10 Harsh Truths You Don't Want To Admit About Chris Nolan's Movies

6. Pseudo-Intellectualism

Speaking of which, Nolan's earlier movies such as Following and Memento demonstrated a ferociously intelligent mind that didn't care to pander to audiences, something that's sadly become an integral part of his material these days. Some might be more polite and say that Nolan is merely adapting his ingenious narrative ideas for a more casual, mainstream audience, while others will say that he's simplified and boiled them down to the point that, to any well-read viewer, they seem piecemeal and condescending. A frequent comment about Nolan's films is that he wants viewers to feel like they're smart: The Joker's various quips about contemporary society are lightly blanketed over the outrageous action and more simplistic comic book storyline in an attempt to make the film seem more thoughtful and intelligent, even if Nolan's engagement with the themes is only surface-deep. The same can be said of Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, who decries the upper classes and urges the oppressed to "take back their city", conveyed in an ultra-simplistic manner that would make even the most naive politics student cringe, even if this does still pass for "complexity" in the current blockbuster dynamic.