Christopher Nolan’s Statement Work

I was flabbergasted. Had I really made sense of a Christopher Nolan movie in one go? Usually, I have to rewatch his films at least twice to properly comprehend the rundown of his story. Fortunately, it was a near impossible task to lose my attention span this time. Thinking I’d reassure myself of my interpretation of the storyline, I opened my laptop to a new tab to an article by The Vulture entitled “The ‘Troubling Reverberations’ at the End of Oppenheimer, Explained”. Instead, I found myself doing something completely different.

Halfway through the piece, I stopped at this one statement – “Nolan has always liked to structure his screenplays around pivotal scenes in his protagonists’ lives, intimate moments that gather force as the characters obsessively return to them.” In the flash of a second, I was entranced by the ending of every Nolan movie I've ever watched. Like every other person, I knew he loved experimenting with the element of time. But channeling a character’s deep-seated sentiments in every concluding frame? YES! He definitely loves that too.

Take, for example, the classic – Inception. A number of segments in the film focus on Cobb’s, played by Leo, personal spheres. These include instances from his life involving his wife and his children. While we are only exposed to a limited number of scenes including his children particularly, it is evident that they own a piece of Cobb’s heart. Likewise, right before the cliffhanger drops, we catch a glimpse of Cobb's dreamy vision of his children appearing right in front of his eyes – a moment in his life he holds extremely precious.

Now for the magic – The Prestige. The cycling nature of the story is magnified when we hear the monologue from the opening repeated at the end of the film – both of which include Alfred's daughter, Jess. Throughout the film, we are familiar with Alfred’s fondness for her. From the moment he is jailed to the moment he has to reveal his trick in order to save her from being declared an indigent orphan and sent to a workhouse, he is depicted as extra careful of his choices regarding Jess. The culminating scene of the movie showcases how the dialogue by Cutter was, in reality, the moral gained out of her father’s hamartia – now formulated into learnings being imparted to her.

The chosen one – Tenet. The unnamed “Protagonist” of the movie comes full circle when he discovers that Neil, his accomplice, had known him way before their first encounter. From his wrapping-up speech, he also hints as to how the duo goes on to become lifelong friends in the future, or if you may say – even the past. Moreover, you see his astute love interest, Kat, walk away with her child in front of his eyes – a person he is chasing and is protective of during the entirety of the movie.

Inside the spaces – Interstellar. His conspicuous, tender-hearted, and topsy-turvy relationship with his daughter, Murph, is a major engine driving the melodramatic climax of the film. Here, the presence of the supporting character of the daughter gets increasingly substantial nearing the end of the movie. As we see Murph whimpering, almost on her deathbed and much older than her father, we are reminded of Cooper’s, the protagonist’s, promise to his daughter of returning back one day – again a very personal memory for Cooper.

The newbie – Oppenheimer. Firstly, if you haven’t already watched it, trust me you’re missing out. Second, I reckon that the unique element of the film lies in its specificity. Even though we only uncovered a minuscule number of scenes inculcating both Oppenheimer and Einstein, we are palpable to their acute connection. This is not only because of their intense conversations, but also the fact that Oppenheimer, in a way, looks up to Einstein as a mentor. His monstrous findings all rely on the opinion of Einstein, a compeer he doesn’t stumble into a lot, but definitely, the only one he seeks advice from. As we see the complete montage of their parley at the end of the film, we are only left as speechless as ever – only to realise the value of a conversation introduced much earlier in the film.

It’s pronounced that Nolan never fails to deliver. Whether it be the usage of his statement techniques or peculiar elements, he is able to induce a different type of genre into his storytelling despite entailing repetitive methods. His distinctive work, for some reason, will always leave your mouth shattered – just all the more reason to love his work.

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