Christopher Nolan is one of the defining directors of the twenty-first century. Very few of his contemporaries can compete in terms of critical and commercial success, let alone cultural impact. Nolan’s films have a rare ability to transcend audience expectations, appealing to both casual movie-goers and dyed-in-the-wool cineastes.
Nolan’s films range from gritty crime thrillers (Memento, Insomnia) to spectacular blockbusters (the Dark Knight trilogy, Inception). They have taken audiences from the depths of space (Interstellar) to the harsh realities of war (Dunkirk). They have pushed the boundaries of what is possible in modern movie-making. This book offers a critical history of the visionary filmmaker, taking a film-by-film trip through his filmography that traces his evolution from his early student films to his Best Director nomination for Dunkirk. Along the way, it explores both his directorial technique and his recurring thematic fascinations, and the intersection of the two.How did Christopher Nolan develop from an indie darling to a blockbuster auteur? What is it about his films that speak so effectively to their moment? Why has Nolan thrived at developing big-budget original story ideas in a cinematic climate dominated by franchises and reboots?