Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan shares why he uses non-linear storytelling in films

Christopher Nolan is currently enjoying his biggest box office success in India with Oppenheimer. The British filmmaker is noted for delivering riveting,yet complex films, which leave viewers confused. Several of his films, such as Memento (2000), Inception (2010), and Tenet (2020) are known for their high-concept storytelling, unusual structure, and philosophical commentary. Oppenheimer is also notably complex as it features a lot of physics-based explanations and non-linear storytelling. Nolan recently explained why he prefers such themes. 

3 things you need to know: 

• Christopher Nolan made his debut in Following (1998).
• Oppenheimer is the 13th film of his career.
• He has also made popular films such as The Dark Knight trilogy. 

Christopher Nolan prefers to 'feel' his films

Speaking on the HugoDécrypte YouTube channel, Nolan explained that he doesn’t see things "in terms of a balance between simplicity and complexity", but rather the element of mystery. The filmmaker added that he likes to ‘feel’ his projects. The Tenet director-writer said that since the 1950s, all expectations from films are based on have been "informed by television and the expectations of television".

(Christopher Nolan at the set of Oppenheimer alongside Cillian Murphy | Image: OppenheimerFilm/Twitter)

He added that it’s why he uses the ‘non-chronological structures, non-linear structures’, and noted that these practices were not around during the silent movie era. Nolan concluded that movies should be about the mystery so that there is something to unfold, and said that filmmakers must be ‘ahead of the audience,’ so they can set the pace by themselves. “When you’re behind the audience, the audience is understanding things before you’re explaining them, the audience gets very frustrated in a different way,” said Nolan.

Oppenheimer's success despite jargon

Oppenheimer is longer than 3 hours and features plenty of conversations around physics, politics and bureaucracy. Regardless, the film is successful due to a number of factors like visuals, screenplay, and cast performances. Oppenheimer features an ensemble cast featuring the likes of Robert Downey Jr, Cillian Murphy, Rami Malek, and Florence Pugh amongst others.