobbler as example. Towards the question of moral responsibility Locke stated, “...everyone sees [the cobbler] would be the same person with the prince, accountable only for the prince’s actions.” Since based on the definition of identity offered by Shoemaker Leonard is vacuous of identity; he is to be held accountable for no ones actions. Since this poses a moral loophole too great to ignore, it could be argued that identity is not so determined by memory and psychological continuity. If that is the case, what does establish identity? Perhaps, it is the spirit or some other immaterial source that establishes identity. In the case of Leonard Shelby, the issue of memory and identity lead to virtually nowhere, but in the search for the answers a wealth of knowledge can be gained.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Twoism Sun Feb 19, 2012 3:38 am
The Lizard King wrote:I'd rank Inception and Following highest on the list solely for the fact that he wrote those movies himself ( not just the screenplays ). I wouldn't say he's the best, and neither is Kubrick ( I personally thought he massacred Space Odyssey ), but he provides high octane entertainment without resorting to the usual mainstream tactics.
Nolan's definitely one of the top tier directors in Hollywood, But this shouldn't take away from the fact that there's plenty of directors with tenfold the skill and vision ; while only working with a relative fraction of the acting talent and budget .
If I were to measure Hollywood directors, the bar to meet would be Wes Anderson. Then again, I really like my auteurs so my opinion is fairly biased in their favor.
For me his best work is Following & Memento, the thing with Nolan brothers works is how famous they're with their plot twist. To maintain their trademark, they tried to put in twist just for the sake of twist, that could suspend all your belief, i.e. the ending of The Prestige. Their movies are entertaining but somehow I found their later projects less enjoyable, no rewatchable values & the acting is not that great. When you know/understand the twist, there is no reason to revisit. Following & Memento has great acting, great pacing ( I have problem with his Batman pacing)
Kudos to Wes Anderson, I love his movies and have watched Rushmore dozen times, definitely not everyone cup of tea, similar to PTA.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Le Samourai Sun Feb 19, 2012 8:35 am
Twoism wrote:The Lizard King wrote:I'd rank Inception and Following highest on the list solely for the fact that he wrote those movies himself ( not just the screenplays ). I wouldn't say he's the best, and neither is Kubrick ( I personally thought he massacred Space Odyssey ), but he provides high octane entertainment without resorting to the usual mainstream tactics.
Nolan's definitely one of the top tier directors in Hollywood, But this shouldn't take away from the fact that there's plenty of directors with tenfold the skill and vision ; while only working with a relative fraction of the acting talent and budget .
If I were to measure Hollywood directors, the bar to meet would be Wes Anderson. Then again, I really like my auteurs so my opinion is fairly biased in their favor.
For me his best work is Following & Memento, the thing with Nolan brothers works is how famous they're with their plot twist. To maintain their trademark, they tried to put in twist just for the sake of twist, that could suspend all your belief, i.e. the ending of The Prestige. Their movies are entertaining but somehow I found their later projects less enjoyable, no rewatchable values & the acting is not that great. When you know/understand the twist, there is no reason to revisit. Following & Memento has great acting, great pacing ( I have problem with his Batman pacing)
Kudos to Wes Anderson, I love his movies and have watched Rushmore dozen times, definitely not everyone cup of tea, similar to PTA.
@Lizard King-I loved Odyssey but I never read the book so i can't really compare it.I thought the opening scene though and If you have a chance check out the screenplay because I've read many and I've never read one written with the depth that A space odyssey was.It was novel like literature and directing it would've been a hell of a task.
I'd actually say I agree though.I think guys like Anderson,PTA,(Lynch and Tarantino are also a couple personal favorites but that's for another thread) are amazing technically , have a more refined vision for their projects and in general have a better knowledge and understanding of film and how you use the technical aspects to carry that vision across.
What distinguishes Nolan for me though, is his story telling.Nolan pushes the medium of film past its traditional boundaries and effectively stimulates the evolution of narrative.The rhythym of Memento was nothing short of an amazing achievement in stroy telling, I won't go as far as saying it was revolutionary, but it certainly pushed the limits of a often overused style confined it in a rhythm, that is unique, perplexing and intiguing.It's probably the accomplishment I most respect him for.
His method challeges the audience thoroughly, muchmore than can be said for many others.Sometimes I think he forgets his borders though, but it's a tough balancing act and one which most directors decide to ignore anyway.
@Twoism- Didn't rewatch Inception?
You should really watch the video THC posted lol, Inception was just a great great movie, whether or not he meant it to be , it was extrordinary.The color enhancements and the CGI plus the amazingly coordinated use of music are perhaps the most important things you can take away from it as a filmmaker, the acting wasn't amazing(Hardy was excellent tho)
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by The Lizard King Sun Feb 19, 2012 8:56 am
@ragbirjosh , regarding Space Odyssey - The in-depth screenplay was probably due to the fact that he worked in tandem with Arthur c. Clarke in writing it. That guy was a sci fi legend, and was approached by Kubrick to write the story for the ultimate sci fi story. I'm not being very accurate, just recounting as much as I can from the prologue that I read for the Space Odyssey novel .
