Christopher Nolan and the Elusive Oscar | Why He Won
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- čas přidán 6. 03. 2024
- Christopher Nolan has received eight Oscar nominations in his spectacular and extremely successful career, but he still has never been victorious at the Academy Awards-until now, that is. In this video, I break down his many remarkable films, what he's been nominated for throughout the years, and why he's finally winning his elusive Oscar for Oppenheimer. #christophernolan #oscars #academyawards #oppenheimer #elusiveoscar #theawardscontender
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WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY BRIAN ROWE
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Nolan's long-overdue sweep for Oppenheimer is so reminiscent of beloved populist genre director Steven Spielberg finally getting his due for serious WWII epics. Academy's gonna academy!
Indeed, I feel like the Barbenheimer phenomenon bore some resemblance to Steven Spielberg’s double feature of ‘93. One is a big populist blockbuster which won the war at the box office and the other is a partly black and white biopic with a lengthier running time (Schindler’s List also features colour sequences like Oppenheimer).
Spielberg maybe could have deserved winning before Schindler's List once or maybe twice, but to be honest he always had great competition. That said, his two wins in directing category are unmatched. Two of the best directed films ever in my opinion and the best direction those years no doubt.
Nolan however, never has been the single best director any given year, he's never deserved it. Even for Interstellar, you had Iñarritu. And in my opinion, he didn't deserve it for Oppenheimer either. And I don't want that to diminish his work, there's nothing bad about that, simply, others were better, even if they are not as popular as Nolan.
I would argue he should have been nominated for The Dark Knight in 2008... I still wouldn't expect him to beat Danny Boyle, also an esteemed director who finally had his shot for a best picture winning film. It's probably a mistake that Best Picture and Best Direction are so often fused, it's always interesting when they aren't. I could have lived with Oppenheimer losing Best Picture as long as Nolan got his.
@@rafaelc.c.nope , wierd take though.
He reasonably could’ve won for The Dark Knight, and definitely should’ve won for Inception. Just like both of those should’ve won Best Picture. I hate Interstellar so I don’t even care about that one. The win for Oppenheimer was beyond deserved.
This video has already aged like fine wine.
How fitting that the man who pushed the Academy towards more movies in the Best Picture category is finally getting his own Academy Award.
How did he push the academy? I genuinely don't know
@@thenoble39 His film 'The Dark Knight' was considered a strong contender for a nomination in the Best Picture category and it wasn't even nominated. The year after, the Best Picture lineup was expanded to 10 movies.
@@thenoble39 Fans wanted The Dark Knight to be nominated for Best Picture and it wasn't, it didn't make the top 5 cut. So there was a lot of "controversy" around that and The Academy decided to increase the number of nominated films in the category.
could u explain?
@@thenoble39 During the 2009 Oscars The Dark knight didn't get the best picture nomination which was protested by the industry, critics and even the general public. So much so that the Academy had to increase the number of nominations to ten from the original final five henceforth.
Can we talk about Matthew McConaughey’s performance in interstellar? I understand that the Academy only likes characters with layers of complexity, or actors who completely transformed their appearance to dive into a role but Matthew McConaughey’s performance brings me to tears multiple times. That scene where he is watching back the videos from his kids alone deserved consideration for Oscar.
It's fitting that a biopic about the creator of the atomic bomb would finally give Nolan his first Oscar. While he could've won it for Inception or even Dunkirk, he made one of the best biopics of all-time and it's only right he wins it this Sunday.
Just like in the movie when Leslie Groves asked Oppenheimer why he hasn't won a Nobel yet and his answer was 'they might after this'. Well he didn't win but the creator of that masterpiece is winning his due.
I don't really think he should have won for Inception nor Dunkirk.
@@rafaelc.c. i agree
Oppenheimer also won him his first BAFTAs funnily enough, which is odd given that he’s an Englishman who’s made some of the best movies of the last 25 years.
Him no being nominated for Inception and Dark Knight is insane and he should won best orignal screenplay for both Memento and Inception. Also Dark Knight should been nominated in more categories and win all of them, it is by miles better than Slumdog millionaires.
Should have been nominated for Best Director on Memento, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception, and Interstellar. I’m glad they gave him some credit with Dunkirk and Oppenheimer. Way overdue!
Oh boy, the dark knight is still a comic movie. Grow up
Inception is well crafted, definitely a feat, but I always felt like it the mission itself wasn't as meaningful as it couldve been. I didn't care enough *why* they were going inside this guy's brain. Higher stakes - mortally, morally and emotionally - would've taken the film up a few notches towards Best Picture potential.
