Pre 1998 Short Films
Like many aspiring directors of the 1990s, Christopher Nolan and Darren Aronofsky honed their talents through black and white short films. During these formidable years, they began developing their own distinct styles. This unique period in the '90s provided them with the necessary motivation to excel. Resources to make a film were available, but not cheap. As a result, their approaches to filmmaking had to be meticulously planned and executed. Their years of hard work would finally be rewarded in 1998 when they presented their debut feature length films to the world.
1998: The Black and White Independent
Aronofsky and Nolan had minimal resources to make their first feature lengths so the tight scripts they made were paramount to the success of their respective movies. Aronofsky explored the psychological strains of his subject while Nolan strapped you into a rollercoaster storyline with unexpected twists and turns. Sounds familiar, right? These black and white independent films showcase a raw essence of what these filmmakers would become.
2000: The Early Masterpiece
Aronofsky and Nolan expertly used their experience from their debut features to enhance their distinct artistic visions, giving us two of the most brilliant psychological thrillers of recent times. Nolan’s Memento utilized an amazingly original story structure while Aronofsky’s Requiem For A Dream intensely captured the effects of drug addiction. Both movies are now highly revered among critics and audiences, but weren’t well known when they hit theaters at the turn of the millennium.
2005: Batman Begins
Aronofsky was originally given the reins of the Batman franchise and had enlisted Frank Miller, the author of Sin City, to help him develop a grim Gotham City. As you can imagine, the product of that collaboration was a bit darker than what the studios were looking for. Christopher Nolan originally planned on making a Howard Hughes biopic. But when he caught word that Scoersese was working on one, he turned his interest to a similar character, Batman. He took his vision to Warner Bros. who had just benefited from his 2002 offering Insomnia. They liked his portrayal of the masked vigilante. And there you have it, Batman Begins.
2006: The Year of the Jackman
Hugh Jackman connects Aronofsky and Nolan in 2006 by playing two characters that deal with loss very differently. The Fountain uses it for internal contemplation while The Prestige uses his loss for external competition. The cycle of life, death, and rebirth explored by Aronofsky is mirrored by Nolan’s process of the magic trick: the pledge, the turn, and the prestige. These 2006 movies vividly illustrate the 3-act structure that storytellers have used for ages.
2008: The Moment of Acclaim
Both Aronofsky and Nolan had already solidified their reputations by the year of 2008, but the success of their respective films that year would catapult them into acclaim. Nolan’s The Dark Knight became his first box office smash hit, dazzling audiences with one of the most electrifying super hero movies of all time. Meanwhile, Aronofsky’s The Wrestler rose to critical acclaim with a humble portrayal of the wrestling circuit.
2010: Another Mind-Bending Masterpiece
A decade after their psychological sophomore efforts, the two directors decided to delve deeper into the mind. Nolan took us into a dream with Inception while Aronofsky brought us into a nightmare with Black Swan. These films expertly blurred the lines between real and imaginary.
2012: Exiting the Comics
Nolan ended his relationship with DC Comics by concluding his beloved Dark Knight trilogy. Meanwhile, Aronofsky decided to give the comic book scene another try by stepping in as the director of The Wolverine, but would end up walking out on the project before shooting began. If Aronofsky had stayed on the project, both him and Nolan would have made super hero films with the lead actor from their 2006 movies.
2014: Epic Proportions
The duo are set to return this year bigger than ever. Biblical references have persisted through Aronofsky’s films (most evident in The Fountain and Pi). Now, he takes on one of the book’s most iconic stories, Noah and the flood. Noah will be the first film that Aronofsky has had a sizeable budget for, estimated at over 100 million, and he’ll need it to portray his most enormous story to date. Nolan is no stranger to the luxury (and pressure) of a big budget. His latest foray titled Interstellar will deal with manipulating space and time through a wormhole. The Prestige and Inception delved into similar science fiction-related terrain. It will be interesting to see what twists Nolan brings this time around.
