Topic of study: Christopher Nolan
Focus study: Auteur/ non linear narrative
Question:
Is Christopher Nolan an auteur due to to his non linear narrative?
Films:
Item 1- Focus film
Film 1: Memento (2000) - The reason I have chosen this film is because again Nolan uses non linear narrative. the opening sequence of this film is also the last scene of the film played backwards so Nolan uses the rest of the film to show how the main character got to the last scene. The character in Memento has no linear narrative throughout due to his psychological condition that he has lost his memory so that makes it easier for me to relate to how Christopher Nolan uses non linear narrative in his work. The narrative in this film is about how the main character has to find clues to regain his memory in order to find out who killed his wife.
Item 2
Film 2: Batman Begins (2005) - I have chosen this because Nolan uses non linear narrative. It begins in the present tense but does go back to the past tense to tell part of the story and does this to show Bruce Wayne's childhood and how his parents died. Nolan does this to show the audience of the traumatic events that happened to Bruce when he was a child. Christopher Nolan uses flashbacks of Bruce Wayne's life and how the flashbacks makes him into the Batman. This approach has become a 'signature' for Christopher Nolan.
Item 3
Film 3: The Prestige (2006) - I have chosen this because again Nolan uses non linear narrative to help portray the storyline. The film is split into two stories that are from two different characters and Nolan uses events from one storyline to later on link with the other. Also the first scene in the film is also the last scene in the film so Nolan uses the rest of the film to show how the two characters get to the resolution. The Prestige is about two magicians trying to get this magic trick and the first scene shows how one of them already has the magic trick so in the rest of the film Nolan shows us how two rivals battle for this certain magic trick before then ending with the scene we first see.
Articles:
Item 4
http://whatculture.com/film/chris-nolans-memento-non-linear-puzzle-that-launched-a-career.php- I have chosen this article because it implies how Memento is not in chronological order and how it was such a success because of how the events were not in order. The article also discusses how there is an Easter egg with the DVD where you can see the film in chronological order but this effects the plot and doesn't make sense. By showing the film in chronological order it makes you notice how well the film works when shot in non chronological order. I will use the quotes in this article to explain how the film worked a lot better in non chronological order.
Item 5
http://underplex.com/2010/07/non-linear-movies-case-of-christopher.html- I have chosen article because it explores how Nolan uses non linear narrative in some of his films and if it is needed whether to use non linear narrative or not. The article also discusses The Prestige and Memento and how these use non linear narrative and what the movies have that are non linear narrative. the article also discusses The Following which is Nolan's first film and the article discusses if this movie uses non linear narrative.
Item 6
http://www.cinelinx.com/movie-stuff/item/6667-directors-trademarx-christopher-nolan.html- I have chosen this article because it explains how Christopher Nolan uses non linear narrative in Memento and The Prestige so will be vital as the article explains in detail how Nolan uses non linear narrative and also explains why he uses them. The article also has examples of scenes in all 3 of the films I am studying which use non linear narrative. It is therefore a critical source for quotes.
Item 7
http://www.frontrowreviews.co.uk/editorial/a-beginners-guide-to-christopher-nolan/10189- I have chosen this article because it states about what films Christopher Nolan uses non linear narrative in and exactly where in the film he uses it. One of the films this article discusses is Memento which is one of my focus films and the article talks in detail how he used non linear narrative in this film and also in other films that Christopher Nolan has directed like The Prestige and Batman Begins. It is a very good source for quotes.
Item 8
http://www.jonathanlack.com/2014/11/nolan-interstellar-analysis.html?m=1- I have chose this article because it explores how Christopher Nolan doesn't make simple movies and how some of his movies are not in narrative order and the article makes references to Memento and The Prestige. The article also states that Christopher Nolan uses complicated characters and writes about Mementos main character, Guy Pearce, and how he tries to find out about his life and who killed his wife. This therefore makes this article very useful for quotes.
Interviews:
Item 9
Interview- http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=763- I have chosen this interview because the interviewer tries to imply that the first Batman movie is quite linear but Christopher Nolan disagrees and explains how the first Batman movie is played with a lot of memory and flashbacks because in the first film of a trilogy. Nolan states you need to explain the story of the main character which is why Christopher used quite a lot of flashbacks and memory to make the film so Batman Begins does have a non linear narrative to it. This supports my argument for Nolan's signature style.
Item 10
Interview- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYScJZWhaHA- This interview is useful for my question because Christopher Nolan explains how Memento is played backwards in non chronological order so we are in the same position of the protagonist and we don't know what has happened just like the main character. The narrative is played through a series of flashbacks meaning the film has a non linear narrative. Nolan states about why the film is played backwards so we get an insight of what Christopher Nolan was thinking.
Books:
Item 11
Book- Film Studies: The Essentials: Teach Yourself- By Warren Buckland- I have chosen this book because it explains the auteur theory in great detail and also has important quotes that I can use for my research. This book will also help me explain how Christopher Nolan is an auteur because of his non linear narrative and his use of themes in the books I have chosen. The book explains what an auteur is and will help me explain specifically why Christopher Nolan is an auteur.
