There are immense hopes in "Tenet" by Christopher Nolan. Can the film be a symbol of a new cinema era? He can.
Author and filmmaker Christopher Nolan (50) bitterly held on to the original theatrical release of his new film "Tenet" on July 17th. Ultimately, however, like the rest of the industry, he had to bow to the corona pandemic. On August 26th, one day earlier than the usual Thursday at the cinema, film fans will now be able to enjoy their latest screen headbutt. The timing couldn't be better – because "Tenet" is not just a movie. It is a visually powerful manifesto that cinema must never die out.
The "protagonist" towards the end of the world
A nameless agent, constantly referred to as the "protagonist" (John David Washington, 36), is on duty against hostage-takers. Only a little later, richer by a lot of knowledge and a few teeth poorer, his view of the world is completely turned upside down: a groundbreaking technology that has fallen into the hands of an unscrupulous criminal can undermine the laws of physics that are believed to be immovable. "Time travel? No, inversion!"
Where does the ammunition come from that is contrary to normal passage of time? And does the inversion technology really threaten the outbreak of the Third World War? The "protagonist" embarks on a search for clues that not only takes him around the globe – but also to the limits of the imagination.
Forwards, backwards … or both?
"Don't try to understand it. Feel it." With this saying the main character of "Tenet" and thus also the audience is introduced to the principle of time inversion. In fact, with his latest work, Nolan is driving a creative vision to extremes that he already had in the very first scene of his film "Memento" in 2000. A developed Polaroid photo that fades a little with each shake. Drops of blood running up a wall – the gruesome result of the backward execution of an (un) guilty man.
Only this opening sequence was played backwards at that time, with the rest of "Memento" only most (not all) scenes are arranged in chronologically wrong order. A demanding concept which, compared to "Tenet", now seems banally simple. You can no longer do without a little discourse on physics.
The idea behind "Tenet"
Anyone who deals with the theories dealt with in "Tenet" quickly stumbles across terms such as entropy, thermodynamics or the name James Maxwell. The short version: The natural order of the universe is disorder. A cup that has shattered into a thousand pieces will never put itself back together on its own. And the mixed Cuba Libre does not automatically transform itself back into its components cola and rum. But what if it does? Nolan pursues this mind game with "Tenet". Even more: what if such inverted objects appear in an otherwise normal world? Or a man, let's say a "protagonist", walks through an inverted world?
Nolan's answers to these questions conjure up show values on the screen that, it must be emphasized, have never been seen in any other film. What is shown exhausts the imagination of the audience – on the level of meaning towards the very fundamental question of how in the world some sequences could be rotated. At the beginning, "Tenet" is actually very cautious, almost sedate, with such scenes. The first half of the flick even looks like a "Bond" film, in which tinkerer Q only exaggerated a little with his technical frippery. But then "Tenet" suddenly picks up and sends his characters to Ludwig Göransson's (35) driving score in sheer bombast, which no television, however large, could ever do justice.
Not a movie for one night
It is abundantly clear how much Nolan and Co. have delved into the subject. It should be just as clear to all interested parties that not all question marks will have disappeared even after viewing them twice or three times. "Tenet" is Nolan's most complicated, confused film, which might mean something to a director who is often accused of "mentality". At the same time it can be attested more than ever with "Tenet" that Nolan has confidence in his audience. If you get involved, you will find cleverly built-in references to later revelations, or after the film you will find yourself trying to understand the storylines with a red and a blue pen.
But "Tenet" is not free from flaws either. As in "Inception" or "Interstellar", some dialogues, in which the fantastic mechanics of the plot are to be suggested to the viewer, seem a bit wooden. Once again, the female characters in particular, this time in the person of Elizabeth Debicki (30), remain very pale or barely more as a cue. And then there is Kenneth Branagh (59) as the antagonist Andrei Sator, who tends to overact in some scenes. The sixth Oscar nomination of his career will probably not be there.
Generally speaking, "Tenet" does not necessarily focus on acting. Nonetheless, it is the credible and charming bromance between Washington and new Batman Robert Pattinson (34) that makes you feel connected to the two as a viewer – especially on the second run.
Conclusion:
Anyone looking for entertainment will be able to marvel at impressive moments thanks to "Tenet", but will probably find the film as a whole as (too) confused. Christopher Nolan's new prank is one of those films that gives you more the more and the more often you deal with it. You don't have to understand that. But feel. And definitely in the cinema.