Source: http://www.subcultmag.net/2014/02/the-p ... opher.html
Like many aspiring directors of the 1990s, Christopher Nolan and Darren Aronofsky honed their talents through black and white short films. During these formidable years, they began developing their own distinct styles. This unique period in the '90s provided them with the necessary motivation to excel. Resources to make a film were available, but not cheap. As a result, their approaches to filmmaking had to be meticulously planned and executed. Their years of hard work would finally be rewarded in 1998 when they presented their debut feature length films to the world.
1998: The Black and White Independent
Aronofsky and Nolan had minimal resources to make their first feature lengths so the tight scripts they made were paramount to the success of their respective movies. Aronofsky explored the psychological strains of his subject while Nolan strapped you into a rollercoaster storyline with unexpected twists and turns. Sounds familiar, right? These black and white independent films showcase a raw essence of what these filmmakers would become.
2000: The Early Masterpiece
Aronofsky and Nolan expertly used their experience from their debut features to enhance their distinct artistic visions, giving us two of the most brilliant psychological thrillers of recent times. Nolan’s Memento utilized an amazingly original story structure while Aronofsky’s Requiem For A Dream intensely captured the effects of drug addiction. Both movies are now highly revered among critics and audiences, but weren’t well known when they hit theaters at the turn of the millennium.
2005: Batman Begins
Aronofsky was originally given the reins of the Batman franchise and had enlisted Frank Miller, the author of Sin City, to help him develop a grim Gotham City. As you can imagine, the product of that collaboration was a bit darker than what the studios were looking for. Christopher Nolan originally planned on making a Howard Hughes biopic. But when he caught word that Scoersese was working on one, he turned his interest to a similar character, Batman. He took his vision to Warner Bros. who had just benefited from his 2002 offering Insomnia. They liked his portrayal of the masked vigilante. And there you have it, Batman Begins.
2006: The Year of the Jackman
Hugh Jackman connects Aronofsky and Nolan in 2006 by playing two characters that deal with loss very differently. The Fountain uses it for internal contemplation while The Prestige uses his loss for external competition. The cycle of life, death, and rebirth explored by Aronofsky is mirrored by Nolan’s process of the magic trick: the pledge, the turn, and the prestige. These 2006 movies vividly illustrate the 3-act structure that storytellers have used for ages.
2008: The Moment of Acclaim
Both Aronofsky and Nolan had already solidified their reputations by the year of 2008, but the success of their respective films that year would catapult them into acclaim. Nolan’s The Dark Knight became his first box office smash hit, dazzling audiences with one of the most electrifying super hero movies of all time. Meanwhile, Aronofsky’s The Wrestler rose to critical acclaim with a humble portrayal of the wrestling circuit.
2010: Another Mind-Bending Masterpiece
A decade after their psychological sophomore efforts, the two directors decided to delve deeper into the mind. Nolan took us into a dream with Inception while Aronofsky brought us into a nightmare with Black Swan. These films expertly blurred the lines between real and imaginary.
2012: Exiting the Comics
Nolan ended his relationship with DC Comics by concluding his beloved Dark Knight trilogy. Meanwhile, Aronofsky decided to give the comic book scene another try by stepping in as the director of The Wolverine, but would end up walking out on the project before shooting began. If Aronofsky had stayed on the project, both him and Nolan would have made super hero films with the lead actor from their 2006 movies.
2014: Epic Proportions
The duo are set to return this year bigger than ever. Biblical references have persisted through Aronofsky’s films (most evident in The Fountain and Pi). Now, he takes on one of the book’s most iconic stories, Noah and the flood. Noah will be the first film that Aronofsky has had a sizeable budget for, estimated at over 100 million, and he’ll need it to portray his most enormous story to date. Nolan is no stranger to the luxury (and pressure) of a big budget. His latest foray titled Interstellar will deal with manipulating space and time through a wormhole. The Prestige and Inception delved into similar science fiction-related terrain. It will be interesting to see what twists Nolan brings this time around.
Source: http://www.subcultmag.net/2014/02/the-p ... opher.html
