Denis Villeneuve and Christopher Nolan are two auteurs in the greater realm of cinema that have had a transcending impact on the audience and the whole cinematic landscape. While Nolan is better known for his mind-blogging, intriguing cinematic pieces, Villeneuve is an equally brilliant filmmaker known for his exploration of complex themes from identity to morality or even the nature of existence.
While both filmmakers are not that different, seeing how they tend to push the idea of conventional filmmaking, they are still miles apart with talent that cannot really be compared. Yet, Villeneuve cannot genuinely compete with Nolan despite him being a living legend already.
Why Denis Villeneuve Cannot Compete With Christopher Nolan
Denis Villeneuve‘s astounding filmography includes the Dune movies as well as movies like Arrival, Incendies, and Sicario. With a profound understanding of human nature and a keen eye for details, the director’s movies are not mere narratives or stories but experiences that are bound to leave a long-lasting impact.
Hailing from Quebec, the director had a humble beginning, yet that humble beginning of living near a nuclear reactor seems to have given him an incredible talent for the sci-fi genre. After making his Hollywood debut with Prisoners, the director has had an incredible journey.
He soon was roped into directing Blade Runner 2049, the sequel to Blade Runner (1982), a mythos that he had been fond of since childhood. His marvel feature earned him a built of acclaim and critical praise, enabling him to helm the fan-favorite movie series, Dune.
Despite his accolades and filmmaking genius putting him at par with the likes of Christopher Nolan, Villeneuve cannot really compete with the director when it comes to the superhero genre or comic book adaptations. In an interview with Vulture, the Dune director has stated,
“If you ask me how to do Spider-Man, I don’t know how to do it. I barely knew Superman. That was not my world. Dune is my world. I know how to do that.”
This puts him in direct contrast with Nolan, who, despite having never read a Batman comic before, made what is widely hailed as one of the best Batman trilogy of all time!
Christopher Nolan Had No Idea About The World of Batman
Christopher Nolan‘s three Batman movies are well revered and hailed as one of the best, if not the best, movies of all time (see Vulture and Reddit). From featuring one of the best character adaptations to the narrative and storytelling, Nolan achieved this feat without having read a comic book.
While speaking at the BAFTA and BFI Screenwriters’ Lecture series (via Digital Spy) screenwriter David S. Goyer revealed,
“Chris had never read comic books. He didn’t know the world. So he trusted me on that franchise and with Superman to know what was canon – what could be changed and what couldn’t be changed.”
Despite being unfamiliar with the original source, Nolan knew exactly what he was doing and what he wanted to achieve with his three movies (see Empire). And this quality and talent of his puts him above another cinematic legend, Denis Villeneuve.