The dark knight was not better, it wasn't that great
not only is this a long overdue career award, its legitimately well deserved. Oppenheimer is far and away the best directed movie of 2023. looking forward to watching this movie clean up some sunday
The movie didn’t even feel like three hours to me. After like the first hour and a half it went by and I loved every second of it.
Nolan for the win in this year Oscar!
Nolan Nolan Nolan....
may sound strange, but for whatever reason just love the fact that so many of Nolan’s films have a one-word title:
Following
Memento
Insomnia
Inception
Interstellar
Dunkirk
Tenet
Oppenheimer
😃
As big a fan as I am of "The Social Network" and David Fincher's direction of it, I have felt that the most deserving person of the Best Director Oscar that year was Nolan. "Inception" had a wonderful, innovative concept which was executed in an absolutely masterful way. There were times during my first viewing when I was amazed and delighted by what I was seeing, and it stands as one of my all-time favorite theatrical experiences. I couldn't have been happier if Nolan had won a Best Director Oscar for that film.
Nolan wasn’t even nominated for Best Director with Inception. That seemed like a pretty big mistake by the Academy.
I disagree. Although I like the film a lot, and most of my issues with it come from the screenplay, I don't think his direction was particularly excellent.
Black Swan should have won director and picture tbh
oh shut up@@rafaelc.c.
“The Social Network” didn’t win for best directing. Fincher has never won an oscar.
Nolan is guaranteed to win at least one Oscar this ceremony and I'm here for it.
I say two.
He won two. ❤
I hope Nolan wins for Oppenheimer!!
He’s one of my favorite directors!!!
Oppenheimer is my favorite Nolan movie!!
I watched Memento after Inception. To say that my mind is blown would be a colossal understatement. I thought Inception was already a mindfuck but Memento is a whole different experience.
Memento was absolutely groundbreaking, esp when it came out.
Nolan is the Leo of Directing.
The Hitchcock of that era.
Interstellar is one of my favorite movies. I wish more science fiction movies were recognized at the Oscars.
Christopher Nolan is obviously going to win. There’s no doubt about it.
I’m so excited for you to keep making Elusive Oscar videos for directors! PTA, Wes Anderson, David Fincher, Denis Villeneuve, etc. 🥳
And the granddaddy of them all-Alfred Hitchcock!
Michael Mann ?
I hope David Fincher finally gets to win an Oscar soon!
I know Quinten Tarantino already won 2 Oscars for screenplay, but he should be included on the list to!
Wes Anderson might finally win an Oscar on Sunday!
Christopher Nolan is top notch.
He is not only a genius but a master craftsman with a great decorative flair that often results in a film that defies classification as being from one gendre - both the storyline wise and how the film is showcased. (meaning screenplay and editing),
And his film is enjoyable with the dialogue style tailored to the pacing requirements of the show.
How amazing is that!
Memento & The Dark Knight should be both an Oscars Best Picture nominees
Loved how you were able to deliver a different ending to your usual "Elusive Oscar" script - must've been a nice change for you :) On a frivolous note, I love how Nolan's red-carpet pics often include his (very elegant) wife, who's clearly been with him since the beginning of his stratospheric career - nice to see a long-lasting Hollywood couple.
she is the producer of all his films. all of them
Definitely feels like the Scorcese/Departed treatment this year. Oppenheimer was great, but I’m not sure I would even put it in his top 3 films.
This is different. Scorsese win was too late
I’ll be waiting to see what his next project will be
Thank you for this wonderful video Brian. Well its about freaking time that Christopher Nolan is FINALLY winning his director Oscar. Oppenheimer is his most awarded movie and his most nominated film EVER.
Hitchcock and Kubrick make great Elusive Oscar videos.
Stanley Kubrick won an Oscar, albeit in the Best Visual Effects category.
Hitchcock only had an Irving G. Thalberg award.
Congratulations Mr. Nolan... Should have won Oscars for The Dark Night and Dunkirk for sure, and maybe Inception and Interstellar.
Nolan has been my favorite director ever since Dark Knight.
Im so glad you covered Nolan! Hes been my favorite director since Inception, and im sooooo happy hes finally getting his moment at the oscars. Tbh im fine if Oppenheimer doesnt win (because this years BP lineup is so great) as long as he gets his oscar for directing.
