The Dark Knight Trilogy

'It's not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me'

So I don't know about you guys, but without a shadow of a doubt, the Dark Knight trilogy is my absolute favourite series of films ever! The films have the best director, best actors, music, cars,action, gadgets, plot etc I could go on forever.

In my opinion Nolan wiped out every other Batman film there has ever been and has built a trilogy of films that will never be forgotten. Of course we will all remember one of them in particular 'The Dark Knight', for the outstanding portrayal of the Joker by the incredible Heath Ledger. That character will forever be remembered and loved, in fact I have a massive poster of the Joker with his card in my room which is pure awesome.

So of course, aside from Heath, we have the brilliant Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Michale Caine, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Anne Hathaway... I might as well name the whole cast.

What is so special about these Batman films which really sets them apart, is the fact that we see more of Bruce Wayne and his past than we do in any of the original Batman films. We get to see where the Batman comes from and who he really is underneath. Christopher Nolan is fantastic at creating conflicting identities which characters struggle with and in these films we see the grief of Bruce Wayne and his fight for justice in the jaw dropping urban city Gotham.

The final film 'The Dark Knight Rises' with its surprising end twist is a continuation of that excitement and awe that we have with the first two films. And giving credit to where it is due, Tom Hardy was very impressive as his character Bane, the first villain who has the physical ability to 'break the bat'.

Honestly I am obsessed with these three films and could watch them over and over again. 

Let me know what you all think of the trilogy.

              ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

'Following'

For my film studies coursework this year, I have been researching the work of my favourite director Christopher Nolan. I am really inspired by his work and the way that he brings realism to all of his films. His films also have a neo-noir structure to them consisting of flashbacks and non linear plot structure. He also uses traditional film noir characters such as the femme fatale.

'Following' is Christopher Nolan's debut film that he made in 1998. I saw this film for the first time yesterday and found that I really enjoyed it. As with many other of his films, the plot was clever and consisted of multiple twists which became revealed over time. It is also rather impressive how the film was made on an estimated budget of $6,000 (roughly £3700).

The film is based around an aspiring writer who has an obsession with people and their lives. He follows around random strangers to learn more about them which is rather odd. This however goes wrong when one man he is following notices.

Christopher Nolan filmed this film with a group of friends from his university in London. The film was shot in the streets of London and various apartments which he and his friends owned. The film is in black and white which adds to the dark and mysterious atmosphere created within the film.

The film isn't particularly long, but manages to keep you captivated throughout.  The film also has a non linear plot structure which all makes sense towards the end of the film.I really enjoyed this film and would definitely recommend it.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