Christopher Nolan is a very intelligent film maker. However, I feel his focus, in all his movies so far, has been on story-telling. His aim is to keep the viewer interested right through his films. For this he uses complex story telling techniques. Don't mistake me, I love his movies. I was blown away when I watched 'Memento', didn't like 'Insomnia', and 'Following' (after Ramanand's recommendation). Both films are absolutely brilliant when looked at from a story-telling point of view. Both the superhero films have been terrific.
Nolan will have to make a more 'human' film if he wants to be remembered as a great director. Don't you think so? Most great films have been about characterization, people starting from a point in time and how they change and evolve. Their experiences changing the vieweres perceptions or just emotionally engaging them as they watch the film. In this sense there is some kind of characterization in 'Following' and I feel it is his best work. He tried to get into the human mind in 'Insomnia' but it didn't work for me, maybe I have to view it again to remind myself but it didn't take me into the minds of the characters back then.
Let's contrast Ang Lee with Christopher Nolan. Ang Lee capitalized on the power of the audio visual experience cinema provides to the viewer. He put us right on top of Brokeback Mountain. The visuals, like Ramanand mentioned in my blog, will stay with me forever. The sky, the scenery, the wind, I was there man! I was with them. No! No! We didn't have a threesome! But you know what I mean. On the other hand, Nolan writes complex stories. Nolan would have been a terrific writer without the camera rolling. His stories don't really need to be told on celluloid. We are fortunate he is able to bring his stories to the big screen and many of us can watch his stories in action. But it's not the same thing as watching Jack looking into his truck's rear-view mirror at Ennis about to break into tears.
Mike Leigh created 'Vera Drake'. There is a scene in the film when the cops pay Vera a visit. What follows in the next few minutes is the power of cinema. Mike transports us into the small house that Vera and her family share. As a viewer I was in the room and a part of the scene. I had a similar experience when watching 'Doubt' two days ago. I was in the principal's office. This, my friends, is the power of cinema. Cinema can transport its viewers into a world with its people through the visuals, the acting, the sets and the sound. Although it is great to watch a huge trailer somersault in the streets of Chicago it is not nearly the same thing as being in Jack's house with Ennis and Jack's parents.
Why was the 'Casino Royale' the best James Bond film ever? Was it the action? No! We'd seen it before. But the news was that Bond could feel pain. in his heart and in his balls. Humanism in cinema is works far better than thrills and perfect story lines. A thriller or an action film alienates my wife and many other women I know. Is this a vast majority of women? I think it is.
Charlie Kaufman, to me, seems to have located the middle path. His stories are complex but look at human emotions. 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' took us into the bond that the lead protagonists share. 'Being John Malkovich' took us into the mind, literally, of a famous movie star. 'Adaptation', I am yet to see so I can't say for sure, tells us about writers. 'Synecdoche New York' tells us about a genius stage-writer's problems as he ages. Although I feel Kaufman takes his audience for granted he has written on the confusions of the human mind. This more human approach told with complex story telling has already won him an Oscar.
I love Chrisopher Nolan. I know many are going to say that he is different from all the film-makers I have mentioned. That's true too. In that sense his work is fresh. But I still hope that Christopher Nolan will one day make that one film . That one film which will help him take home the bald man he very much deserves. I want him to be remembered as a great director. But I have a feeling everlasting accolades may not come through stories revolving around doubts in the mind of a caped vigilante.
Nolan will have to make a more 'human' film if he wants to be remembered as a great director. Don't you think so? Most great films have been about characterization, people starting from a point in time and how they change and evolve. Their experiences changing the vieweres perceptions or just emotionally engaging them as they watch the film. In this sense there is some kind of characterization in 'Following' and I feel it is his best work. He tried to get into the human mind in 'Insomnia' but it didn't work for me, maybe I have to view it again to remind myself but it didn't take me into the minds of the characters back then.
Let's contrast Ang Lee with Christopher Nolan. Ang Lee capitalized on the power of the audio visual experience cinema provides to the viewer. He put us right on top of Brokeback Mountain. The visuals, like Ramanand mentioned in my blog, will stay with me forever. The sky, the scenery, the wind, I was there man! I was with them. No! No! We didn't have a threesome! But you know what I mean. On the other hand, Nolan writes complex stories. Nolan would have been a terrific writer without the camera rolling. His stories don't really need to be told on celluloid. We are fortunate he is able to bring his stories to the big screen and many of us can watch his stories in action. But it's not the same thing as watching Jack looking into his truck's rear-view mirror at Ennis about to break into tears.
Mike Leigh created 'Vera Drake'. There is a scene in the film when the cops pay Vera a visit. What follows in the next few minutes is the power of cinema. Mike transports us into the small house that Vera and her family share. As a viewer I was in the room and a part of the scene. I had a similar experience when watching 'Doubt' two days ago. I was in the principal's office. This, my friends, is the power of cinema. Cinema can transport its viewers into a world with its people through the visuals, the acting, the sets and the sound. Although it is great to watch a huge trailer somersault in the streets of Chicago it is not nearly the same thing as being in Jack's house with Ennis and Jack's parents.
Why was the 'Casino Royale' the best James Bond film ever? Was it the action? No! We'd seen it before. But the news was that Bond could feel pain. in his heart and in his balls. Humanism in cinema is works far better than thrills and perfect story lines. A thriller or an action film alienates my wife and many other women I know. Is this a vast majority of women? I think it is.
Charlie Kaufman, to me, seems to have located the middle path. His stories are complex but look at human emotions. 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' took us into the bond that the lead protagonists share. 'Being John Malkovich' took us into the mind, literally, of a famous movie star. 'Adaptation', I am yet to see so I can't say for sure, tells us about writers. 'Synecdoche New York' tells us about a genius stage-writer's problems as he ages. Although I feel Kaufman takes his audience for granted he has written on the confusions of the human mind. This more human approach told with complex story telling has already won him an Oscar.
I love Chrisopher Nolan. I know many are going to say that he is different from all the film-makers I have mentioned. That's true too. In that sense his work is fresh. But I still hope that Christopher Nolan will one day make that one film . That one film which will help him take home the bald man he very much deserves. I want him to be remembered as a great director. But I have a feeling everlasting accolades may not come through stories revolving around doubts in the mind of a caped vigilante.
1 comment:
100% Agreed...But all directors, in the quest of greatness , start making the so called 'humane' movies, I wuld never be able to see a 'Dark Knight'...A fantastic adaptation of a comic book character, which only Nolan was able to bring justification...
Think of a Cinema history without movies like E.T, Jurassic Park. And sorry my friend, as you were with Jack and Ennis and their parents..Nolan was able to transport me to the Joker's world, where there were no Rules...
Having said so, Im a fan of Brokeback mountain too and am sure Nolan will make a movie one day which will bring tears to Revati and your eyes :)
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