This is your best work to date👏👏👏
Love this video Brian & just in the nick of time. I’ve often wondered how one of the greatest filmmakers of our time making blockbuster hits one after the other couldn’t seem to win the coveted Academy Award. It hadn’t been his time. His moment is FINALLY is now!
I’ve been so very excited for Christopher Nolan’s sweep this award’s season. He’s been one of my favourite directors since Memento. I was incredibly ill when Oppenheimer came out… but I still dragged myself out of bed & went to see Oppenheimer in the cinemas because I knew Christopher Nolan wouldn’t let me down. I knew it would be incredible. And it was.
I think Oppenheimer is his magnum opus. I truly do. Extraordinary filmmaking across the board with him at the helm. I left the cinema speechless after seeing it. I think it’s one of the best films ever made. He deserves all the Oscars this year. And I’ll be so thrilled for him & Cillian Murphy to win together after a 20 year collaboration. 🏆👏
Another fascinating retrospective, Brian! You've done it again.
I used to be a Chris Nolan fan but after disliking Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar, and the abyssmal Tenet, I’ve written off Nolan. In fact, it took me months to see Oppenheimer. Then I spent the money to see it on the large IMAX and boy was that an experience. Nolan won me back.
To each their own, but in all honesty, interstellar is one of my favorite films of the past 25 years. It’s a masterpiece in storytelling, suspense and emotion with intelligent ideas. I put it above inception which I also really love. Tenet to be fair is definitely his weakest film, but even at that, it’s still a good film that makes you think and has spectacular editing/visuals. Nolan’s never made a bad film, imo.
You’re in the minority haha you need to go and rewatch all of those, they hold up. Tenet was absolutely meant to be rewatched
Christopher Nolan is no longer an elusive loser. Congrats for wining Best Director for Oppenheimer
Fantastic video, Brian. Very well presented.!
Think your summary missed a big point. In order to win an Oscar or get nominated, the studio needs to go into a massive Oscar campaign (PR, press, film viewing and Q&A, social media, swags, advertising, etc) for a film. A campaign costs studios anything between $25m to $100m and pushes the hype for the movie for several months before the voting period. For example, Netflix carved out $100m for Oscar campaigning budget every year.
Warner Bros studios never did these campaigns for Nolan’s movies. When he switched to Universal Studios, the studio agreed to do a massive campaign for Oppenheimer
All of Nolan’s movies were great in my opinion but the real reason for not winning an Oscar before this year is basically studio politics and campaign budgets.
If Nolan wins is like a full circle
Absolutely the best technical director that there is right now but dude needs someone to write scripts for him he thinks so visually that his story narratives are often not great. Case in point tenant case in point Oppenheimer
Thanks, Brian. I am excited about Nolan's pending victory. In addition to his talent, he is also a true gentleman -- a class act in every way!
Your channel is my absolute fave
I' ve seen his movies tens of times each. Love them. My Nolan top changes quite often. But if you put a gun to my head, I'll quickly say: The Prestige. That very very late realisation (10 years after first seing it) that Tesla's machine never worked...man, it shaddered my reality.
In my eyes, that movie deserved so many awards.
Wow Memento being his first big film is so impressive. Such a one of a kind movie!
Love the videos, man. Keep it up!!!
I can’t believe he was not nominated for the Dark Knight - that’s insane
I will be shocked if he doesn't win for Oppenheimer.
I like your channel. following was good. I saw memento and following as a double feature at the new beverly cinema in LA.
Christopher Nolan is hands down my favorite director. I know it’s an unpopular opinion but my favorite movie of his (and probably my favorite movie period) is interstellar (inception and dark knight are close seconds and thirds). It is just such a beautiful movie, visually and thematically. I’ve seen it probably 20 times, and I always reach the end just hoping against hope it will keep going. That never happens to me with movies - I am usually ready for their end long before they’re over.
Inception. I had forgotten that he was the director and that is an absolutely crazy wild movie. I have it in my collection and every time I watch it there's something new that I realize. I think I've watched the movie six or seven times and I need a refresher
I’m so excited for Nolan to finally get not one but at least two Oscar’s 🎬✨
I predict a big win for Christopher Nolan!
Although nearly three hours too long, "Oppenheimer" is a true Hollywood MASTERPIECE. It ranks right up there with "The Three Stooges Go Around the World In A Daze."
Great video! I subscribed
It’s crazy to think how many times Nolan has been snubbed up until now. He has so many movies that if they were made now would likely have equated to a least a nomination.
