2. DEFINITION OF THRILLER
a novel, play, or film with
an exciting plot, typically
involving crime or
espionage.
3. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN STUDY
Typical narratives:
Christopher Nolan usually uses the idea of a man trying to get their own back or trying to achieve a crime as
his narrative. Usually the characters in the narrative have to overcome something to get to where they want to
be. This challenge usually seems an impossible circumstance to overcome which means that it brings more
depth to the story as the viewer almost goes through their struggles with them. This idea makes the work
more exciting; thrilling. For example:
1. Inception- The narrative of inception is that a thief has rare abilities to enter to someone’s subconscious
this allows him to easily commit crimes. However, an enemy anticipates his every move making it difficult
to complete what he needs to do. This plot relates to Christopher’s typical narratives as it shows the idea
of a man needing to defeat his enemy in order to be successful. Also as this involves crime it allows this
film to fall in the thriller genre.
2. Insomnia- The narrative of insomnia is that a detective is sent to investigate the murder of a teenage girl.
He is then forced into a psychological game of cat-and-mouse by a suspect and as events escalate he finds
his own stability dangerously threatened. This narrative is one of Christopher Nolan’s typical ides as the
events easily escalate to build tension and depth to the ideas making it seem like the character is fighting a
challenging battel to do right.
3. Memento- A man is trying to track down the man who raped and murdered his wife, but he has a rare
condition which impacts his memory which means he can’t remember what he is doing and why whilst he
is investigating the case. This narrative is a usual narrative as the man is fighting his own mind to get
where he needs to be and he needs to work out a way of fighting his condition to be successful and find
the man.
4. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN STUDY
Typical Characters:
When creating a piece Nolan tends to skew towards using a certain
type of character in his writing and film making. From my research so
far I have seen that the main character tends to be someone who is
either a heroic character or a character who is just trying to cause
trouble (a criminal). Furthermore this character usually has an
opponent in the film who is trying to stop the other character from
completing a task. This would suggest the idea of a good vs bad idea
to the characters, which could suggest his characters are similar to
that of those in superhero movies. In addition the character whom is
trying to do something to better themselves or someone else usually
has a issue that will stop them suggesting that these characters
always seem to be determined and motivated.
5. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN STUDY
Settings:
The type of setting used by Nolan is usually dependant on the film or
the may ideas the film is trying to portray. However, a common type
of setting he is uses is one when the main character is on their own
usually in their house. Placing the characters alone allows Nolan to
show more about the character personal emotion and thoughts. For
example: In memento the main characters starts out in his own house
which allows their to be a deeper relationship between the viewer and
the character. Furthermore he is also shown in his local area as this
put a context behind his story. Also when something is about to
happen (climax) the characters are usually in a dark setting as this
foreshadows the future events that may be about to occur and
somewhat builds tension.
6. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN STUDY
Typical music used:
The main musical typically used in Nolan’s Thrillers is dramatic or
tension building. This allows a foreshadowing of what may be about
to happen. Also it increases the tension created in a scene as the film
will appeal to more senses meaning that it is more stimulating
therefore people are more likely to film as if they’re actually involved
in the movie as they feel what is happening on a deeper level.
Furthermore all the music that he uses has the ability to tell the story
of the film which means that is supports and encourages the ideas
that develop throughout the film and make understanding events
easier for the viewer.
7. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN STUDY
Camerawork:
In these films most types of camera work is used. Each type of
camera work is used strategically to build a sense of depth to a
scene. This means that the camera work is extremely importing in
telling the story and to maintain interest in the films. Furthermore
lighting is also used to show the ideas of the plot and to foreshadow
events and help to add more of a sense of realism to the shot. For
example in the film inception. There is a significant amount of close
ups used to make it obvious how a certain character feels about a
certain situation or event. This is important because it allows the
viewer to develop a deeper understanding of the characters. These
ideas are particularly important in his Thrillers as it makes it easier to
create tension and to form cliff hanger which is a common device
used in thrillers.
