We have already heard from the likes of Tim Burton (Director - Batman, Batman Returns), Zack Snyder (Director - Watchmen, Man Of Steel), David Koepp (Writer - Jurassic Park, Spider-Man), Drew Goddard (Director - The Cabin In The Woods), and Rupert Wyatt (Director - Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. But to celebrate the realese of The Dark Knight Rises, Empire have gathered together quotes from quite a few more Hollywood directors, writers, and producers to give their takes on Christopher Nolan's Batman movies - in particular The Dark Knight, which of course leads directly into this upcoming threequel.
Adam McKay (Director - Anchorman)
"The Dark Knight is the best superhero movie ever made. I've seen others that try to get all real, and they strip away the fun and the mythology. And then I've seen movies that go too far towards the cartoon aspect. But Nolan, with mathematical precision, blended the two. The way he shoots is such a throwback, and yet so modern. He's using old-fashioned techniques with modern ideas. Amazing."
David Koepp (Writer - Jurassic Park, Spider-Man)
"To me, what was most fascinating is I have two teenage boys and watching the reverence with which they saw it, again and again and again. It really is like their generation's Godfather. It is absolutely a seminal film for teenage boys of that and this era. If I told you I knew why, I'd be lying. It's lightning in a bottle, and you can never explain it. Great script, top-level performances... It just completely connected to something."
Neil Marshal (Director - The Descent, Game Of Thrones)
"When I first saw it, to be honest, I couldn't account for its huge success. My first impression was that it was long-winded and way too serious for its own good. I've since watched it quite a few times on Blu-ray and I've really come to appreciate both its cinematic craft and its intelligence — it's certainly not frivolous. I think that's what ultimately gives it such lasting appeal. Sure, it's really just about a guy who dresses up as a bat, but it's such a smart, beautifully made movie about a guy who dresses up as a bat! It definitely raised the bar for modern blockbusters. Maybe too high, since so few have ever come close!"
Peter Berg (Director - Hancock, Battleship)
"Christopher Nolan has a very special skillset. He's just got an eye and a unique tone — I mean, he had it starting with Memento and he hasn't really let up. He's a real talent and I think you've gotta look to his creative vision for the success of The Dark Knight. What he did with Heath Ledger just from a make-up and wardrobe standpoint was mesmerising. Christopher Nolan has demonstrated a clarity and a vision that no-one else has with that particular property."
Wes Anderson (Director Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom)
"I enjoy Chris Nolan's work in general, but I watched the Blu-Ray and it has a thing where you can go to any scene in the movie and go to the making of that. There's nothing that has ever made me feel less like a professional than watching Chris Nolan's group at work. The remote-control miniature cars. Just every technique. The rehearsal of flipping the semi-trailer end over end in the middle of the desert before they blow it up in Chicago... There's one scene where a guy jumps off the top of a skyscraper — they rehearse the jump but for the actual thing they did it CG. 'But for the rehearsal you did jump off the building?' 'We have it as a reference.' Wow. Chris Nolan is quite great. My favourite is Memento, but I'd like to learn how to do these things."
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.