Culture news “Never do that again” Christopher Nolan made this mistake: it was the first and last time!
The Nolan siblings – Christopher and Jonathan – have carved out a solid reputation in Hollywood, especially the first mentioned. In the space of twelve films, Christopher Nolan has become one of the most influential and respected directors around the world. Long before achieving unanimous acclaim in cinemas, the British filmmaker made a mistake.
What is the secret behind Christopher Nolan’s success? Why do his films please spectators and critics so much? Why are we still talking about them months, even years after their release? Beyond their plastic qualities, these cinematic works present a narrative structure ripe for interpretation and fan theories. If he was quick to provide answers at the start of his career, he quickly changed his mind under the leadership of his brother Jonathan.
Christopher Nolan’s Youthful Mistake
7 days ago were held the show The Last Show presented by Stephen Colbert in which Christopher Nolan was the distinguished guest. The British director of Oppenheimer, Tenet, Inception and Interstellar then returned to the press conference which followed the screening of Memento at the Venice Film Festival in 2020. During discussions with journalists, certain questions to clarify points in the scenarios were asked and Christopher Nolan provided some answerswhich did not matter to his brother Jonathan who was a screenwriter on the film.
I made this mistake years ago, and luckily it was before the emergence of social media. I was at the Venice Film Festival to show Memento to an audience for the very first time. During the press conference that followed, I was asked what my own interpretation of the ending was.
I replied: “What’s important is that it’s ambiguous, it’s mysterious, but what I think is that bla-bla-bla…” Right after, my brother Jonathan (Nolan ) took me aside and said, “Don’t ever do that again. (…) They want an answer, so if your goal is to leave ambiguity and several possibilities, you have to keep quiet.” -Christopher Nolan
Since this “incident” fortunately without consequences (the advent of social networks having not yet taken place), Christopher Nolan refuses to comment on the plot of his films. He prefers to let spectators and the press form their own opinion and theorize again and again, which has the beneficial effect of intensifying communication around his films. A few years ago, Ridley Scott revealed the true nature of the character of Rick Deckard played by Harrison Ford in Blade Runner (1982). This pillar of science fiction at the origin of the cyberpunk movement then lost this aura of mystery enjoyed by works leaving room for interpretation.