The Dark Knight Rises The Christopher Nolan Thread

[CConn]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but with all due respect, you have no idea what you're talking about buddy. I can appreciate that you don't like certain shots in Nolan's films however you can't have every shot and second of a film look like a piece of "art" and have subtlety at the same time.

Yes, you can. Wes Andersen does in nearly all of his films. Paul Anderson also achieved it in There Will Be Blood. As did Ridley Scott in Blade Runner. There's actually a lot of examples.

It's all a matter of preference and maybe you prefer certain types of films better than others. I for one think directors who go out of their way to make every shot self awarely "beautiful" and "artistic", it takes me out of the film sometimes when DP's and directors are that heavy handed. It gets in the way of story telling, acting, editing and it's CERTAINLY not subtle. In my opinion Nolan and Pfister strike a perfect balance between these mediums to create films that tell beautiful yet engaging stories, subtly.

It doesn't get in the way of being subtle at all, I honestly don't even comprehend the point you're trying to make. As I already mentioned, Blade Runner is probably one of most subtle American movies ever made, and it still have near flawless cinematography.

I'm a filmmaker myself so I have a bit of education and experience on this, I'm not an authority on the matter but I know what I'm talking about.

I'm certainly not trying to infer you don't know what you're talking about.

 

[CConn]

I know he has subtle moments. But that is superseded by the main themes being hammered over your head.

I groan every time I think how many times the word "rise" will be uttered by the characters.

Nolan has both very subtle and extremely obvious elements in all of his films.

I like his subtlety, I - like everyone - just wishes he'd tone down the obvious bits.

 

[Victarion]

That would have been intense. Hopefully Rises has a bit of a nice horror influence, but it looks like it's going to be more war film than horror, but that's cool too.

I think seeing Bane's people dragging Gothamites out of their homes will feel horrific. I wouldn't expect him to do something as obivious as a monster or something. IF he decided years later to do an Inception 2, we could learn that Cobb really wasn't that great a father.

Maybe the kids we saw were the children as Cobb liked to remember them. Given how often he was away from home and his shady dealings, they could've grown up to resent him. Nolan could delve into Cobb, and if he's a bad man, there's your horror elements. Such a plot would also keep the ambiguity of the ending of Inception.

How's this for subtle:

Joker tells a story about his father, a drinker and a fiend, who beat his mother. The people who die after that are Comissioner Loeb, via spiked alcohol, and the female judge.

 

[Greens]

How's this for subtle:

Joker tells a story about his father, a drinker and a fiend, who beat his mother. The people who die after that are Comissioner Loeb, via spiked alcohol, and the female judge.

Joker tells a story about his girlfriend and his scars. He scars Harvey and kills his girlfriend

 

[Tacit Ronin]

I just want to say: there is nothing wrong with every shot not being a well composed painting. Cinema offers greater options then that.

Take Michael Mann and Terrence Malick, two of the most visual American filmmakers working, for example: their recent films are increasingly reliant on handheld and almost deliberately shun a painterly image, deliberately going for that "sloppy" look, yet none can say they aren't visually accomplished. Perhaps the most so in current American filmmaking.

 

[Gold Samurai]

I think seeing Bane's people dragging Gothamites out of their homes will feel horrific. I wouldn't expect him to do something as obivious as a monster or something. IF he decided years later to do an Inception 2, we could learn that Cobb really wasn't that great a father.

At the end you can hear Cobb's son say he's building something. I took this as Cobb's son being a future architect.

 

[JackWhite]

I don't know if I'm the only one, but I really don't want an Inception sequel. Really enjoyed the film, but IMO; it works as a complete stand alone film.

 

[BuddhaWasABat]

When it comes to the exposition thing, I didn't mind the level in TDK. I thought TDK had a great balance between spelling out the most basic themes and keeping others subtle. I also thought the monologues, especially the final one, were beautifully written. It's never bothered me. Batman Begins was a bit of an issue. I love Begins but it's screenplay was a bit weak. "Fear... FEAR... FEAR!!!" Yeah that got annoying, and that's not all either.

From what we've seen of TDKR it's obvious the word "RISE!" is going to be in there quite a bit. Not happy about that but not let down because I've expected it. Still doesn't change my level of excitement in the least.

 

[CapedCrusader14]

TDK's final monologue was beautiful. I never thought it went over with the exposition in the film.

 

[JackWhite]

Another subtle scene was after Dent was scarred and Rachel died - when Bruce was just inconsolable. I can't believe some people wanted Bruce to just outright cry in that scene, Nolan nailed Bruce's pain and guilt perfectly.