Now how fast you crank an Elusive Oscar out for Wes Anderson? Seeing as his elusive Oscar is finally happening too. 💁🏻♂️
True, he's got a good chance
Everyday i wake up, open CZcams and watch videos about Christopher Nolan & then sleep well 😍😍
Dunkirk is the only war film I manage to watch, and I watched it JUST because it was a Nolan film (and there was Harry Styles LOL) but I absolutely LOVE it, it's not just one of the greatest war films ever, it's one of my favorite movies ever, I can watch it on loop.
It’s funny how the Academy seems to love Nolan and NOMINATING his movies (especially on a technical level), but it’s only on THIS film does it seem that they want to give him his flowers. I know a lot of people love Nolan and think he’s one of the current gods of the industry. I’m somewhere more in the middle on him, in that I think he’s strong on a technical and visual level and really seems to love and support the art of film, but I think he tends to overcomplicate the writing to where not too many understand it. I wish him the best with this though.
I do believe the Aurora shootings were the only reason why The Dark Knight Rises got zero nominations- even technical stuff. They didn’t want that tragedy bearing down on the Oscar show, which, idk, feels dishonest.
15:30 was one of the most heartbreaking scenes ever in cinema. Had me sobbing in the theater.
Thank you brian you make chritopher nolyan video before oscar cermony ❤❤❤
I am with the holdovers diroctor
The impact of being released as a double billing with Barbie shouldn't be underestimated. Barbenheimer was a phenomenon that no one could have predicted. And between the strikes and a reluctant cast to do unnecessary publicity Barbie was doing a lot of the heavy publicity lifting for them. Oppenheimer really did bask in Barbies glow and brought more people to watch it than would have done without the memes. By itself I suspect it would have done numbers a bit better than Tenant but not as high as Dunkirk. Without that story it starts being a bit more of an interesting race.
Insomnia is probably his least Nolan-esque film but that doesn’t take away from how damn good it is. This film is so underrated and deserves more love. Every film he has made is great or at least really good though, phenomenal director
Yes, I can believe you've done over 20 elusive Oscars because I've watched every second! Paul Giamatti, Steve Buscemi, Donald Sutherland, Tim Roth, Samuel l Jackson, Kurt Russell, Don Cheadle would be awesome choices. Directors have soooooo many terrific choices too, so I'd love to see those. Even some of the tighter races in the 70s. Great stuff!
Great way to start the elusive oscar for directors series with Nolan one of our greats. I’m happy that he’s not only getting a career win but actually winning for one of his best works!
21:39 pure class on Nolan’s behalf to remember Heath Ledger
Timing Is Everything
Nolan hasn’t won because he didn’t make any Oscar-friendly genre film until recently. His earlier film like the dark knight, inception and interstellar are not typical Oscar movie. It is not coincidental his first directing nomination was for a historical war movie Dunkirk and his first win will be for a biopic. Those genre got him treated seriously by the academy
I remember back when watching the 2008 Oscar nominees and being so pissed that “The Dark Knight” got snubbed for both Best Picture and Best Director! I was very annoyed that they’d chosen “The Reader” for the fifth spot instead! It really reasserted the stereotype that Oscar members were all old and boring who couldn’t get past their genre bias and too easily won over by the generic “Oscar bait” type films! Nolan should’ve been nominated in Best Director for “Memento”, “The Dark Knight”, and “Inception”.
Haven’t seen The Reader, but I think it’s stupid that Slumdog Millionaire won Picture and Director instead of The Dark Knight. Slumdog Millionaire is a dumb movie with a negative depiction of India.
He should have won at least two before
Nice quick title change... 😊
Very exciting! He deserves it!
Can you make one of these for Sigourney Weaver?
To add some context to his Dunkirk loss, that year (and 2010) was a very competitive awards season, with Lady Bird, Three Billboards, Get Out, Phantom Thread, Shape of Water and CMBYN all being very strong contenders, so it made sense that Dunkirk would not emerge on top. Im guessing the preferential ballot valued a more beloved/liked movie across the board, so thats how Shape of Water won.
Te imagina una película de Nolan acerca del viaje a la Luna?? OMG!
I ponder to think of Brian's follow up video if in the off chance that the Best Director Oscar goes to Jonathan Glazer or Yorgos Lanthimos. If I learned one thing with watching the Academy Awards for the last 50 years is that there is no such thing as "certainty"
His film got some of the best editing, he is a top director. He does not focus on characters like Tarantino tho more the film as a whole
Time for more Directors # ELUSIVE OSCAR!
