SUMMARY

In this video essay, filmmaker Tom van der Linden analyzes Christopher Nolan's filmography through philosopher Søren Kierkegaard's lens of subjectivism, revealing how Nolan's themes of time manipulation, moral ambiguity, and subjective reality explore human identity and the leap of faith required for meaningful existence.

STATEMENTS

• Christopher Nolan's films are known for ambitious, intricate stories involving time manipulation, either in narrative structure or character experiences, often leading to non-chronological storytelling.
• Nolan's protagonists are typically morally conflicted, engaging in deception toward others or themselves, resulting in endings that remain morally ambiguous.
• While Nolan's spectacles and plot twists dominate discussions, they often overshadow deeper philosophical examinations of meaning, with a focus on concepts rather than personal implications.
• Nolan's characters initially believe they can attain objective reality through rational methods, systems, or tools like notes in Memento or totems in Inception to solve mysteries.
• Nolan's storytelling presents films as puzzles promising revelation, but the true focus is epistemological—questioning the nature of knowledge and the limits of human perception.
• Subjectivity imprisons individuals in filtered perceptions, making reality constructed in the mind, vulnerable to distortion, lies, and internal manipulation, as seen in unreliable memories.
• Drawing from Kierkegaard, Nolan explores how subjectivity shapes identity not through factual knowledge but through personal judgments, values, and emotional commitments that "stick."
• Characters' obsession with objective truth leads to trouble, avoiding self-confrontation and resulting in delusion, detachment, and existential despair.
• Embracing subjective truths requires a leap of faith, allowing characters to find meaning through beliefs, passions, and commitments rather than unattainable facts.
• Nolan's overarching thesis urges choosing belief in subjective realities—love, causes, and actions—to overcome despair, stay connected, and engage passionately with the world.

IDEAS

• Nolan's films invert traditional ontology, prioritizing epistemology to probe not what reality is, but what we can truly know through subjective lenses.
• Tools like Leonard's notes in Memento externalize the internal unreliability of human consciousness, showing memory as fragmented and manipulable.
• Subjectivity isn't mere illusion; it's a constructed reality where existential elements like passions and ethics hold more sway than objective facts.
• Kierkegaard's influence highlights that identity emerges from how individuals appropriate knowledge emotionally, not detached rationally.
• Characters' pursuit of "facts" masks deeper fears, turning rational systems into escapes from self-examination and relational truths.
• The "leap of faith" in Nolan's work bridges uncertainty, transforming potential tragedy into triumph by committing to unprovable beliefs.
• Even everyday assumptions, like the world existing when eyes are closed, reveal instinctive subjective faith underlying all perception.
• Nolan's moral ambiguity stems from the tension between objective certainty and subjective meaning, where unresolved puzzles reflect life's irresolvable doubts.
• Victorious protagonists replace elusive facts with "sticky" ideas—resilient, idea-like parasites that foster hope and engagement.
• Collectively, Nolan's stories portray humanity's recurring battle against existential despair, won through subjective rage against meaninglessness.

INSIGHTS

• Subjectivity reveals that human flourishing depends not on mastering objective truths, but on courageously integrating personal values to forge authentic identities.
• Nolan's time manipulations symbolize the inescapable prison of perception, urging a shift from external puzzles to internal revelations for true self-understanding.
• Obsessive rationalism breeds isolation, as it sidesteps the emotional commitments that connect us to others and sustain life's purpose.
• The leap of faith isn't blind; it's an embrace of uncertainty that empowers ethical action, turning subjective beliefs into anchors for resilience.
• In Nolan's worldview, meaning emerges from what "sticks" emotionally—ideas, loves, causes—that defy factual proof yet define our humanity.
• Existential despair yields to passionate engagement when we accept subjective truths, transforming individual struggles into collective narratives of survival and hope.

QUOTES

• "The secret impresses no one. The trick you use it for is everything."
• "What is the most resilient parasite? An idea. Resilient, highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it's almost impossible to eradicate."
• "You keep telling yourself what you know, but what do you believe? What do you feel?"
• "I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed… the world's still here."
• "Admit it. You don’t believe in one reality anymore. So choose. What do you believe?"

HABITS

• Maintain disciplined routines and systems, like Leonard's note-taking in Memento, to cope with perceptual limitations and pursue goals methodically.
• Rely on personal totems or anchors, as in Inception, to distinguish subjective experiences from potential deceptions and stay grounded.
• Engage in reflective self-examination to integrate emotional values with facts, avoiding the pitfalls of detached rationalism.
• Practice leaps of faith by committing to unprovable beliefs that foster hope and connection, rather than fixating on elusive certainties.

