Steven Spielberg’s favourite Christopher Nolan movie
Some directors are seemingly destined for stardom, and it’s fair to say that Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg are two titans of modern blockbuster cinema. Nolan, with his intelligent narratives and belief in capturing scenes with a groundbreaking sense of authenticity, has proven his quality in the likes of Inception and Interstellar.
Spielberg, meanwhile, is a true master of emotive cinema and has helmed countless cinematic experiences woven into American culture’s history. From Jaws to E.T. to Jurassic Park to Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg is the very essence of what it means to be a big-budget filmmaker.
When Spielberg named his 20 favourite movies of all time, he paid attention to a film widely considered one of Nolan’s best and certainly the best effort in his The Dark Knight trilogy. Sitting between Nolan’s first Batman movie, Batman Begins, and his last, The Dark Knight Rises, 2008’s The Dark Knight is a true masterpiece of modern cinema.
The film focuses on Batman, Gotham City police lieutenant James Gordon and district attorney Harvey Dent, who form an alliance to take on the organised crime syndicate in Gotham. However, the Joker – masterfully played by Heath Ledger – foils their efforts and challenges Batman in moves of sheer chaos.
Spielberg had spoken of The Dark Knight following the nominations for the 2023 Academy Awards and explained that had the film been released around then and not back in 2008, then it likely would have earned a ‘Best Picture’ nod. It was at that time that two blockbuster movies, Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water, were both nominated for the award.
“I’m really encouraged by that,” Spielberg had said of the newfound respect for big-budget blockbuster movies at the Oscars, adding, “It came late for the film that should have been nominated a number of years ago, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight”.
“That movie would have definitely garnered a Best Picture nomination today,” Spielberg added. “So having these two blockbusters solidly presented on the top ten list is something we should all be celebrating.”
Evidently, Spielberg felt that The Dark Knight represented a kind of blockbuster cinema that ought to have earned more critical credit but did not because of the landscape it found itself in. He’s also utterly right that Nolan’s film would have most likely earned an Academy Award nomination for ‘Best Picture’ were it released today.
Check out the trailer for The Dark Knight below.
