Director Study: Chris Nolan

As part of our investigation and preperation studies, we were asked to look in depth at a certain film director - mine was Chris Nolan. (click to enlarge!)

Sir Ridley Scott

Sir Ridley Scott, born 30 November 1937, is an English film director and producer known for his stylish visuals and an obsession for detail.Scott was born in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England, the son of Elizabeth and Colonel Francis Percy Scott. He was raised in an Army family, meaning that for most of his early life, his father — an officer in the Royal Engineers — was absent. Ridley's older brother, Frank, joined the Merchant Navy when he was still young and the pair had little contact. During this time the family moved around, living in (among other areas) Cumbria, Wales and Germany. He has a younger brother, Tony, also a film director. After the Second World War, the Scott family moved back to their native north-east England, eventually settling in Teesside (whose industrial landscape would later inspire similar scenes in Blade Runner). He enjoyed watching films, and his favourites include Lawrence of Arabia, Citizen Kane and Seven Samurai. Scott studied in Teesside from 1954 to 1958, at Grangefield Grammer School and later in West Hartlepool College of Art, graduating with a Diploma in Design. He progressed to an M.A. in graphic design at the Royal College of Art from 1960 to 1962. His filmsHis films include The Duellists (1977), Alien (1979),Blade Runner (1982), Legend (1985), Thelma & Louise (1991), Gladiator (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), Hannibal(2001), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), American Gangster (2007), Body of Lies (2008), and Robin Hood (2010). 

An advert for the Thriller genre

Slightly psychopathic? Haunted by wrongs from your past? well we want you! If you love tense situations that lead into violence or death, you must be able to show the darks side of society. Experienced in stalking or being paranoid is essential. Seeking vengeance on society or specific people? Intent on murder or crime? Must be comfortable in dark alleyways, basements, creepy run down towns.

A collage of our target audience, Teenagers.

This is a collage of what we thought interested our target audience. Our target audience is teenagers so we cut out things we thought were important to teenagers from magazines. We came up with all the obvious stuff, like cars, junk food, women, fashion, cars and music. We also came up with some rather random stuff as well, like Ozzy Osborne, Superman, and even Thomas the Tank Engine.

Roman Polanski

• He was born in Paris and is a Polish-French director.
• He was born 18th August 1933
• He writes directs and acts
• Over the years he has won 14 awards. He has two Golden Globes and two Ceaser awards
• He has had 3 wives (two ex-wives) he is currently married to Emmanelle Seigner
• You could say the reason his view of the world is so warped is due to life experience
• As a child his mother and father were both taken to concentration camps and his father died but his mother survived
• He mostly stayed with Catholic families during the war and occasionally slept rough

Some of the films he has done include:

• 'The Tennant' (1976)
• 'The Pianist' (2002)
• 'Oliver Twist' (2005)
• 'The Ghost Writer' (2010)

'Shutter Island' Opening Q & A

What does the set up reveal to the audience about setting? Where is this place? What gives you information?The film is set on a remote island we can tell this from the fact that they have to take a boat to get there. Also there is the factor of the establishing shot of the island itself looking dark and with eerie music over the top makes it seem remote and desolate.

What does the set up reveal to the audience about characters?
The set up reveals what kind of a character Teddy Daniels is as once upon the island he is disarmed therefore making his less powerful however we can tell that he is used to being a strong character as at first he will not surrender his firearm to the guard.

What does the set up reveal to the audience about interrelationship between characters? About their goals? Are there any things you learn here that become important later on?We know that Teddy Daniels and Chuck are work partners as they discuss the case and where they are each from. The fact that they haven't worked together before is important.

What is this 'world' like? Safe? Happy? Dangerous? How do you know?
Dangerous. This is made out by eerie music and also the background to the characters themselves. For example the factor that they are police officers means they deal with criminals everyday. But as the warden tells us this is not only a mental institution for the criminally insane but the most dangerous criminals are taken here-to a remote island.

What possible conflicts or strains are there that will become part of the story later on?
The guards are weary of the two partners from the start. The fact that his wife died is important as it is part of Daniels' complex character. Also the working relationship between Chuck and Teddy is very important as they get very close yet everything is not how it is perceived to be.

How does this film opening fit with the codes and conventions of thriller films?This film has many codes and conventions within the opening and I shall only name a select few

• Sound bridge
• Close ups of 'shaken up' Teddy
• Eerie tense music
• Establishing shot
• Flashbacks
• Colour editing-everything is grey and dark
• Lots of point of view shots-looking at the guards and looking at the wards
• Mysterious characters-mental patients, guards on edge, Teddy has a complex past, most are strangers to one another
• Red herrings

For all these reasons and many more I think 'Shutter Island' is a very conventional film to the thriller genre.

Definition of the genre Thriller

Thriller:-The obvious aim of a thriller is to thrill it's audience, it does this by trying to evoke intense emotions such as apprehension and exhilaration in the audience. You can often recognise a thriller by the amount of suspense and tension; setting (society is often a corrupt place); you can find examples of plot twists, red herrings and cliff hangers and more often than not you can judge a thriller upon the levels of violence, crime and murder shown onscreen.
Some examples of thrillers you may know include

• Inception
• Fight Club
• Silence of the Lambs
• Bladerunner
• Psycho
• Dark Knight
• The Shining
• Reservoir Dogs