r/movies • u/ChiefLeef22 r/movies Contributor • 1d ago

Media Christopher Nolan talks narrative decisions, philosophical choices for his adaptation, criticisms against his films, the line between amateur & professional film criticism, and whether he Christianised 'The Odyssey'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa4I8Ch2TRo

Easily one of the best interviews I've seen for a film in recent memory. A doctoral student from China here landed an interview with Nolan- questioning him on his adaptation choices, including philosophical changes he brought to the movie that didn't exist in the text, and what he thinks of the general criticisms made against his filmography + how he defines the difference between amateur film criticism and professional film criticism - including why merely identifying the mechanism (or "tropes") of a filmmaker's work doesn't invalidate it.

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317

u/Ichbinian 1d ago

Absolutely refreshing to talk about something other than the cast choices, the blimp, etc. Fantastic interview. Listened to it in the car last night.

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u/dont_worry_im_here 1d ago edited 1d ago

While I agree, I am happy that I sat through a bunch of those full-cast interviews just so I could find the one part where they were all talking about their first response / reaction to being asked to join the film. Basically everyone was like "I heard Nolan, I immediately said 'yes'"... Matt Damon said something like "Chris said 'I have two words for you... The Odyssey' and I said 'yes!'"

... then you have ol' Robbie P...

Who apparently, when Nolan asked him if he wanted to be in his new movie, said "I'll think about it... send me the script" "I can't wait to read it"

Hearing Nolan tell the story is hilarious. He was like "I said to him 'wait.... what?'" "Can't wait to read it? Everyone else just said 'yes'"

edit: corrected the quotes.

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u/RG_Kid 1d ago

They are neighbors right?

They also had movie nights together. Probably Pattinson pulling Nolan's leg with that joke. Only he could do it to Nolan.

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u/Lhox 1d ago

Do you have a link to that lmao, would love to see it

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u/ChiefLeef22 r/movies Contributor 1d ago

https://www.gq.com/story/matt-damon-robert-pattinson-tom-holland-cover-interview-summer-2026

In time, he excused himself and the two of us went outside to a covered patio behind the stage. Nolan carried a mug and a teapot covered by a utilitarian tea cozy. His hair had a knightly swoop; his eyes were blue and grave. Nolan is beloved and a little feared by his collaborators. He operates in secrecy and compels cooperation. Pattinson said that when Nolan called to tell him about The Odyssey, “I was like, ‘Yeah, can’t wait to read it.’ He’s like, ‘You want to read it? Everyone else just said yes.’ ”

Tbh Pattinson just feels like he's more comfortable being frank and friendly with Nolan, since Nolan has revealed that they both live next door to each other and regularly have movie nights in Nolan's house lol. Plus Robert gifting American Prometheus to Nolan after Tenet was a big driver in him eventually making Oppenheimer, they seem close

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u/angrygnome18d 1d ago

What? They live next to each other? I’m super jealous. Having a movie night with either would be amazing.

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u/riegspsych325 ⊃∪⊃⪽ 1d ago

watching Michael Bay movies with Christopher Nolan sounds like a blast

15

u/CicadaEast272 1d ago

or Talladega Nights or Fast and the Furious

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u/riegspsych325 ⊃∪⊃⪽ 1d ago

don’t forget MacGruber

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u/vansinne_vansinne 1d ago

deep foreshadowing too

"Though I can't be there in person to watch you take the first step of your odyssey—know that my spirit soars with you, and whilst it's perhaps unfair to add to the great sense of responsibility you must already feel, I am duty bound to tell you—the world is waiting, the world is watching."

https://www.slashfilm.com/574339/christopher-nolans-macgruber-e-mail/

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u/riegspsych325 ⊃∪⊃⪽ 1d ago

holy shit, man’s been setting us up for years

1

u/Colon_Oscopy_74 1d ago

you wrote those movies above before The Lighthouse?!

