#The Many Inspirations Behind Christopher Nolan’s Signature Style

Nolan’s films focus on protagonists that must figure out new rules and concepts about their environment, whether that’s because of short-term memory loss or the complete upheaval of the standard laws of physics. In turn, that builds a sense of uncertainty about the world for both the main characters and the audience. It might not be a shocker, then, that Christopher Nolan cites “Blade Runner” as his favorite movie. Ridley Scott’s sci-fi noir classic is a concoction of everything that seems to fascinate Nolan, from a protagonist uncovering a deep mystery to the frailty of memory and dreams. Heck, the origami unicorn and the spinning top in “Inception” are both symbols of how the perception of reality in these films can get so wonky. On the lived-in environment of “Blade Runner,” Nolan says:

“The atmosphere of ‘Blade Runner’ was also important, that feeling that there was this whole world outside the frame of the scene. You really felt there were things going on outside of those rooms where you’ve seen the film take place. That’s something I’ve always tried to carry with me. Every film should have its own world, a logic and feel to it that expands beyond the exact image that the audience is seeing.”

Nolan’s focus on worldbuilding brings the viewer along for the ride as they also try to learn how their new surroundings function. Perhaps that drive to invite his audience to solve the narrative puzzle through close observation, to encourage them to piece together details without holding their hand, is why cinephiles hold in Christopher Nolan in such high regard.