One of the greatest filmmakers of his generation or maybe any generation, Christopher Nolan has forever changed the way millions of people look at film. His groundbreaking experimentation with editing and time structures have become legendary in the film community. Apart from his work behind the camera, he is also renowned for his uncanny ability to write an amazing screenplay. In fact, in all of Nolan's films, only once did he not receive some sort of writing credit. It's the dialogue within these scripts, whether it be complex or utterly sparse, that creates the unique universes in which his stories take place.With the release of his most recent film, Dunkirk, many a film critic lauded it as the director's best work so far. Being a Nolan fanatic myself, this got me wondering how his films compared to one another. I believe he has yet to make a bad film, but some are definitely better than others. Now, having finally seen Dunkirk and Interstellar (which took way too long to do), I will now embark on the nearly impossible task of ranking all ten of Nolan's outstanding films. Wish me luck.
#10: Batman Begins (2005)
One of these films had to be bottom of the list, and sadly its Batman Begins, the first installment of Nolan's Dark Knight trilogies. A key aspect of the films I considered was how game changing they were, and they broke away from traditional film making. While an excellent film in its own right, Batman Begins fails to separate itself from other origin story super hero movies. It follows the traditional hero's journey: hero loses parent, finds a mentor, takes on thankless task of saving people. However, Nolan does manage to put his own twist on many of these genre stereotypes. Christian Bale also establishes himself as the greatest actor to portray the character of Batman. All in all, a very good film that fails to stand out from the crowd. Still way better than any Avengers movie, though.
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#9: Insomnia (2002)
The only film for which Nolan was not a writer, Insomnia sees the likes of Al Pacino and Robin Williams in some of their darkest roles ever. Set around the murder of a teenage girl in a small Alaskan town, this film transcends traditional notions of good vs. evil, especially in the world of the criminal justice system. It's probably Nolan's least experimental film, with no weird plot structures or ideas to speak of. However, that doesn't mean that Insomnia is not a captivating thriller. All the actors put on stellar performances that highlight the crushing guilt that looms over the characters. A unique and cinematically gorgeous film, Insomnia would still pale in comparison to many of Nolan's later works.
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#8: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The icing on the cake for Nolan's Batman trilogy. In fact, few movies series have wrapped up as well. If I could sum up this film in one word, it would be heavy. Every action, line, and shot seems to carry a hug amount of weight that builds and builds until you feel nearly crushed by the end. What I love about Nolan's version of Batman is that they don't really feel like your average Superhero film. While they are obviously based in fantasy, I feel like they could happen in real life. This is especially true on The Dark Knight Rises, where Bane (Tom Hardy) turns Gotham into a city under siege, imposing some incredibly harsh punishments in the process (the frozen river scene still gets me every time). Nolan took a big risk by trying to follow up the seminal film that preceded this, but ultimately it paid off, and I for one am completely satisfied by the final product.
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#7: Inception (2010)
I can tell many of you will be wondering why this isn't higher on my list. True, it is thought-provoking and wonderful film, but definitely not a personal favorite. I found myself constantly fascinated by the sheer complexity of the story, but I fail to recall any singular moment that left me stunned. What I do love is the concept: dreams. In the film, Nolan explores the physical relationship with dreams, and how humans can interact with one another in a dream. The film also contains an all-star cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. All of them put on career defining performances. Also, Hans Zimmer's original score, as usual, sounds absolutely stunning. In the end, this movie is far down on the list not because I think it's bad, but because the rest of Nolan's films are even better.
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#6: Following (1998)
What I love most about this film is that serves as a sneak peek into the ideas that would inspire Nolan's later works. His feature directorial debut, the story centers around an unnamed man, who makes a habit out of following strangers through the streets of London. Due to this strange and downright creepy hobby, he gets involved with a set of characters that introduce him to the pleasures that can be found in a criminal lifestyle. The structure of this film can be downright confusing at times, with Nolan shuffling the plot at random (although there definitely is a method to the madness). Also, for a film with a budget of $6,000, the quality exceeds expectations. Honestly, it looks like a film that cost at least a couple million, not several thousand. I consider it one of the best produced indie films ever, with lighting (all natural in this film) and editing that rival big expensive sets. Truly, an amazing start to a wonderful career.
