Think spotting a storytelling trick means a film doesn't work? Christopher Nolan has a different perspective. The two-time Academy Award winner recently discussed why he believes amateur film critics often miss the heart of what makes cinema so compelling.
Nolan Calls Out a “Real Problem” in Amateur Criticism
In a conversation with Beijing podcast host Zhong Shu, Nolan described what he sees as a significant challenge in modern film criticism. According to Nolan:
“The criticism that’s often leveled at movies in general is, ‘Oh, the character has to be made sympathetic, so the character is manipulated in different ways or changed in different ways.' And that’s a fundamental flaw of film criticism in a way, or storytelling criticism. Because to be able to identify the mechanism does not invalidate the mechanism. And that’s a real problem in criticism today.”
He pointed out that some critics believe that just because they recognize the mechanics behind a story’s emotional impact, the magic is lost or the technique is invalid.
“Because people have this idea that, ‘Because I can understand why the story affects me the way it is, therefore, it didn’t work.’ That’s not how storytelling works. So, when we create a heroic figure in a story, as storytellers, we have to be mindful of the energy that the audience brings to that story and the interaction between our intention and the way the audience receives that. And the fact that that mechanism is identifiable to people doesn’t invalidate it.”
The Universal Language of Hollywood
Reflecting on his latest film, The Odyssey, which has approached $1 billion in box office earnings, Nolan emphasized that Hollywood’s storytelling methods have become a global language.
“So, you’re looking at a lingua franca of storytelling created by Hollywood for the last hundred years that is effectively universal. And so, it is its own language, and that language is understood by people all over the world, which is what’s incredible about it. And it is a very, very accessible modern language of storytelling, and it has certain rules, it has conventions. You can break those conventions. You can bend them. You can move them. But you have to be aware of them the whole time.”
Nolan argues that the conventions and tropes seen in countless films are not a sign of weakness, but proof of a shared cinematic understanding that connects audiences worldwide. Recognizing these patterns, he says, is a result of this common language, not a flaw in the art.
Film Grammar Keeps Evolving
Addressing whether familiar devices become problematic over time, Nolan said amateur critics sometimes believe that pinpointing a storytelling mechanism is enough to invalidate it. However, he noted, the process is more nuanced:
“I’m thinking more of amateur criticism, because they feel they’ve identified the mechanism, they feel that it invalidates it. That can be true of certain elements, and film grammar, film language evolves with that. So when a trope becomes too familiar to an audience, then it has to be changed. But we do, as filmmakers, avail ourselves of that common language. We build on that understanding. Our audience has seen many films and they understand that language.”
In essence, film grammar adapts as audiences become attuned to its patterns, but the tools themselves remain vital for narrative clarity and connection.
The Odyssey: Classic Storytelling for Today’s Audience
Nolan’s The Odyssey reimagines Homer’s epic, charting Odysseus’ (Matt Damon) challenging journey home to his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) after the Trojan War. The film features an expansive cast, including Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Himesh Patel, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, Will Yun Lee, Rafi Gavron, Shiloh Fernandez, Mia Goth, and Travis Scott, among others.
Nolan’s comments are a reminder: just because you can spot the workings behind a film’s story doesn’t make it less effective. In fact, it means you’re fluent in the global language filmmakers have spent a century building.