FACTS

• Søren Kierkegaard emphasized subjectivism as central to identity, arguing that humans exist within the world, defined by passionate engagement over detached reason.
• In Memento, Leonard's anterograde amnesia prevents new memory formation, forcing reliance on external aids that mirror universal subjective flaws.
• Nolan's films often end ambiguously, reflecting real-world epistemological limits where absolute truth remains unattainable.
• The Bhagavad Gita quote "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds" from Oppenheimer underscores how scientific truths gain destructive power through subjective human interpretations.
• Human memory distorts reality, changing details like room shapes or car colors, as illustrated in Nolan's narratives of unreliable recollection.

REFERENCES

• Søren Kierkegaard's philosophy on subjectivism and the leap of faith, connecting knowledge to personal identity and emotional commitment.
• Karen D. Hoffman's academic essay on subjectivity in Memento and Inception, linking Nolan's themes to Kierkegaard's ideas.
• Films analyzed: Following, Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet.
• Upcoming film Oppenheimer, expected to explore obsessive truth-seeking and subjective implications of invention.
• Bhagavad Gita scripture, referenced in the context of destructive creation and moral revelation.

HOW TO APPLY

• Identify personal "systems" like notes or routines that mimic objective control, then question their reliability to uncover hidden subjective biases.
• When facing uncertainty, pause to reflect on emotional stakes—ask what beliefs or values truly drive your actions beyond mere facts.
• Practice the leap of faith by committing to one unprovable idea, such as a relationship or cause, and observe how it fosters resilience and connection.
• Analyze moral dilemmas in daily life through Nolan's lens: distinguish between factual pursuits that lead to delusion and subjective truths that build meaning.
• Engage media like films or books that challenge perceptions, using them to examine how subjectivity shapes your identity and worldview.

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

Embrace subjective truths and leaps of faith to transcend existential despair and define a meaningful life amid perceptual uncertainties.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Watch Nolan's films not just for plot twists, but to introspect on your own subjective filters and the beliefs that shape your reality.
• Read Kierkegaard's works to deepen understanding of how passionate commitments, not facts, forge authentic human identity.
• In decision-making, prioritize emotional significance over unattainable objectivity to avoid self-delusion and foster genuine connections.
• Explore mysteries and thrillers on platforms like Acorn TV to encounter stories that probe humanity's darker, subjective depths.

MEMO

Christopher Nolan's cinematic universe, from the shadowy Following to the temporal labyrinths of Tenet, has captivated audiences with its cerebral puzzles and moral mazes. Yet beneath the spectacle of inverted timelines and deceptive narratives lies a profound philosophical undercurrent, one that filmmaker Tom van der Linden illuminates through the lens of Søren Kierkegaard's subjectivism. Nolan's protagonists—think Leonard in Memento, scribbling frantic notes to outwit his failing memory, or Cobb in Inception, clutching a spinning top to anchor his reality—embark on quests for objective truth. They arm themselves with systems, deductions, and artifacts, convinced that facts alone can unravel the world's enigmas. But as van der Linden argues, this rational armor often crumbles, revealing not just the elusiveness of knowledge, but the deeper tyranny of our subjective perceptions.

At its core, Nolan's worldview pivots from ontology to epistemology, questioning not the existence of reality but the limits of what we can know. Memories warp like funhouse mirrors, facts bend under lies and biases, and even our innermost thoughts prove unreliable. Van der Linden draws on Kierkegaard to elevate this beyond intellectual exercise: subjectivity isn't a flaw to overcome, but the essence of identity. We don't define ourselves by detached facts, but by how we weave knowledge into our passions, values, and commitments—the "sticky" ideas that propel us forward. Nolan's characters falter when they cling to objectivity as salvation, evading the messy truths of their desires, fears, and traumas. Obsession turns to delusion, isolation to despair, as seen in the unraveling detectives of Insomnia or the vengeful magicians of The Prestige.

Yet redemption glimmers in the leap of faith, a Kierkegaardian pivot Nolan repeatedly dramatizes. Victorious figures, from Batman in The Dark Knight to Cooper in Interstellar, abandon the futile hunt for certainties and embrace subjective truths. They choose belief—in love, justice, or an unseen world's persistence—transforming uncertainty into purpose. This isn't naive optimism; it's a defiant rage against meaninglessness, echoing Dylan Thomas's plea to "not go gentle into that good night." Van der Linden posits that Nolan's films collectively urge us to do the same: recognize our perceptual prisons, then commit to ideas that connect us to others and ourselves. In a universe of subjective realities, meaning isn't discovered—it's chosen.

Looking ahead to Oppenheimer, Nolan's biopic of the atomic bomb's architect, van der Linden anticipates another chapter in this thesis. J. Robert Oppenheimer's pursuit of scientific truth will likely expose its subjective horrors—fear, power, ambition—unleashing forces defined not by equations, but by human interpretation. As the Bhagavad Gita's destroyer of worlds haunts the narrative, Nolan reminds us that unchecked objectivity can rend the fabric of existence. Ultimately, his filmography isn't about solving puzzles, but about the human spirit's capacity to find home amid the chaos, through faith in what matters most. In an era of grand blockbusters, Nolan's voice persists as a moral philosopher, challenging us to look inward and leap.