Christopher Nolan: Filmmaker and Philosopher

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Christopher Nolan is the writer and director of Hollywood blockbusters like The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, and also of arthouse films like Memento and Inception. Underlying his staggering commercial success however, is a darker sensibility that questions the veracity of human knowledge, the allure of appearance over reality and the latent disorder in contemporary society. This appreciation of the sinister owes a huge debt to philosophy and especially modern thinkers like Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud and Jacques Derrida. Taking a thematic approach to Nolans oeuvre, Robbie Goh examines how the directors postmodern inclinations manifest themselves in non-linearity, causal agnosticism, the threat of social anarchy and the frequent use of the mise en abyme, while running counter to these are narratives of heroism, moral responsibility and the dignity of human choice. For Goh, Nolan is a reluctant postmodernist. His films reflect the cynicism of the modern world, but with their representation of heroic moral triumphs, they also resist it.

Reviews

A magisterial sweep over a multifold canvas. At once auteur, social critic, genie, and moralist, Gohs Nolan is a layered and evolving medium for our times. From the restless noir of the earliest works, to the historical gravitas of the most recent, Gohs survey penetrates intricacies and opens new perceptions. A must-read study on a crucial oeuvre for critics, students, filmmakers and fans alike. * Lauren M.E. Goodlad, Professor of English, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, USA *
With deft handling of Christopher Nolans diverse oeuvre, Robbie Goh puts forward a strong argument for the philosophical depths of films such as Inception, Dunkirk, and The Dark Knight. Taking readers through Nolans audio-visual medium, Goh interrogates the place of the individual in a decaying social structure, questions the production of truth, and finds reasons for hope. * S. Brent Plate, author of "Religion and Film: Cinema and the Re-Creation of the World" *

Author Bio

Robbie B. H. Goh is Professor of Literature in the department of English Language and Literature at the National University of Singapore. His research interests are Diaspora Studies, Indian Anglophone Literature, Christianity in Asia, the Bible and Literature/Popular Culture, Late Nineteenth Century English Literature, and Speculative Fiction.