Christopher Nolanis one of the most successful writers and directors of the modern era. His films are always absolute spectacles that deserve to be seen on the biggest screen possible. It doesn’t matter if it’s a film about a clown terrorizing a man dressed as a bat or the story of a pulling of a heist in a dreamscape.
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Nolan’s films are based on a combination of groundbreaking special effects, airtight, fast-paced plots, and solid and intriguing characters with clearly defined motives.With the auteur’s newest filmOppenheimerset to hit cinemas in 2023, it’s time to look back at the characters audiences couldn’t get enough of.
Dr. Jonathan Crane — Cillian Murphy
Cillian Murphyand Christopher Nolan are set to collaborate for the sixth time withOppenheimer, but for many fans, their first collaboration is the one they remember most fondly. Murphy was at his sinister best as Dr. Jonathan Crane, the villain responsible for flooding Gotham City with fear toxins inBatman Begins. The villain was so popular that Nolan even opted to bring him back for both other installments in his Batman trilogy. First, he was foiled by Batman (Christian Bale) while trying to sell his fear toxin inThe Dark Knight, and then he was a judge who gave people the choice of death or exile on a particularly treacherous iced over river inThe Dark Knight Rises.
Mal — Marion Cotillard
Inceptionis a film overflowing with colorful characters and memorable moments, butMarion Cotillard’smenacing and desperate Mal manages to steal just about every scene she’s in. After spending what seemed like an eternity trapped in limbo with her husband Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), Mal was eventually driven off the deep end by an idea that her husband planted in her head: this world isn’t real.
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As a result, Mal couldn’t accept the world was real even when they returned home, and she tragically took her own life. Haunted by guilt, Mal arrives in Cobb’s subconscious as a desperate enemy, longing for him to reunite with her once again.
Murph — Mackenzie Foy/Jessica Chastain/Ellen Burstyn
Played by a trio of actresses (Mackenzie Foy,Jessica Chastain, andEllen Burstyn) across time, Murph is the emotional anchor of Nolan’s epic space adventureInterstellar. We’re first introduced to Murph as a ten-year-old girl who’s desperate for her father, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), to stay at home with her.
We reunite with Murph in her thirties, at which point she’s working with NASA to try and save humanity. Finally, we see Murph as an old lady who’s spent years in hypersleep so she can finally be reunited with Cooper. Murph is a strong, brilliant scientist who, aided by Cooper’s love, manages to provide humanity with the means to live on without the earth.
Bruce Wayne - Christian Bale
Of course, the hero of Nolan’s genre-defining trilogy was going to make the cut. Many people still considerThe Dark Knightone of the best superhero movies of all time, and the immensely flawed, morally immovable Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) plays a massive part in that acclaim.
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Nolan’s Bruce Wayne is obsessed with protecting Gotham City, putting his body through torture on a nightly basis despite the many concerns of his loyal butler Alfred (Michael Caine). Bale and Nolan showed the world that realism does not hinder a superhero but actually makes them more relatable to audiences, and it’s a lesson fans hope has carried over intothe upcomingThe Batman.
Robert Angier — Hugh Jackman
Though picking a favorite Christopher Nolan film is an impossible task for many,The Prestigeis a film that gets better with each watch. Set in the 1890s, The Prestige tells the story of two street magicians who form a fierce rivalry, battling to create the most impressive illusion.Hugh Jackmanplayed Robert Angier, who becomes obsessed with being the greatest magician in London after his wife dies in a tragic accident.
Robert is charming, approachable, and likable but quickly becomes consumed by his obsession and rivalry with Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), which drives him to push his boundaries, taking his magic to dark and unthinkable places.
Cobb — Leonardo DiCaprio
Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is one of Christopher Nolan’s most relatable protagonists because all of his actions are driven by a simple goal: to return to his children. To do so, Cobb assembles a team of allies to plant an idea in the mind of uncertain C.E.O Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy), knowing that success will clear his name and allow him to reunite with his children on US soil.
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Cobb is haunted by the memory of Mal, his wife, and blames himself for her death. His scenes with her are chilling and tragic and, when paired with the thrilling and relentless set-pieces Inception offers,combine to create Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece.
Walter Finch — Robin Williams
In one of the best examples of casting against type, Nolan cast naturally charming, hysterically funnyRobin Williamsas murderer Walter Finch. Finch spends the duration ofInsomniatoying with Will Dormer (Al Pacino), pushing him further and further towards the point of no return.Insomniaisn’t as iconic as some of Nolan’s more beloved films, but that doesn’t mean Williams' intimidating, icy performance doesn’t deserve the utmost credit.
He and Pacino are excellent screen partners, pushing one another to coax everything they can from each scene, and the sadistic nature in which Finch plays with Dormer’s emotions is reminiscent of the dynamic between a chaos-seeking clown and a justice-seeking vigilante.
Leonard Shelby — Guy Pearce
Much likeThe Prestige,Mementois a film that just gets better the more you watch it, and Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) is one of the most complex characters Nolan’s ever created. Shelby suffers from short-term memory loss and uses notes and tattoos to continue investigating the murder of his wife.
Pearce gives a career-best performance as he pieces together clues and desperately tries to retain any new information he obtains. The non-linear narrative combined with Shelby’s unreliable narration provides audiences with a completely unique viewing experience and a protagonist who keeps them guessing right until the film’s conclusion.
The Joker — Heath Ledger
At this point, there isn’t really anything left to say aboutHeath Ledger’siconic, Academy-Award-winning performance as the Clown Prince of Crime. The Joker is terrifying, calculated, and cold. There have been many iterations of The Joker,Jared Leto’sgangster prince, andJack Nicholson’scrime lord, to name just a few, but Ledger’s maniacal villain is by far the world’s favorite incarnation.
Perhaps the scariest aspect of Ledger’s performance, disappearing pencil tricks aside, is the fact that though he seems spontaneous and maniacal, he’s actually calculating, cunning, and incredibly intelligent. He’s not greedy; he isn’t after money or acclaim or power; he simply wants to watch the world burn.
