Watch: Christopher Nolan’s Films Immerse You in the Moment

Though "realism" might be, in one sense, the last word you might use in association with Christopher Nolan, maker of ‘Inception‘ and the ‘Dark Knight’ films, in another sense, it fits him perfectly. If we take the term "cinematic realism" to mean immersing viewers completely within a depiction of a time or place through camera techniques, special effects, and other cinematographers’ tricks, then Nolan and his DP Wally Pfister have been making highly realistic films for years, from ‘Following‘ to "Memento’ to ‘Insomnia’ to, yes, ‘Inception’ and the Dark Knight films. Trevor Ball explores Nolan and Pfister’s work carefully and intelligently in this dynamic video essay.