As good as Nolan's films are, is he getting the most effect from them? For instance, if The Dark Knight were rated R, think how much more terrifying the Joker could have been. Instead, we're given a PG-13 rating for obvious reasons, and when people are shot (think the bank heist at the beginning of the film) no blood whatsoever is shown to the audience. It's odd, weird and all the other adjectives.

So moving forward, will Nolan make a truly R rated film, dark and all, a la Se7en, or will he make a more tame version of Se7en because studios will pressure him to do what needs to be done to make the film the most financially successful? I know Nolan has the ability to do what he wants at this point of his career, but we all know The Dark Knight Rises was never going to be R rated, even if Nolan's material needed it to be.

Look at the trend: Nolan's first 3 film: Following, Memento, Insomnia: All R rated. His last 5 films (including TDKR): PG-13.
The more financially successful he has become, all of his films have been PG-13.

Skyab23 wrote:Look at the trend: Nolan's first 3 film: Following, Memento, Insomnia: All R rated. His last 5 films (including TDKR): PG-13.
The more financially successful he has become, all of his films have been PG-13.

Because it brings in more of an audience.

Mason wrote:

Skyab23 wrote:Look at the trend: Nolan's first 3 film: Following, Memento, Insomnia: All R rated. His last 5 films (including TDKR): PG-13.
The more financially successful he has become, all of his films have been PG-13.

Because it brings in more of an audience.

I realize that, so is Nolan going to potentially give up an artistic license in order to satisfy a studio's pressure to promote PG-13 movies because of their financial success?

If that is what Nolan has to sacrifice, then obviously yes.

Yes, he's getting a lot of money.

Personally I think he took the right path. It's helped him gain a lot more interest. I remember when I went to see TDK for the first time with a friend it was the midnight screening and at some points we were giggling like little girls cos we were really nervous. I think he managed to take the rating to the limit. Like, just a little extra and he'd have gotten the R rating. It worked for everyone IMO. I don't like films that are gruesome and violent just for the sake of the violence and in TDK the limit, perhaps, helped make it just right. The many times I saw it it still gave me shivers. I hate to admit Ledger's death obviously contributed to that but the narrative is just excellent, it's sick in a way that makes you think. I think R rating could have actually hurt this one and not just Nolan's pockets.

jibran wrote:Yes, he's getting a lot of money.

well, he explores psychology to a lesser degree, but his films aren't art ...not many of modern filmmakers' films are though

I was disappointed by TDK's PG13 rating..but in this capitalistic day and age, its the only sensible thing to do.

Skyab23 wrote:

Mason wrote: Because it brings in more of an audience.

I realize that, so is Nolan going to potentially give up an artistic license in order to satisfy a studio's pressure to promote PG-13 movies because of their financial success?

I doubt it. The fact that Christopher Nolan hasn't felt the need to release director's cuts of his last couple of films seems indicative of that.

Tristy wrote:

Skyab23 wrote:
I realize that, so is Nolan going to potentially give up an artistic license in order to satisfy a studio's pressure to promote PG-13 movies because of their financial success?

I doubt it. The fact that Christopher Nolan hasn't felt the need to release director's cuts of his last couple of films seems indicative of that.

Perhaps, but I've read that Nolan doesn't release deleted scenes and director's cuts because by the time they start filming, they have already widdeled(sp) down the process, and he doesn't think of inserting scenes unless they're intricate to the progression of the plot. So apparently, there aren't many if any deleted scenes out there for his films...although that's kind of hard to believe, it's what he has claimed.