Item 12
Book- The Fictional Christopher Nolan- By Todd McGowan- I have chosen this book because it states how Christopher Nolan uses non linear narrative in his film Memento and also compares this film to other films that use non linear narrative that aren't directed by Christopher Nolan. This book will help me answer the question as it does mention non linear narrative and it mentions how Christopher Nolan uses non linear narrative and where exactly he does in his films and the reasons why he uses non linear narrative. I will use quotes from this source.
Magazines
Item 13
Magazine article- http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/christopher-nolan-escape-artist
BFI magazine- This argues how Guy Pearce plays on his amnesia to deliberately forget the truth so he can find the truth out. This shows how this character is a complicated character and makes it easy for Christopher Nolan to use Non linear narrative in Memento because the main character has to work back using notes to find out who killed his wife and with him having amnesia, he can't remember what has happened so this implies how Guy Pearce is a complicated character as his story isn't straight forward.
Item 14
Magazine article- http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/magazine/the-exacting-expansive-mind-of-christopher-nolan.html?_r=0
The New York Times magazine- This magazine article explains how in Memento, the movie is not chronically in order meaning the film has a non linear narrative so this would help me answer my question because the article explains how and why Memento is not played in chronological order. The article also mentions The Prestige and explains the two magicians and also how the film has a non linear narrative so therefore has relevance to my question.
Item 15
Magazine article- http://www.walkerart.org/magazine/2015/christopher-nolan-scott-foundas
WalkerArt magazine- This article is beneficial for me answering my question as the article is about The Prestige and how the film is not in chronological order and about how the movie is played backwards. The article also implies about how Christopher Nolan reverses the narrative in The Prestige which effectively means the movie has a non linear narrative so therefore links to my question and will help in the research i need to gather.
Images
Item 16
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/christopher-nolan-breaks-silence-interstellar-749465- I have used this image because this will be displayed on my projector at the start of my presentation as it is an image of Christopher Nolan so will beneficial to show at the start of my presentation.
Rejected items
Film- The Dark Knight- I rejected this item because I think there is nothing from this film that would help me answer my question. The film doesn't really have any non linear narrative so therefore I don't think this film would help me in any way which is why I have rejected this film. The film wouldn't help me in any way for my question so this why I have rejected this film.
Article- https://impossiblevsreality.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/authorship-in-film-christopher-nolan-auteur/- I have rejected this item because although it talks about Christopher Nolan being an auteur it doesn't mention anything about him being an auteur due to his non linear narrative so this is why I decided to reject this item as I felt it wasn't beneficial for the question that I am studying.
Article- http://variety.com/2015/film/news/christopher-nolans-next-movie-coming-in-2017-1201588444/- This article has been rejected because although the article is about Christopher Nolan, it has no information about what type of films that he makes. The only information this article contains is details about when his next movie is going to come out, which company he is working with and people he has worked with previously when he has directed other movies.
Film- Interstellar - I have rejected this film because I do not feel it is beneficial for my coursework and the question I am doing. This film does not really feature any non linear narrative so therefore has no relevance to the question i am doing, hence why I have rejected the film. The film does feature a flashback but not enough to be able to talk about so that is why I have rejected the film.
Item 3
Film 3: The Prestige (2006) - I have chosen this because again Nolan uses non linear narrative to help portray the storyline. The film is split into two stories that are from two different characters and Nolan uses events from one storyline to later on link with the other. Also the first scene in the film is also the last scene in the film so Nolan uses the rest of the film to show how the two characters get to the resolution. The Prestige is about two magicians trying to get this magic trick and the first scene shows how one of them already has the magic trick so in the rest of the film Nolan shows us how two rivals battle for this certain magic trick before then ending with the scene we first see.
Articles:
Item 4
http://whatculture.com/film/chris-nolans-memento-non-linear-puzzle-that-launched-a-career.php- I have chosen this article because it implies how Memento is not in chronological order and how it was such a success because of how the events were not in order. The article also discusses how there is an Easter egg with the DVD where you can see the film in chronological order but this effects the plot and doesn't make sense. By showing the film in chronological order it makes you notice how well the film works when shot in non chronological order. I will use the quotes in this article to explain how the film worked a lot better in non chronological order.
Item 5
http://underplex.com/2010/07/non-linear-movies-case-of-christopher.html- I have chosen article because it explores how Nolan uses non linear narrative in some of his films and if it is needed whether to use non linear narrative or not. The article also discusses The Prestige and Memento and how these use non linear narrative and what the movies have that are non linear narrative. the article also discusses The Following which is Nolan's first film and the article discusses if this movie uses non linear narrative.
Item 6
http://www.cinelinx.com/movie-stuff/item/6667-directors-trademarx-christopher-nolan.html- I have chosen this article because it explains how Christopher Nolan uses non linear narrative in Memento and The Prestige so will be vital as the article explains in detail how Nolan uses non linear narrative and also explains why he uses them. The article also has examples of scenes in all 3 of the films I am studying which use non linear narrative. It is therefore a critical source for quotes.