Great content! How about
Hitchcock as well as Paul Thomas Anderson!
Martin Scorsese don't forget
I've been a big Nolan fan since I first saw his movies. I thought Inception and Interstellar were great, but Dunkirk and Tenet felt lacking, but Oppenheimer was just perfect.
1:19 You said it man congrats to Nolan!
The greatest director of the 21st century ❤
The reader ( feeling ) was my Jamie Lee Curtis winning last year that same feeling as how I felt when Jamie Lee Curtis won
Isn’t “war films” and “biopics” also a genre? Why the tag “genre film” often used in a pejorative way in Awards circles reserved for sci-fi films?
Praise Nolan!
Great video! Its going to feel full circle for Nolan winning Best Director and Picture for Oppenheimer considering how much Dark Knight was one of the big factors for increasing the number of slots in the Best Picture race. In my opinion, Dark knight not getting a Best Picture slot is one of the biggest snubs ever and Nolan shouldve gotten in for Director and arguably won
It is no snubs at all and it was too edgy to be nominated
Please do one for alferd hitcekok
Movie got 7 wins! It would’ve been awesome if he won for the adapted script and I think Blunt was robbed. Stone’s performance was mainly comical and revealing. Nothing complicated compared to the range Blunt portrayed but its still a solid win for Nolan and his team
Blunt was in the film for like 10 min???
Villeneuve is next.
Too many good films and ONE nomination for best director, it's his time.
Where is David Fincher and Carey Mulligan?
Wish you’d included “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3” as well in the list of movies that brought people back to theatres after pandemic.
I realise 'Barbie' is only her third feature, but I look forward to seeing your eventual 'Elusive Oscar' video for Greta Gerwig. She is definitely deserving of awards recognition :)
And finally he bags it ...... mission accomplished.
Oppenheimer is a very good movie and deserves to win Best Picture. Yet for me it’s not even in the top 4 of Christopher Nolan’s best movies. Inception, Interstellar, Dark Knight, Dunkirk are better in my opinion.
You should do ridley Scott were I think he can win but can’t
Kobe 🥺
15 years in the making.
I got news for you my friend ;)))
Nolan won, lesgggoooo
Thing is you mentioned War films having advantages for picture and director. Yet very rarely do they win. Personally I don’t think All Quiet was very close to winning last year. 1917 of course was very close but lost both to Parasite. Indeed Oppenheimer will only be the 2nd war film in the last 25 years to win both picture and director. The other being The Hurt Locker. Incidentally it is 25 years since Shakespeare in Love won Picture.
I'm surprised you were disappointed that Stephen Daldry was nominated for Director for The Reader. I know you're a fan of Kate Winslet's Actress win for that movie! Nolan might have deserved a Director nod for the Dark Night, but I don't know which nominee I would have replaced for the 2009 Oscars.
Rowe has mentioned several times that he wished that Winslet had won her Oscar for Revolutionary Road instead of The Reader.
Ah, I’ll have to check out Brian’s video on Kate Winslet again. That being said, I loved The Reader. I can’t complain about Stephen Daldry’s nomination!
Denis Villeneuve is the new Christopher Nolan.
Let’s be honest, even if Nolan does win it’s nothing more than a consolation award for not winning for Best Picture and Best Director for either Inception or Dunkirk, or even The Dark Knight which he was snubbed for. Most times when a director is awarded an Oscar for Best Director and Best Picture much later in their career, it’s nothing more than the Academy making up for them not winning those awards previously for their more deserving films. Two examples I can think of is Martin Scorsese and Guillermo del Toro. Martin Scorsese won for Best Picture and Best Director in 2007 for The Departed after not winning those awards
for either Taxi Driver in 1977 or Goodfellas in 1991 while Guillermo del Toro won a decade and a half later for The Shape of Water after being snubbed for both awards for Pan’s Labyrinth. While I am glad both got their long overdue Oscars for both Best Picture and Best Director, I can’t help but feel they should’ve won those awards a long time for their more deserving films. Like even though Scorsese won for The Departed, I feel like he should’ve won a decade prior for Goodfellas while Guillermo del Toro should’ve won instead that year for Pan’s Labyrinth which I feel is more deserving of Best Picture than The Shape of Water.
Martin Scorsese should have won for Raging Bull too. He wasn’t even nominated for Best Director for Taxi Driver which is insane even if that film was nominated for Best Picture.
Wow. What a journey.
Next should be Denis Villeneuve