I like what you did with this thread bro. +1 for effort, and for the fact that noone has mentioned Steven Spielberg ( I just hate him for the amount of movies that he regurgitates every year ) . And I must confess I don't know who the *bleep* PTA is ! I'm going for a film minor in University, and even considering being an amateur film maker. It's a good idea to focus on single directors and compare their different works.
We should make this thread more specific. Have a specific director for a month or two, and have a list of recommended movies for us to watch and discuss. Sort of like a nuage movie club. Pretty wishful thinking, but I don't think it's a bad idea.
Wouldn't be a bad idea to start off with less popular directors too, so everyone can be equally involved. I'm not very involved in the forum, but if you like the idea I'd more than encourage that you take the initiative. Especially you josh, since you're only 16 you could learn a lot from our recommendations. And vice versa ofcourse. I'm sure THC has his fair share of insightful revelations.
I like what you did with this thread bro. +1 for effort, and for the fact that noone has mentioned Steven Spielberg ( I just hate him for the amount of movies that he regurgitates every year ) . And I must confess I don't know who the *bleep* PTA is ! I'm going for a film minor in University, and even considering being an amateur film maker. It's a good idea to focus on single directors and compare their different works.
We should make this thread more specific. Have a specific director for a month or two, and have a list of recommended movies for us to watch and discuss. Sort of like a nuage movie club. Pretty wishful thinking, but I don't think it's a bad idea.
Wouldn't be a bad idea to start off with less popular directors too, so everyone can be equally involved. I'm not very involved in the forum, but if you like the idea I'd more than encourage that you take the initiative. Especially you josh, since you're only 16 you could learn a lot from our recommendations. And vice versa ofcourse. I'm sure THC has his fair share of insightful revelations.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Le Samourai Sun Feb 19, 2012 9:22 am
Makes sense.That screenplay, was amazing, I've read and re-read it and what he captures , and how deep it goes in just short of 70 pages is stunning.It's definitely shown too, the traditional script gets you about 1 minute per page of screen time(rough average).........this one gets just over 2.
I really did mean forthe thread to be an exploration of his work soley, I think comparisons sometimes ruin things and cut the depth of exploration short.I'll try your suggestion, I started with the most famous first for indulgent reasons(he's also by far my favourite- what got me interested in writing films and and the film industry on the whole in the first place....well...seriously interested)
Dunno how many people would actually watch the movies tho lol.
Off topic: I want to be a filmmaker, primarily my interest would be screen writing tho.If I get a scholarship i'll try to apply to USC but the acceptance rate is low and my test scores won't matter so it isn't realistic.I'll probably end up doing a minor in film studies or creative writing , and then try to get into a good film program at NYU , UCLA or USC.
I really did mean forthe thread to be an exploration of his work soley, I think comparisons sometimes ruin things and cut the depth of exploration short.I'll try your suggestion, I started with the most famous first for indulgent reasons(he's also by far my favourite- what got me interested in writing films and and the film industry on the whole in the first place....well...seriously interested)
Dunno how many people would actually watch the movies tho lol.
Off topic: I want to be a filmmaker, primarily my interest would be screen writing tho.If I get a scholarship i'll try to apply to USC but the acceptance rate is low and my test scores won't matter so it isn't realistic.I'll probably end up doing a minor in film studies or creative writing , and then try to get into a good film program at NYU , UCLA or USC.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by The Lizard King Sun Feb 19, 2012 9:32 am
Understood. The suggestion for the nuage movie club was wishful thinking, to say the least. Didn't really expect it to come to fruition
Also - you should look into Canadian Universities as well. I'm currently studying at UTM and it offers a fair variety of film courses, and it increases in scope with each passing year. The key difference being that it costs almost as half as much as an American degree. This being significant only if you're an international student, which I'm guessing you're bound to be. And, Canada kicks ass.
One last thing. Seriously guys..who the fks PTA ?!
Also - you should look into Canadian Universities as well. I'm currently studying at UTM and it offers a fair variety of film courses, and it increases in scope with each passing year. The key difference being that it costs almost as half as much as an American degree. This being significant only if you're an international student, which I'm guessing you're bound to be. And, Canada kicks ass.
One last thing. Seriously guys..who the fks PTA ?!
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by The Lizard King Sun Feb 19, 2012 9:40 am
Danke 
Haven't seen much of his work.
Haven't seen much of his work.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Le Samourai Sun Feb 19, 2012 9:45 am
Magnolia is my favourite.
Boogie Nights was great too and There will be blood is amazing but you have to be patient.
Boogie Nights was great too and There will be blood is amazing but you have to be patient.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Twoism Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:28 am
Le Samourai wrote:Twoism wrote:The Lizard King wrote:I'd rank Inception and Following highest on the list solely for the fact that he wrote those movies himself ( not just the screenplays ). I wouldn't say he's the best, and neither is Kubrick ( I personally thought he massacred Space Odyssey ), but he provides high octane entertainment without resorting to the usual mainstream tactics.
Nolan's definitely one of the top tier directors in Hollywood, But this shouldn't take away from the fact that there's plenty of directors with tenfold the skill and vision ; while only working with a relative fraction of the acting talent and budget .