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#5: Dunkirk (2017)
Like I said before, there were no shortage of critics and fans that called Dunkirk Nolan's best work yet. Obviously, I do not agree with them, but that does take away from the fact that it is one of the best war movies in recent years. For his first historical drama, Nolan decided to make a film about the Dunkirk Evacuation, in which over 300,000 British and French soldiers narrowly escaped Nazi capture. For fans of films like Saving Private Ryan and Hacksaw Ridge, you may be taken aback by the sheer lack of blood the film shows. As well as a lack of violent gore, Nolan also uses a minimal amount of dialogue for much of the film. Many main characters remain silent until around half an hour of screen time. All this is completely intentional. Rather than have the focus be on the horrors of battle, Nolan chooses to highlight the deafening tension that consumes the atmosphere of the film. Dunkirk is a different kind of war movie, one that shows how terrifying war can be, even whilst in relative safety. Also, this film makes the case for being Nolan's most beautiful; not an easy feat.
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#4: Interstellar (2014)
I actually only saw this film this past weekend, and I now severely regret not seeing it sooner. This film takes many thematic and stylistic cues from Inception, but exceeds them in every way. Matthew McConaughey stars as Joseph Cooper, a farmer and engineer who is sent on an intergalactic mission to find humans a new home, while Earth's resources slowly wither away. While easily Nolan's longest feature (clocking in at nearly three hours), the fascinating concept and excellent acting make the time seem much shorter. Fair warning, this film requires almost all of your attention. Much of the dialogue consists of science lingo that will make the film a confusing hellhole if you fail to pay attention. Like many of Nolan's films, Interstellar contains an underlying theme of time and how easily it can be warped and manipulated. This also might be Nolan's most heartbreaking film, with numerous moments that leave you dabbing the tears out of your eyes. Anne Hathaway also puts on a great performance as Dr. Brand. I came upon this film thinking it would be near the bottom of the list, when in fact its Nolan's grandest project to date, producing some spectacular results.
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#3: The Dark Knight (2008)
I'm just going to say it: this is the greatest superhero movie ever. Period. Nothing really even comes close. This film takes all the expectations one has of the genre, and breaks them in half. In fact, few films in general are as dark, exciting, and mind-bending as The Dark Knight. Before I go further, I have to talk about Heath Ledger. Try watching Brokeback Mountain and then this film; it really feels like you're watching two completely different actors. But in fact, you are seeing one of the truly exceptional acting performances of all time. Ledger's Joker is a menace, a psychopath, and deep down an entertainer. Everything he does is a performance, a grand spectacle of horror and chaos. This film just has an edge that is difficult to put into words. Like a broken sting on a violin, the world within Gotham is one big sour note trying to redeem itself. The best part about this film are the people. They are riddled with many flaws, you almost hesitate to call them "good guys". Yet, in the face of true evil, they must reconcile these flaws in order to survive.
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#2: The Prestige (2006)
Based on the Christopher Priest novel, The Prestige is easily one of the best films about rivalry, and how it can drive people to do extraordinarily terrible things. Set in 1890's London, the aforementioned rivalry takes place between two professional magicians, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale). Each develops an obsession of outdoing the other by performing increasingly outlandish and risky tricks, all while doing their best to undermine each other's work. This movie also contains great performances by Scarlet Johansson, Andy Serkis, and even the late David Bowie, who stars as Nikola Tesla. After watching all of Nolan's films, it becomes obvious that he's a fan of a good twist. No spoilers, but this film has arguably the best one of all, which will make you want to instantly re-watch the film in an attempt to figure it out. It is fascinating to watch these characters slowly devolve, as their obsession consumes nearly every facet of their life, often at the detriment to those around them. I've seen this film close to ten times by now, and I never tire of it, thanks to the amazing story that hooks your attention from the first minute and never lets go.
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#1: Memento (2000)
As hard as it was to assemble this list, there was little chance that any film would beat out Memento, Nolan's opus. The film, based on a short story by Nolan's brother and frequent collaborator Jonathan, focuses on Leonard Shelby, a man with short-term memory loss following a brutal attack that resulted in the death of his wife. With a memory that only lasts the span of a few minutes, Leonard works desperately to find his wife's killer. All the while, he must deal with people who either try to help him or take advantage of his severe handicap. Here, Nolan's experimental timelines reach near perfection, with a plot that illustrates how confusing and nightmarish the world seems through the eyes of Leonard Shelby. Trying to imagine what his life must be like, where every few minutes feels like waking up for the first time, it sounds unbearable. Nolan examines how memory, something we all take for granted, can be so easily stripped from you. This film will definitely take a couple viewings to make complete sense, but the end result is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. I'm not saying Nolan will never make a better film than this, but such a feat seems highly unlikely. An exceptional film that should be required for everyone to see.
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