Christopher Nolanis certainly one ofthe most influential filmmakersof his generation in both his artistic craft and active work to preserve the film industry. While many films from great directors can fall under the radar, every Nolan film feels like an event, as he can get an audience interested in his projects based on his name alone. Who would have thought that a three-hourWorld War II historical biopic could become a blockbuster? Nolan’s talent has been evident ever sincehis feature film debutFollowing, earning him a passionate fan base that is devoted to seeing all of his upcoming projects. However, there’s one Nolan film that a majority of his biggest fans have never seen, and it’s unlikely that it will be released any time soon.
Christopher Nolan Began His Career Directing Short Films
Growing up a massive cinephile in London, Nolan cited a pivotal experience watchingStanley Kubrick’s 1968 masterpiece2001: A Space Odysseyas one of themost defining experience of his life, and served as a major inspiration for the rest of his career. Nolan began his careerworking on corporate training videos. Using the skills that he had picked up working on these professional sets, Nolan began developing his own ideas for independent short films that would showcase his talent and prepare him for his eventual decision to direct features. Directing shorts is a great way for filmmakers to make a name for themselves, as there’s a greater ability to experiment with extreme stylistic techniques that wouldn’t necessarily engage an audience for the length of a full feature. Many of the best filmmakers of all-time started off making short films that served as an early indicator of their talents.
In 1996, Nolan wrote, directed, and independently producedthe short filmLarceny.Larcenywas shot over the course of a single weekend by Nolan and his colleagues at the University College London when he was studying English literature. The black-and-white film had limited resources and a small cast, but longtime collaborator (and eventualFollowingstar)Jeremy Theobaldfound it to be different from the vast majority of college short film concepts that he had seen at the time. Despite earning critical acclaim uponits debut at the Cambridge Film Festival,Larcenyhas not been made available online, and few details about its story, themes, or characters have ever been disclosed by Nolan himself. It’s unclear why it’s never been released, but it did lead him to direct the more widely celebrated short filmDoodlebugin 1997.
Doodlebugwas a longer projectthat showcased some of the hallmarks that would become common throughout Nolan’s career. The story revolves around a single man whose obsession with a small insect slowly drives him to madness as he questions the nature of his reality, and begins to lash out in fear when the insect is revealed to be a smaller version of himself. The themes of questioning one’s thoughts, fear of being caught in cycles, and the escalation of violence were evidently topics Nolan had been interested in since his early days. It’s fascinating to see how these early shorts have continued to inspire his later work. UnlikeLarceny,Doodlebugwasmade available on the Criterion Channel.
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The Relevance of Christopher Nolan’s Shorts
Although it’s disappointing thatLarcenyhas never seen a proper release, as it would have been interesting to see how Nolan’s first major short film compared to his later work, it’s not entirely shocking that there hasn’t been an official restoration. Nolan is among the most singular cinematic voices because of his dedication to classical techniques over modern advancements, and he’s made headlines in recent years about the nature of his releases.Nolan has always shot his projects with traditional film stock, despite the advantages offered by digital releases, and in fact, the definitive IMAX 70mm print ofOppenheimeris only available in a handful of theatersaround the world. While this has created some challenges for him, Nolan has earned the right to demand certain expectations be met when it comes to the distribution of his work, and the success ofOppenheimerindicates that his name alone is enough to generate audience fanfare.
Both of Nolan’s shorts seem to have a noir atmosphere to them, and it’s interesting to see how the genre fascinated him at such a young age.FollowingandMementocontain many hallmarks of the genre, as they center on unsolved mysteries in which the fates of multiple characters are tied to a certain moment. This eventually leads to whatever twist or reveal Nolan has in mind, and some of his “reveals” are more successful than others; while the last five minutes ofMementoare absolutely riveting, the same could not be said of the last-minute revelation thatMarion Cotillardis actually Talia al Ghul inThe Dark Knight Rises. Considering that there’s a signature “Nolan twist” inDoodlebug,Larcenymay very well incorporate some sort of reveal that comes as a shock.
What Will Nolan Do Now After the Massive Success of ‘Oppenheimer’?
When it comes to Nolan’s next project, it appears that he has the world at his fingertips.Oppenheimer’s phenomenal performance at the box officeand critical acclaim indicate that it could be one of the most significant contenders in this year’s award season, and Nolan in particular has been singled out for his direction. While he received writing nominations for bothMementoandInception, Nolan has only a single directing nomination under his beltfor 2017’sDunkirk. Considering that many major releases that could have feasibly contended for the end of year award season have been pushed backdue to the SAG strike,Oppenheimerstands as one of the few prestige releases that has also been heralded by audiences. It could effectively sweep the season if things go Nolan’s way.
Nolan’s passion for the craft has endured from early days working onLarcenyto the complex release ofOppenheimer, and it’s one of the reasons why he’s among the industry’s most exciting voices. This is an era when not even movie stars can single-handedly entice moviegoers to head out to the theaters, as audiences seem to be interested in sequels, prequels, and other franchise films. It’s terrific that Nolan’s name is more valuable than any piece of intellectual property.
