Christopher Nolan is a true pioneer of cinema. If there isn’t a piece of camera equipment he can get his hands on to capture the image he desires, he’ll invent it. The director has become incredibly involved in camera technology, especially when it comes to shooting in the very rare 70mm IMAX format, which he has been experimenting with since working on The Prestige. He is so specific with his sensibilities, that while he was shooting The Dark Knight, he invented a specific lens that was so innovative that directors like J.J. Abrams and Zack Snyder had to get their hands on it.
In an exclusive interview with CinemaBlend’s very own ReelBlend Podcast, the director opened up about how IMAX technology has evolved since working on The Dark Knight, which he shot when the format was experimental at the time. It was so experimental that the filmmaker had to help invent a specific lens for the immense amount of night shots needed to make the nighttime sequences so immersive. Nolan explained:
Over the years we've refined things. Wally (Pfister) and I built a lens for The Dark Knight that, at the time, was the only IMAX lens that could open up to a t2. So it was very valuable for shooting night scenes. That's why we built it. For the, the night work on The Dark Knight. Other filmmakers used to fight over the lens because it was the only one in existence. .
It’s no wonder that after seeing how incredible The Dark Knight looked with the innovative tech, that other blockbuster directors like J.J. Abrams and Zack Snyder would want to get their hands on the lens. Because it was made specifically for Nolan, it was the only lens of its kind in existence, so a lot of borrowing went on. The Interstellar director continued:
I'd lend it to J.J. Abrams and he would send it back and it would go to Zack Snyder, you know, whatever. And then over the years, IMAX started making more and more lenses. We got Panavision involved, collaborating with IMAX. And so Hoyta (van Hoytema) has been able to make all kinds of interesting demands on what those lenses can do, and what sets of equipment we're able to take onto the floor.
The Dark Knight was a sensation, and is considered to be one of the best comic book movies of all time. Much of this can be attributed to the great storytelling, as well as Nolan’s directing and visual style. His commitment to making the image as pristine as possible really pays off. Any director would want to replicate such stunning visuals, and thankfully IMAX has risen to the occasion, and continues to develop lenses and tech so the format becomes more accessible to directors. You can see our full interview with the filmmaker below:
Even as 70mm IMAX capabilities have evolved since the initial venture by Nolan, the Dunkirk director continues to help evolve the medium. For his latest film, Oppenheimer, Kodak specifically manufactured black and white film with Nolan’s preferred format. In the movie, the director cuts back and forth between color film and black and white to separate his timelines, giving the audience insight into different perspectives from different points of view. The black and white looks immaculate, and even more filmmakers will likely be clambering to shoot on the newly developed format after Nolan set such a precedent.
You can see Oppenheimer in gorgeous 70mm IMAX in select cinemas nationwide. The biographical film has been wildly successful and just extended its theatrical IMAX run, so make sure to see it while you can. Fans can also revisit Nolan’s inventive feat, The Dark Knight, which is streaming now with a Max subscription.
