Exploring the Construction of "Nolan-Style Characters" Across His Film Works
Abstract
This paper focuses on the construction of characters in Christopher Nolan's films, categorizing the character images into three
types: first, "Trapped Disoriented Figures"such as Leonard Shelby (Lenny) in Memento and Cobb in Inceptionwho often fall into
mental chaos and self-deception due to past traumas, bound by emotions like guilt; second, "Obsessed Adventurers"including Bill in
Following, Will Dormer in Insomnia, Alfred Borden and Robert Angier in The Prestige, and the male protagonist in Interstellarwho engage in adventures driven by obsessions, frequently accompanied by moral dilemmas and struggles; third, "Embodiments of Fear"such
as the deceased partners of protagonists in The Prestige and The Dark Knight, and the protagonist in Oppenheimerwho carry emotions
of despair and guilt, serving as personifications of fear. Through specific film cases, the paper analyzes the psychological traits and behavioral logic of each type of character.
types: first, "Trapped Disoriented Figures"such as Leonard Shelby (Lenny) in Memento and Cobb in Inceptionwho often fall into
mental chaos and self-deception due to past traumas, bound by emotions like guilt; second, "Obsessed Adventurers"including Bill in
Following, Will Dormer in Insomnia, Alfred Borden and Robert Angier in The Prestige, and the male protagonist in Interstellarwho engage in adventures driven by obsessions, frequently accompanied by moral dilemmas and struggles; third, "Embodiments of Fear"such
as the deceased partners of protagonists in The Prestige and The Dark Knight, and the protagonist in Oppenheimerwho carry emotions
of despair and guilt, serving as personifications of fear. Through specific film cases, the paper analyzes the psychological traits and behavioral logic of each type of character.
Keywords
Christopher Nolan's films; Character portrayal; Mental predicament
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PDFReferences
[1] Huang, J. J. (2020). The imprint of stream of consciousness in subversion and reconstruction: A narrative analysis of Nolan's films [J].
Film Review, (16), 105-108.
[2] Chen, X. Q., & Long, Y. (2022). The puzzle narrative characteristics and artistic value of Christopher Nolan's sci-fi films [J]. Journal of
Hunan University of Technology (Social Science Edition), 27(03), 90-97.
[3] Nolan, C. (2010). Inception (Hu, K., Trans.). 1st ed. Lanzhou: Gansu People's Fine Arts Publishing House, p. 10.
[4] Nolan, C. (2010). Inception (Hu, K., Trans.). 1st ed. Lanzhou: Gansu People's Fine Arts Publishing House, p. 10.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.70711/rcha.v3i8.7971
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