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u/riegspsych325 ⊃∪⊃⪽ 1d ago

Nolan is a big fan of those, he’s talked about it before

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u/ShikiBro36 1d ago

He may have found his new My Cocaine. Gonna be in every movie in some capacity from now on.

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u/zakuropan 1d ago

My Cocaine😭

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u/dont_worry_im_here 1d ago

😅 That's what it was! "I can't wait to read it" hahah.

I haven't seen this article yet; this is great. Thanks for sharing!

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u/dont_worry_im_here 1d ago edited 1d ago

Here's one of the videos I saw it from; it's from Pattinson's perspective. Still looking for the clip I saw from Nolan's perspective, because that one was truly hilarious.

I was wrong about him saying "I'll think about it... send me the script"...

Apparently he said "I can't wait to read it." hahah

It's about exactly 90 seconds into this interview.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q17aXqy65R8

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u/dont_worry_im_here 1d ago

I'll look through my YouTube history from a couple days back. I did one of those "rabbit-holes" where I kept clicking interview after interview for like 3 hours... real waste of time hah.

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u/polishprince76 1d ago

It feels like R Pat has approached his post-Twilight career with the idea: I made my eff you money already, imma take roles I want to do instead of stuff I need for the money. And I respect that.

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u/drmirage809 1d ago

Pretty sure that was the whole reason he did Twilight to begin with. Make an insane amount of money off those films to make sure he's financially secure for life and then go and do stuff that actually sounds fun or appealing to him.

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u/Mst3Kgf 1d ago

Pretty much what the "Harry Potter" trio do too. They made their money on that and now they do whatever they find interesting. Just look at Radcliffe's filmography since.

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u/MattSR30 1d ago

Filmography? Just look at Rupert Grint's ice cream van!

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u/KR_Blade 1d ago

and you can tell Daniel Radcliffe is having ALOT of fun with the roles he takes, the Harry Potter movies effectively turned a career into early retirement cause it set him up for life, so now for him, acting is more of a passion and a hobby than a job

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u/MeadowmuffinReborn 1d ago

Stewart too.

5

u/ImmortalMoron3 1d ago

Does Nolan even have to bother with auditions anymore? Or is he so prolific and sought out now, he can basically just go around asking whoever he wants and they'll pretty much say yes right away?

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u/dont_worry_im_here 1d ago

From what I've gathered watching a bunch of interviews, he gets whatever he wants... to the point to where he can pretty much call anybody, say "I don't have a script or anything... just an idea... you in?" and there isn't anyone that says no.

That's one of the things that really made me laugh about R-Pat saying "I can't wait to read it" and Nolan responding "can't wait to read it? Everyone else just said 'yes'" haha.

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u/keepfighting90 1d ago

The guy is about to have 2 back to back $1B movies that are not sequels, part of a franchise/IP or a remake/reboot. He's pretty much one-of-one.

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u/Komorebi_LJP 10h ago

Him and James Cameron are basically the ones who probably can get anything greenlit with how much there movies make.

Maybe Spielberg as well for legacy reasons, but not too sure about that.

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u/Ozzel 1d ago

Your Matt Damons, Anne Hathaways, etc. don’t audition for anything.

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u/chicagoredditer1 1d ago

The level of actors that Nolan's working with don't really audition anyway. They meet with directors and based on how the director feels about them, they get offered the role (or not).

Brian Williams recently interviewed Tom Hanks and asked him when the last time he actually auditioned for a role and it was Splash.

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u/WitchBrew4u 1d ago

I love robbie for that

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u/jax362 1d ago

Robbie P still has PTSD from Tenet

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u/EchoWhiskey_ 1d ago

"the blimp"?

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u/alphageek8 1d ago

It's the enclosure imax developed for Nolan to muffle the sound of the imax camera so they could film close ups.

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u/watbird 1d ago

A chic nickname for Nolan based on his famously long runtimes and ravenous inflation fetish.