With a long-standing career that has spanned genres from the mind-bending Inception to the action-fueled Batman trilogy, followed by his space adventure Interstellar, Christopher Nolan is known for being the mastermind behind few of the most celebrated films of the century. While his movies have grossed more than $4B and have sparked endless discussions, Nolan revealed the only film of his that left him impressed.
During a panel at the Tribeca Film Festival, as Christopher Nolan was asked what scene he is most proud of putting together, the director recalled the opening scene from The Dark Knight Rise.. Surprisingly, despite the movie being about Christian Bale’s Batman, Nolan seemed to appreciate the scene that had nothing to do with Bale, instead featuring Tom Hardy as the notorious Ban..
Christopher Nolan Revealed His Best Ever Shot
Offering the film industry and audiences with few of the most mind-bending movies of all time, Christopher Nolan is the legend behind spectacles like Memento, The Prestige, and even the action-packed DC films The Dark Knight trilogy. Although the Oscar winner is hailed for his contributions, Nolan is particularly picky, even when it comes to selecting the project he’s most proud of.
Speaking to the audiences during a panel discussion at the Tribeca Film Festival via Business Insider, Christopher Nolan was asked about his career’s most iconic shot that left him impressed with himself. That’s when the filmmaker revealed the opening sequence to The Dark Knight Rises as a career highlight. Admitting to refrain from relying on CGI, Nolan mentioned turning to old-fashioned methods.
“[If] you’re talking pure mechanics, [then it would be] the opening scene from The Dark Knight Rises,”
Although people expected the filmmaker to pick from Interstellar or Inception, Christopher Nolan offered a refreshing take when he revealed being most impressed with the opening action sequence in The Dark Knight Rises. Giving proper credit to the crew who made it possible, Nolan attributed the success to team effort.
The BTS Work in The Dark Knight Rises’ Opening Scene
While most people associate The Dark Knight trilogy with Christian Bale‘s titular Batman, Christopher Nolan changed perspectives when he revealed his favorite sequence to be the opening scene, which doesn’t even involve Bale. Therefore, addressing the behind-the-scenes work that went into the sequence starring Tom Hardy’s Bane, Nolan recalled the violent hijacking.
In the opening sequence, Christopher Nolan strategically introduced the film’s villain Bane, as he hijacked an aircraft that he literally dropped to the ground. According to reports, the scene was filmed in Scotland, which involved a real plane being dropped out of the sky.
Considering the amount of work that went into the scene, it was planned to be a five-day shoot. But thanks to Nolan’s incredible crew, the sequence was completed in just two days.
“It was sort of an incredible coming together of lots and lots of planning by a lot of members of the team who worked for months rehearsing all these parachute jumps. I was amazed at what the team achieved using various old-fashioned methods. I was very proud of how that came together.”
Christopher Nolan further revealed being particularly impressed by Tom Hardy‘s introduction as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises since it was achieved with mostly practical effects. Nolan seemingly took away the spotlight from Christian Bale, who is the pivotal character of the film, and shed it on Hardy.
The Dark Knight trilogy is available on Max.