I also like how Alfred's "we burned the forest down" line ultimately lead to the Sonar device, yet it wasn't exactly spelled out to us.

 

[CConn]

Another subtle scene was after Dent was scarred and Rachel died - when Bruce was just inconsolable. I can't believe some people wanted Bruce to just outright cry in that scene, Nolan nailed Bruce's pain and guilt perfectly.

I was pretty wholly unmoved by that scene.

But I think it was more due to Bale's lack of emoting than the writing of direction. If it were Keaton sitting in that chair, it probably would've been a much more powerful scene for me.

 

[JackWhite]

I was pretty wholly unmoved by that scene.

But I think it was more due to Bale's lack of emoting than the writing of direction. If it were Keaton sitting in that chair, it probably would've been a much more powerful scene for me.

Fair enough.

I rather liked how he was fighting back the tears, trying to just keep moving forward with dealing with the Joker, preserving his hatred and despair. The only bit of outward sadness that Bruce shows for a second is when he mentions that Rachel was going to wait for him and that Dent couldn't ever know. That look on his face really spoke volumes for me.

 

[kvz5]

I rather liked how he was fighting back the tears, trying to just keep moving forward with dealing with the Joker, preserving his hatred and despair. The only bit of outward sadness that Bruce shows for a second is when he mentions that Rachel was going to wait for him and that Dent couldn't ever know. That look on his face really spoke volumes for me.

 

[CConn]

I just want to say: there is nothing wrong with every shot not being a well composed painting. Cinema offers greater options then that.

Take Michael Mann and Terrence Malick, two of the most visual American filmmakers working, for example: their recent films are increasingly reliant on handheld and almost deliberately shun a painterly image, deliberately going for that "sloppy" look, yet none can say they aren't visually accomplished. Perhaps the most so in current American filmmaking.

There's ways to make that look artistic too though.

I think of Children of Men; a very gritty, realistic looking movie with a very big handicam feel to it... They still had some absolutely incredible shots in it. Even when it felt like a cameraman was jerking a camera about, it still have a deliberate and artistic way of framing and transitioning.

It's not that everything has to be stoically pristine (like Wes Anderson can go a big overboard with that, IMO), it just needs to be done with an extremely artistic eye and intentions.

I truthfully think a lot of directors just don't care about it all that much; that they're just more focused on the other aspects of the film.

 

[E.NormusJohnson]

he just professed his like for Inception (a popcorn blockbuster) a post above you guy.

Barely, guy.

 

[Batman jr.]

I was pretty wholly unmoved by that scene.

But I think it was more due to Bale's lack of emoting than the writing of direction. If it were Keaton sitting in that chair, it probably would've been a much more powerful scene for me.

I like B'89, but I don't see Keaton as "emotional".


Or am I the only one?

 

[Batman jr.]

There's ways to make that look artistic too though.

I think of Children of Men; a very gritty, realistic looking movie with a very big handicam feel to it... They still had some absolutely incredible shots in it. Even when it felt like a cameraman was jerking a camera about, it still have a deliberate and artistic way of framing and transitioning.

It's not that everything has to be stoically pristine (like Wes Anderson can go a big overboard with that, IMO), it just needs to be done with an extremely artistic eye and intentions.

I truthfully think a lot of directors just don't care about it all that much; that they're just more focused on the other aspects of the film.

Children of men is a great movie, despite Clive Owen.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Barely, guy.

In what world is calling something nearly perfect "barely" liking it, dude?

 

[CConn]

Yeah. I said its like one of my Top 10 favorite movies.

 

[CConn]

I like B'89, but I don't see Keaton as "emotional".


Or am I the only one?

Keaton's performances were both extremely emotional. He consistently conveyed an amazingly large amount of emotional depth through his eyes and facial expressions. That's why - despite having so little dialogue - he was still so likeable and relatable as Bruce Wayne.

 

[Herolee10]

Great picture of the two:

 

[CConn]

I feel like Nolan deserves a better looking woman.

But, at the same time, he refuses to pluck his semi-uni-brow, so maybe he doesn't.

 

[TheBlueMcCoy82]

I feel like Nolan deserves a better looking woman.

But, at the same time, he refuses to pluck his semi-uni-brow, so maybe he doesn't.

'

Maybe the man truly loves his wife and doesn't pressure her to have to look like a plastic Barbie doll...? Looks aren't everything, my friend.

 

[The Guard]

Also, they're British.

 

[CConn]

'

Maybe the man truly loves his wife and doesn't pressure her to have to look like a plastic Barbie doll...? Looks aren't everything, my friend.

I was being sarcastic, Jiminy.