Currently, more and more people are inclined to the idea that modern cinema is gradually ceasing to be art. Money has a strong influence on the development of the industry. Now filming a movie is rather a business where the leading role is given to producers, actors, their agents, but not to directors, who, it would seem, are of paramount importance on the set. These people, who once led the process, have become, if slightly exaggerated, the staff. However, there are exceptions.
A great example of the triumph of art over business is demonstrated to the whole world by Christopher Nolan. The filmography of this eminent director can not boast of its multiplicity. However, those pictures that the Englishman managed to make during his career are a good lesson for others: how to make a great movie, while earning crazy fees.
Childhood
On July 30, 1970, Christopher Nolan was born in the capital of Great Britain, London. His father, an Englishman by birth, was engaged in the advertising business. Mom American worked as a stewardess. Due to the work of his parents, the boy lived in two countries for a long time: he spent part of the year in the sunny parts of the USA, and the other half on foggy Albion. As an adult, Christopher received citizenship of both the first and second countries.
His passion for cinema began in childhood. At the age of seven, the boy first saw the picture "Star Wars" and fell in love with this art form. Finding his father's eight-millimeter camera, he began to shoot his first videos. Parents in no way opposed the passion of his son. Later, his father bought another camera for Christopher, on which the first film of the future eminent director was shot. The main characters of the picture were the toy soldiers of the boy.
Youth and love
After graduation, Christopher Nolan goes to college, which is a branch of the University of London (University College London). In the educational institution, the main subject studied was classical English literature. As the director himself notes, it is the love of reading that has become a huge help for further writing scripts. While studying at college, the young man meets Emma Thomas, who initially becomes his business partner, and then - in life.
Without interrupting the learning process, the future famous director Christopher Nolan continues to shoot. His short masterpieces were quite high quality, and the semantic load of the paintings attracted special attention of the public.
First creation
The desire to completely surrender to the passion of directing prompted Nolan to create his own film company Sincopy Films. The project was led by his wife, Mrs. Emma Christopher Nolan. The filmography of the director began with a short film called "Harassment". This tape made the director quite famous in Europe. Filming lasted about a year, the reason for which was the lack of sufficient free time (after all, the actors and Christopher and his wife worked in other places) and money.
It is noteworthy that the budget of the film shot did not exceed the mark of six thousand dollars. However, at the box office the picture collected about 50 thousand. As Christopher Nolan himself admits, he was very glad that the team managed to shoot, edit and release the film without debt. After the release of this picture, the young man was noticed by large production companies, which offered him to start shooting full-length films.
Successful debut
In 2000, the first full-fledged picture was released on large screens, directed by Christopher Nolan. âRememberâ - this is the name of the psychological thriller that made a splash among fans of high-quality cinema. The film tells the viewer a story about a man who, having a rare memory disorder, still tries to unravel the mysterious death of his wife. The idea and the setting of the filming of the picture made it clear to critics that in front of them is a new and immensely talented director.
The painting won wildly popular all over the world and, as one would expect, brought its creator worldwide fame. Moreover, this project turned out to be very profitable financially: the budget included in the film paid off almost five times.
The combination of art and business
Two years after the directorâs successful film debut, Nolanâs next creation is released - a painting called Insomnia. Starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams. Like the previous one, this tape was not only well received by the audience and critics, but also brought its creators good profit.
It should be noted that all the films of Christopher Nolan are the perfect combination of art and business. The gift to make pictures interesting for the viewer, which at the same time bring excellent income, made the Englishman one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood.
The first part of the Batman trilogy
After a successful rental of Insomnia, agents of Warner Bros. drew attention to Christopher Nolan. For a long time, representatives of this studio were looking for a person who could again revive the viewer's interest in the film "Batman". Christopher Nolan, it was decided to approve as the main director for the continuation of the failed film. In collaboration with David S. Goyer, the Englishman began to think hard about a future project.
The result pleased not only Warner Bros, but the entire world community. The first part of the Batman trilogy âBatman: The Beginningâ was published in 2005 and immediately earned the love of critics and spectators. Prizes for successful works were the prizes of various film festivals and even an Oscar nomination. It is noteworthy that, although this film was not super profitable, the primary task was completed: the audienceâs interest in the comic book character revived.
Prestige and The Dark Knight
Films of Christopher Nolan the audience waits like Christmas: any picture of a talented director turns out outstanding and breaks a standing ovation. In 2006, the maestro's new creation, entitled âPrestige,â was released on large screens around the world. Like the previous ones, this masterpiece did not leave anyone indifferent. However, the audience was impatiently awaiting the publication of the continuation of the story about the human bat.
And in 2008, queues at the cinemas for a painting called The Dark Knight broke all unimaginable records. Critics applauded, the audience gasped with delight, Christopher Nolan reaped laurels. And the only person who did not live to see the triumph of the picture was Heath Ledger. The actor tragically died at the peak of his career before the release of the tape.
The film broke all records in terms of the number of awards: eight nominations for the Academy Award were proof of this. The negative character Joker performed by Heath Ledger who left this world was recognized by critics as one of the best heroes in the history of cinema.
Making my way to dreams
In 2010, another film directed by Christopher Nolan, âThe Beginning,â was released to the delight of the audience. The script for this masterpiece was written long before the young man joined Warner Bros. In his youth, Nolan was very impressed with the book Water Country, written by Graham Swift. Christopherâs consciousness did not leave the desire to write a script describing the existence of a person in parallel time periods for a long time. He then decided to supply the narrative with mystical events from human dreams. Adding industrial espionage to this âcocktailâ, the director got an amazing result.
However, there was no money to implement the idea. The studio refused to provide them because of the directorâs lack of experience, and the maestro himself did not have enough funds for the whole idea. After several successful projects, the companyâs decision changed, and the movie âBeginningâ was still released. The cunning interweaving of events, the existence in parallel worlds, the theft of information through dreams, fantastic special effects and a subtle philosophical component - all this was the reason for the incredible success of the film.
Critics, not without reason, called this masterpiece touching not only the mind, but also the inner strings of the soul. Many compared the picture with the notorious âMatrixâ. Like many other films directed by Christopher Nolan, this creation has received many awards. At the annual Oscar, the film was nominated for a prize in eight categories. Golden figurines brought four of them.
Continuing to turn comics into reality
Soon after the triumphal procession on the planet of the picture "Beginning" Christopher Nolan releases the third masterpiece of the story about Batman - "The Dark Knight: The Revival of the Legend." Released in 2012, the masterpiece brought its creators more than one billion dollars. It is noteworthy that, although the audience was delighted with this tape, critics recognized its weakness in comparison with the second part. Literally a year later, the director releases another film called "Man of Steel." The picture turned out to be good, but both critics and the public recognized that, against the background of Nolan's previous works, this tape is somewhat lost.
In the process
In 2014, it is planned to release two more Christopher films. The premiere of the first film entitled "Excellence" in the United States was held on April 18. Based on the opinion of film critics, the tape turned out to be somewhat unsuccessful. We will wait for the world premiere: what the public will say.
In November 2014, the release of a tape called Instellar is planned. The main role in the film is played by Matthew McConaughey, breaking a standing ovation for his character in the Oscar-winning film âDallas Buyers Clubâ. Let's see if he and Nolan manage to make the film as masterpiece as the directorâs previous creations.
In the more distant future, another picture is planned to be released - âBatman vs. Supermanâ. According to preliminary estimates, this creation of Nolan expects tremendous success. However, we will not look so far, but wait until 2016, for which the premiere of the expected film is scheduled for all.