You’ve heard of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight…you’ve heard of Dunkirk, maybe even heard of The Prestige….but have you heard of Doodlebug?
If you haven’t, Doodlebug is Christopher Nolan’s first released short film. He made this film in his University College London dorm room. Since it’s only three minutes long – I’ll put it down below before talking more about it.
**Warning, spoilers for Doodlebug plot ahead**
Hmm...well, lots of things to talk about here. I thought the background music and the fact that the film was black & white helped in establishing a suspenseful mood. I found the plot twist to be unexpected and creative, very Nolan-esque. I’d say this film foreshadowed how mind-bending his future films, like Inception or Memento, were going to be.
Is there a message in the film?
I was trying to look for a message in this film, but I don't believe there is one. I think its goal was to just surprise us in an innovative way. Perhaps the film's "message" is for us to get our minds out of their comfort zones. Make us think beyond what we’re used to seeing. The film may have also been an attempt to introduce Nolan’s unique film style, which he clearly continued in his future films.
One thing I notice is that films that make statements are becoming popular with both critics and audiences, even if the movie plots aren't particularly unique. This would make sense because there are many people who prioritize the value of a movie's message over film-making brilliance. On the other hand, Christopher Nolan’s films usually emphasize the psychological elements and plot twists, which I still think are appreciated today. Although I support movies that prioritize sociopolitical statements over film-making brilliance, I still hope that Nolan’s mind benders – like Doodlebug - will not be forgotten and continue to serve as models for future movies.
Continuing his film-making brilliance...
Overall, if any of you have seen Christopher Nolan’s films and wondered where his brilliance originated, this is probably it – a college dorm room. It doesn’t hurt to stretch our minds once in a while. And Christopher Nolan does a great a job making us do that with his films. I’m hoping that his brilliance will continue with his new film, Tenet, set to release on Aug 12th 2020.
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