Christopher Nolan is an English-American director best known for directing films including the very successful The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises films. He started creating short films from the young age of eight and had his first breakthrough film with the realise of the noir-crime drama, Following. Nolan frequently uses actors including Christian bale, Michael Caine and Tom Hardy. These characters are some of the main characters in his most successful films (Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises and Batman Begins.) He has directed several successful super-hero films and these have proven to be some of the most popular narratives at the box office.
Nolan’s narratives frequently use features such as flashbacks to illustrate the background and back story to a character, flashbacks are frequently used in his Batman films (Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises and Batman Begins) as this is a key aspect of the main plot. Another feature that Nolan uses in his narratives is shifting points of view. Shifting the point of view makes the viewing audience think and can shed light on other characters in the film, this feature is used frequently in Batman Begins, with the point of view shifting between the villains and hero; this makes the plot more detailed. Blackmail is used in several of Nolan’s films and it often has a major impact on the main characters. The use, attempted use or reference to of Blackmail in his films(Following) makes the films relate heavily to one of the key themes that he emphasises in his films – human morality; How far are the characters will to go to achieve their goals? Nolan’s films relate back to the themes of violence, justice and revenge often, as seen in The Dark Knight trilogy. Another reoccurring theme in Nolan’s films, is the theme of loneliness, as seen in The Dark Knight trilogy and Interstellar. Loneliness contributes in these films as the main character/characters feel detached from society (as seen with Dr Mann, played by Matt Damon, in Interstellar and with Bruce Wayne, played by Christian Bale, as seen in The Dark Knight trilogy.) Many of the characters in his films that experience loneliness also have some sort of psychological disorder (as shown by Batman/Bruce Wayne in the Dark Knight trilogy and Dr Mann in Interstellar); many of the characters that are used in his films also have other psychological disorders such as dual personality (The Dark Knight), phobias (phobia of bats in Batman Begins) and characters not being able to grasp reality(Inception.)
The settings that Nolan use are usually dark, at points almost dystopian; The dark scenery, background and lighting can set the tone for the rest of the film, as is evident in The Dark Knight trilogy, Batman Begins and Inception. Lighting is key in setting the scene of Nolan’s films as they emphasis the good and the bad by the lighting that is used. He is known to prefer location work (making a film in the location it is set in) rather than studio work as this gives a feeling of realism.
The characters that Christopher Nolan creates and uses are often morally ambiguous, as well as being emotionally disturbed and damaged. The antagonists in his films are also somehow damaged, if that is physically (this being the case with characters such as Joker and Bane from The Dark Knight series), emotionally (as previously iterated.) Nolan introduces his main characters with a close up of their hands performing an action; This is one of his trademarks of his films. Another feature that Nolan uses is that the antagonists in his films are more often than not motivated by a philosophical belief rather than money (Joker from The Dark Knight.) Many of the protagonists in Nolan’s films resort to violence and this can show the poor mental state of the characters. 
The camerawork is often used in his films to make the protagonists in his films seem powerful and superior to the antagonists, with emphasis on the use of worm’s eye and low camera angles. One of Nolan’s signature camerawork techniques is for the camera to revolve around a character (The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Memento and Inception.) The use of revolving the camera around a character gives the impression that the character in question is all-powerful and to be at the centre of attention. Another camerawork technique that he uses is the use of handheld cameras (as used in The Dark Knight trilogy), this is used to convey the realism in a film and this enables the audience to relate to the film. Nolan uses the camera technique of crosscutting, in which the camera will cut away from one action to another action. This can convey how these actions are simultaneously happening. It has been noted that Nolan uses a single camera in dramatic scenes as this can build tension by potentially hiding something from the audience.
Nolan has frequently worked with Hans Zimmer when creating and using music in films that he has directed (The Dark Knight trilogy.) Electronic and orchestral music is frequently used and this sets the tone within the film.
In conclusion, Christopher Nolan is a well-established director that has used film devices such as flash-backs and a shifting point of view to create some of the most well and successful films of his era. He has strengthened his position in the film industry by working with established actors and actresses such as Christian bale and Michael Caine; This further supports him to be a one of the most successful directors of the early 20th century.
By James Newton