If I were to measure Hollywood directors, the bar to meet would be Wes Anderson. Then again, I really like my auteurs so my opinion is fairly biased in their favor.
For me his best work is Following & Memento, the thing with Nolan brothers works is how famous they're with their plot twist. To maintain their trademark, they tried to put in twist just for the sake of twist, that could suspend all your belief, i.e. the ending of The Prestige. Their movies are entertaining but somehow I found their later projects less enjoyable, no rewatchable values & the acting is not that great. When you know/understand the twist, there is no reason to revisit. Following & Memento has great acting, great pacing ( I have problem with his Batman pacing)
Kudos to Wes Anderson, I love his movies and have watched Rushmore dozen times, definitely not everyone cup of tea, similar to PTA.
@Lizard King-I loved Odyssey but I never read the book so i can't really compare it.I thought the opening scene though and If you have a chance check out the screenplay because I've read many and I've never read one written with the depth that A space odyssey was.It was novel like literature and directing it would've been a hell of a task.
I'd actually say I agree though.I think guys like Anderson,PTA,(Lynch and Tarantino are also a couple personal favorites but that's for another thread) are amazing technically , have a more refined vision for their projects and in general have a better knowledge and understanding of film and how you use the technical aspects to carry that vision across.
What distinguishes Nolan for me though, is his story telling.Nolan pushes the medium of film past its traditional boundaries and effectively stimulates the evolution of narrative.The rhythym of Memento was nothing short of an amazing achievement in stroy telling, I won't go as far as saying it was revolutionary, but it certainly pushed the limits of a often overused style confined it in a rhythm, that is unique, perplexing and intiguing.It's probably the accomplishment I most respect him for.
His method challeges the audience thoroughly, muchmore than can be said for many others.Sometimes I think he forgets his borders though, but it's a tough balancing act and one which most directors decide to ignore anyway.
@Twoism- Didn't rewatch Inception?
You should really watch the video THC posted lol, Inception was just a great great movie, whether or not he meant it to be , it was extrordinary.The color enhancements and the CGI plus the amazingly coordinated use of music are perhaps the most important things you can take away from it as a filmmaker, the acting wasn't amazing(Hardy was excellent tho)
Yeah, partly my fault since I'm very particular about dream movies. For a movie about dream, there is almost nothing dream like. I love moody piece, directors like Lynch, Cronenberg or Jim Jarmusch are master in term of setting up the moody atmosphere. Lynch movies leave me with unsettled feeling, uncertain & very insecure ( Eraserhead or Blue Velvet). I don't feel it in Nolan works, very polished, brilliant production values but somehow leave me empty.
Kubrick made movies as how he interpret, that's why his works though brilliant, are miles from their original source. The guy only wrote one original script. I feel later works he detached himself from human emotion, very cold and distant.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by Le Samourai Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:42 am
I see what you're saying.
Nolan is too overdramatic......a tad too engaged in "the moment" to leave you with that sense.He puts it out there in a very loud eye catching manner...but even so, Inception actually did a bit more metaphorically than even I realised up until THC posted that vid.
I've been planning to watch some of Jamusch for a while now but never really got the chance.
Difference in taste I guess.
Nolan is too overdramatic......a tad too engaged in "the moment" to leave you with that sense.He puts it out there in a very loud eye catching manner...but even so, Inception actually did a bit more metaphorically than even I realised up until THC posted that vid.
I've been planning to watch some of Jamusch for a while now but never really got the chance.
Difference in taste I guess.
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Re: Christopher Nolan.
by The Lizard King Sun Feb 19, 2012 11:15 pm
"Kubrick made movies as how he interpret, that's why his works though brilliant, are miles from their original source. The guy only wrote one original script. I feel later works he detached himself from human emotion, very cold and distant."
I don't mind most of his movies . ( Shining / Clockwork / Full Metal / Spartacus ). But with Space Odyssey, I think he bit off more than he can chew. If anything, that's a movie that he detached himself from human emotion - like you said.
The ending for Space Odyssey was always going to be hard to visualize and convey. Heck, even words confused the shit outta me the first time I read the ending. And one of my first thoughts was, "how the fk..could someone make a movie out of this"
So I watched Space Odyssey with little expectations. In the end, I was just pissed off because he dedicated , at the most, 20 minutes to the ending. Whereas he wasted so much time with those goddamn soundtracks ! In context, the conclusion held the meat of the story, and needed at least twice the duration that it actually lasted. So yeah, eventhough the soundtracks were well edited, and aptly conveyed the tranquil nature of infinite space..focusing on that as much Kubrick did, was absolutely unforgivable in the long run.
Sorry for going off topic, but I've rarely gotten the chance to vent at Kubrick
I haven't watched many of Lynch/Cronenberg/Jamusch. I've had Blue Velvet / Eraserhead / Ghost Dog / History of Violence and Eastern promises on my harddrive for a while now. Probably going to watch the latter two real soon because of Vigo Mortensen. And the plot of Ghost Dog had fascinated me ever since I was a kid, so that would be next on my watchlist.
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