Item 7
http://www.frontrowreviews.co.uk/editorial/a-beginners-guide-to-christopher-nolan/10189- I have chosen this article because it states about what films Christopher Nolan uses non linear narrative in and exactly where in the film he uses it. One of the films this article discusses is Memento which is one of my focus films and the article talks in detail how he used non linear narrative in this film and also in other films that Christopher Nolan has directed like The Prestige and Batman Begins. It is a very good source for quotes.
Item 8
http://www.jonathanlack.com/2014/11/nolan-interstellar-analysis.html?m=1- I have chose this article because it explores how Christopher Nolan doesn't make simple movies and how some of his movies are not in narrative order and the article makes references to Memento and The Prestige. The article also states that Christopher Nolan uses complicated characters and writes about Mementos main character, Guy Pearce, and how he tries to find out about his life and who killed his wife. This therefore makes this article very useful for quotes.
Interviews:
Item 9
Interview- http://www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=763- I have chosen this interview because the interviewer tries to imply that the first Batman movie is quite linear but Christopher Nolan disagrees and explains how the first Batman movie is played with a lot of memory and flashbacks because in the first film of a trilogy. Nolan states you need to explain the story of the main character which is why Christopher used quite a lot of flashbacks and memory to make the film so Batman Begins does have a non linear narrative to it. This supports my argument for Nolan's signature style.
Item 10
Interview- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYScJZWhaHA- This interview is useful for my question because Christopher Nolan explains how Memento is played backwards in non chronological order so we are in the same position of the protagonist and we don't know what has happened just like the main character. The narrative is played through a series of flashbacks meaning the film has a non linear narrative. Nolan states about why the film is played backwards so we get an insight of what Christopher Nolan was thinking.
Books:
Item 11
Book- Film Studies: The Essentials: Teach Yourself- By Warren Buckland- I have chosen this book because it explains the auteur theory in great detail and also has important quotes that I can use for my research. This book will also help me explain how Christopher Nolan is an auteur because of his non linear narrative and his use of themes in the books I have chosen. The book explains what an auteur is and will help me explain specifically why Christopher Nolan is an auteur.
Item 12
Book- The Fictional Christopher Nolan- By Todd McGowan- I have chosen this book because it states how Christopher Nolan uses non linear narrative in his film Memento and also compares this film to other films that use non linear narrative that aren't directed by Christopher Nolan. This book will help me answer the question as it does mention non linear narrative and it mentions how Christopher Nolan uses non linear narrative and where exactly he does in his films and the reasons why he uses non linear narrative. I will use quotes from this source.
Magazines
Item 13
Magazine article- http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/christopher-nolan-escape-artist
BFI magazine- This argues how Guy Pearce plays on his amnesia to deliberately forget the truth so he can find the truth out. This shows how this character is a complicated character and makes it easy for Christopher Nolan to use Non linear narrative in Memento because the main character has to work back using notes to find out who killed his wife and with him having amnesia, he can't remember what has happened so this implies how Guy Pearce is a complicated character as his story isn't straight forward.
Item 14
Magazine article- http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/magazine/the-exacting-expansive-mind-of-christopher-nolan.html?_r=0
The New York Times magazine- This magazine article explains how in Memento, the movie is not chronically in order meaning the film has a non linear narrative so this would help me answer my question because the article explains how and why Memento is not played in chronological order. The article also mentions The Prestige and explains the two magicians and also how the film has a non linear narrative so therefore has relevance to my question.
Item 15
Magazine article- http://www.walkerart.org/magazine/2015/christopher-nolan-scott-foundas
WalkerArt magazine- This article is beneficial for me answering my question as the article is about The Prestige and how the film is not in chronological order and about how the movie is played backwards. The article also implies about how Christopher Nolan reverses the narrative in The Prestige which effectively means the movie has a non linear narrative so therefore links to my question and will help in the research i need to gather.
Images
Item 16
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/christopher-nolan-breaks-silence-interstellar-749465- I have used this image because this will be displayed on my projector at the start of my presentation as it is an image of Christopher Nolan so will beneficial to show at the start of my presentation.
Rejected items
Film- The Dark Knight- I rejected this item because I think there is nothing from this film that would help me answer my question. The film doesn't really have any non linear narrative so therefore I don't think this film would help me in any way which is why I have rejected this film. The film wouldn't help me in any way for my question so this why I have rejected this film.
Article- https://impossiblevsreality.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/authorship-in-film-christopher-nolan-auteur/- I have rejected this item because although it talks about Christopher Nolan being an auteur it doesn't mention anything about him being an auteur due to his non linear narrative so this is why I decided to reject this item as I felt it wasn't beneficial for the question that I am studying.
Article- http://variety.com/2015/film/news/christopher-nolans-next-movie-coming-in-2017-1201588444/- This article has been rejected because although the article is about Christopher Nolan, it has no information about what type of films that he makes. The only information this article contains is details about when his next movie is going to come out, which company he is working with and people he has worked with previously when he has directed other movies.
Film- Interstellar - I have rejected this film because I do not feel it is beneficial for my coursework and the question I am doing. This film does not really feature any non linear narrative so therefore has no relevance to the question i am doing, hence why I have rejected the film. The film does feature a flashback but not enough to be able to talk about so that is why I have rejected the film.
