Christoper Nolan As Realist Auteur
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“REALITY” WHILE DREAMING IN A LABYRINTH: CHRISTOPER NOLAN AS REALIST AUTEUR Brent Cowley, B.A. B.S. Thesis Prepared for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2017 APPROVED: Harry Benshoff, Major Professor George-Larke Walsh, Committee Member Jacqueline Vickery, Committee Member Eugene Martin, Chair of the Department of Media Arts David Holdeman, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Victor Prybutok, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Cowley, Brent. “Reality” while Dreaming in a Labyrinth: Christoper Nolan as Realist Auteur. Master of Arts (Media Industry and Critical Studies), August 2017, 134 pp., 5 figures, bibliography, 145 titles. This thesis examines how the concept of an auteur (author of a film) has developed within contemporary Hollywood and popular culture. Building on concepts from Timothy Corrigan, this thesis adapts the ideas of the author and the commercial auteur to examine how director Christopher Nolan’s name, and film work, has become branded as “realist” by the Hollywood film industry and by Nolan’s consistent self-promotion. Through recurring signatures of “realism,” such as, cinematic realism (immersive filmic techniques), technical realism (practical effects and actual locations), subjective realism (spectator access to a character’s point of view), psychological realism (relatable motivations) and scientific realism (factual science), Nolan’s work has become a recognizable and commoditized brand. Like many modern-day auteurs, Nolan himself has been used as a commodity to generate interest to his working methods and to appeal audiences to his studio films. Analyzing each of Christopher Nolan’s films along with the industrial and cultural factors surrounding them, a method for understanding contemporary auteurism in Hollywood is presented. Through a consideration of extra-textual components, including promotional featurette’s and journalistic interviews with Nolan, as well as his film crew, this thesis explores how Nolan might be considered a template for a future of auteur branding. Copyright 2017 by Brent Cowley ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Like making a movie, a thesis project cannot be completed without the help of countless individuals behind the scenes. Firstly, I must thank my wife Jen (and children Ava and Coen), who have supported me every step of the way and had to listen to hours of conversations about Christopher Nolan (whose work she does not particularly enjoy). Secondly, I thank my thesis committee (not all of whom enjoy Nolan’s work either), for their support and their unfailing advice offered throughout my research. Thirdly, my mother (Tammy) and mother-in-law (Jolyn) for the many hours they spent watching my children, allowing me time to do research and eventually write. Lastly, thanks to my all my fellow collogues at the University of North Texas who listened to my many deliberations on Nolan, especially Stephanie and Shaylynn. It was through Stephanie’s encouragement that I finally decided to write on Nolan and her guidance has been indispensable in getting me through roadblocks in my research and the thesis process. Shaylynn similarly was someone who was always available to talk (in the graduate dungeon), whenever I needed an opinion. Also like making a movie, the end result is never quite as you first imagined it would be. Despite this, I am thankful for the challenges and the ways in which I grew throughout the experience of writing this thesis. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 Auteur Theory and Its Discontents ..................................................................................... 3 Biography ............................................................................................................................ 6 Signatures ............................................................................................................................ 8 Criticisms .......................................................................................................................... 11 Nolan as Realist Auteur .................................................................................................... 13 Nolan as Brand .................................................................................................................. 15 Cinematic Reality and Influences ..................................................................................... 17 Examples of Nolan’s Cinematic Reality ........................................................................... 21 CHAPTER 2. A SUBJECTIVE TRIP THROUGH THE MAZE................................................. 24 Following, Memento and Insomnia................................................................................... 24 Following (1998) .............................................................................................................. 31 Memento (2000) ................................................................................................................ 37 Insomnia (2002) ................................................................................................................ 42 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 51 CHAPTER 3. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF A DARK KNIGHT ..................................................... 53 Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises ......................................... 53 Batman – A Vulnerable Knight ........................................................................................ 57 Villains – The Dark Knight’s Rogues Gallery .................................................................. 61 Doubling and Harvey Dent ................................................................................... 62 Chaos and The Joker ............................................................................................. 68 Reality of Current Events.................................................................................................. 72 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 75 CHAPTER 4. THE SCIENCE BEHIND SCIENCE-FACTUAL ................................................ 77 Inception and Interstellar .................................................................................................. 77 Inception (2010) ................................................................................................................ 81 iv Interstellar (2014) ............................................................................................................. 94 Stellar Science ....................................................................................................... 97 Science as History and History as Science ......................................................... 101 Impracticalities of Practical Effects .................................................................... 103 Conclusion: A Journey into New Territory .................................................................... 106 CHAPTER 5. NOLAN’S NEW PATH: DUNKIRK .................................................................. 109 APPENDIX A. EXTRATEXTUAL SOURCES: PROMOTIONAL FEATURETTES, VIDEOS, INTERVIEWS, DOCUMENTARIES ........................................................................................ 114 APPENDIX B. SIGNATURES: THEMATIC, STYLISTIC AND GEOGRAPHIC ................. 116 APPENDIX C. THE 5 LEVELS OF INCEPTION ..................................................................... 119 APPENDIX D. INTERSTELLAR TIMELINE ............................................................................ 121 APPENDIX E. THE FILMS OF CHRISTOPHER NOLAN ..................................................... 123 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... 125 v LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. Nolan and Thomas' Syncopy company logo. ................................................................ 26 Figure 2. Marketing logo used for Inception. ............................................................................... 26 Figure 3. Ariadne's third maze attempt. ........................................................................................ 90 Figure 4. Rotating corridor used in Inception. .............................................................................. 92 Figure 5. Shooting corridor scene in Inception. ............................................................................ 93 vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION This thesis examines how the concept of an auteur (author of a film) has developed within contemporary Hollywood and popular culture. Building on concepts from Timothy Corrigan, this thesis adapts the ideas of the author and the commercial auteur to examine how director Christopher Nolan’s name, and film work, has become branded as “realist” by the Hollywood film industry and by Nolan’s consistent self-promotion. Nolan has developed a reputation as a director who produces films that are both critical and popular successes with