Christopher Nolan has long-since established himself as one of the most influential storytellers of an entire generation, but you can trace one of his most important career trends back to a short story written by his brother, Jonathan. Christopher Nolan’s popularity exploded with what is referred to by many as The Dark Knight trilogy, but what’s elevated him into the upper stratosphere as a director and storyteller are his mind-bending stand-alone epics. The British-American filmmaker has made an indelible mark on the science fiction and historical genres, blending thriller elements with elevated themes that make each film worthy of multiple watches.
It’s safe to say that Nolan, like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, is one of the few directors who has established such a high expectation of excellence that every time they step behind the camera it becomes a bona fide box office event. Audiences know that Nolan will deliver a thought-provoking story wrapped in visuals and camerawork that pushes the bounds of what modern cinema is capable of. However, his most noteworthy themes and aesthetics can be traced back to a much simpler movie than the mega-budget epics like Tenet, Oppenheimer or The Odyssey, and the roots of the story actually came from his brother, Jonathan Nolan.
The Non-Linear ‘Memento’ Was Based on a Short Story by Jonathan Nolan
While Christopher Nolan made his feature film debut in 1998 with the celebrated indie crime thriller Following, his true breakout came with the neo-noir psychological thriller Memento. Starring Guy Pearce as a man suffering from anterograde amnesia, Memento established Nolan’s ability to mesmerize viewers with fragmented, non-linear storytelling. By presenting the events of the movie essentially backwards by allowing the viewer to experience Leonard Shelby’s anterograde amnesia first-hand, Nolan was able to craft something entirely unique.
While Nolan is responsible for the actual screenplay for Memento, the screenplay was in fact based on a short story written by Jonathan Nolan titled Memento Mori. Jonathan Nolan first crafted the idea for the short story in a college psychology class before pitching it to his brother, who fully embracd the concept. Jonathan ended up working on his short story at the same time that Christopher worked on his screenplay.
‘Memento’ Established Nolan’s Time Aesthetic and Scientific Storytelling
While there are significant differences between the two stories, Memento Mori established the idea of a character with anterograde amnesia leaving himself notes and tattooing his own body to keep track of information that he discovers as he seeks revenge for his wife’s murder and his own condition. It also established the idea of the story unfolding across two timeframes told from different perspectives, with an almost scientific approach to how the story is presented to the audience. In that way, Jonathan Nolan had a significant influence on Christopher Nolan’s affinity and ability to use the manipulation of time as a storytelling device.
Memento established many of Christopher Nolan’s most famous techniques, and the influence of the initial concept of non-linear storytelling is apparent in many of his most celebrated works. While it’s a reach to say that Christopher Nolan would never have delved into the manipulation of time and reality via perspectives and fragmented storytelling, it’s pretty clear that Memento was where the seeds were planted. It feels likely he would have found his way to greatness one way or another given his talent, but there’s no telling where Nolan’s career might be if he hadn’t started it off with something as unique and influential as Memento.
Jonathan Nolan Has Collaborated On Some of His Brother’s Best Time-Bending Narratives
​​​​​​​Jonathan Nolan’s prowess as a storyteller and influence on his brother’s work certainly doesn’t stop at Memento. Christopher Nolan’s younger brother has left his stamp on the TV world in recent years, as he was the creator of the celebrated sci-fi crime drama Person of Interest, which ran for five seasons on CBS. He then pivoted to writing for sci-fi Western drama Westworld, HBO’s adaptation of Michael Crichton’s acclaimed 1973 classic, and has since acted as an executive producer on short-lived but well-received The Peripheral and the ongoing Fallout TV show based on the popular video game franchise.
However, his most influential work has been on some of his brother’s most iconic movies. Following his inspiratory work on Memento, Jonathan Nolan was credited as a writer on The Prestige, the twisty period sci-fi thriller that reinforced Christopher Nolan’s ability to manipulate the audience via shifting perspectives. Jonathan Nolan contributed as a writer to all three chapters of Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, but his most significant credit is undoubtedly his role in developing Interstellar.
While both Nolans are credited with the screenplay, it was actually Jonathan Nolan who was hired to develop the script for what would eventually become Interstellar all the way back in 2007, when it was originally going to be directed by Steven Spielberg. When Spielberg moved studios in 2009, it was Jonathan who recommended to Paramount that his brother direct the movie, and eventually the two brothers collaborated to come up with the final version of what many consider to be one of Christopher Nolan’s most impressive cinematic achievements.
