The Odyssey received positive reviews and has been a box-office success. But is it Nolan’s best film? What is his best film? Or, to put it another way, when did Christopher Nolan peak as a director?
Christopher Nolan talked up the iMax format for The Odyssey, but as many photographers know from analogue photography, using a medium format camera system like 6cm X 7cm over 35mm creates a visible step up in image resolution, but it produces shallower depth of field and it depends on a heightened attention to technique in order to bring out that technical excellence (leading to the use of heavy tripods and studio lights). It’s important to note that extra sharpness does not produce increased meaning or capture more of ‘life’. Sharpness is a quality that Henri Cartier Bresson observed:
Sharpness is a bourgeois concept.
The subtext of what he noted is that photography, at it’s best captures an amazing moment in real life. It’s not just a technical record. In movie cinematography this corresponds to an actor’s performance in front of the camera. That’s what makes it come alive – and using more restrictive equipment can lead to a movie lacking spontaneity, feeling stagey, and wooden.
With this in mind, which of Nolan’s films capture that sense of aliveness best? I would argue that as his films become increasing slicker that emotional essence seems to move further away. So, the question is, in what film does he best achieve that quality?
I would argue it’s Insomnia (2002). He was lucky enough to have two incredible leading actors at their peak – Al Pacino, and Robin Williams.