No one does it quite like Christopher Nolan! The man is one of the finest filmmakers of all time thanks to his mind-blowing movies, which oftentimes require the audience to have a high level of intellect to truly grasp the essence of the film. Whether it is Inception, Interstellar, or Hollywood’s latest obsession, Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan knows how to create magic on the screen.
Christopher Nolan not only directs but also writes the script for his films, which sets him apart from the other filmmakers in the entertainment industry. To this date, Insomnia (2002) is his only feature film where he doesn’t get the credit for penning the story. However, there is an iconic dialogue from one of Christopher Nolan’s most popular films that he is still haunted by, only because he wasn’t the one who got to write it!
Christopher Nolan is Plagued by an Iconic Line from The Dark Knight
When someone mentions the greatest works of Christopher Nolan, there is no way you can leave out Christian Bale’s iconic The Dark Knight trilogy. Having released in 2008, the second film in the trilogy flaunts one of the most iconic dialogues Hollywood has had to offer, a dialogue which fans have engraved into their minds and haven’t forgotten even after almost two decades.
The dialogue in question is spoken by Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent as he sat across Bruce Wayne: “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to become the villain.” To this day, this one line is enough to send goosebumps down the spine of every cinephile.
Recently, Nolan let the world in on a little secret, admitting that he has been “plagued” by the popular dialogue because he wasn’t the one who wrote it. The line came from his brother, Jonathan Nolan, who was the film’s co-writer. In fact, while the filmmaker kept the dialogue in the script, he didn’t really understand what it meant until much later.
Speaking with Deadline, Nolan said,
“I’m plagued by a line from The Dark Knight, and I’m plagued by it because I didn’t write it. My brother [Jonathan] wrote it. It kills me, because it’s the line that most resonates. And at the time, I didn’t even understand it. He says, ‘You either die a hero or you live long enough to become the villain.’ I read it in his draft, and I was like, ‘All right, I’ll keep it in there, but I don’t really know what it means. Is that really a thing?’ And then, over the years since that film’s come out, it just seems truer and truer. In this story, it’s absolutely that. Build them up, tear them down. It’s the way we treat people.”
Thankfully, despite not understanding the dialogue, Nolan decided to have a little faith in his younger brother. Can you imagine The Dark Knight without one of Hollywood’s most iconic dialogues? Neither can we.
Fans Praise Jonathan Nolan’s Skills
Just like his brother, Jonathan Nolan is also a force to reckon with in his field. Once the man picks up the pen, you know the end result is going to be absolutely fire! He has contributed to the screenplays for Memento, The Prestige, Interstellar, the last two films of The Dark Knight trilogy, and more.
After realizing that it was the younger brother who came up with the legendary line, fans of the trilogy couldn’t help but sing the screenwriter’s praise. Take a look at what they have to say about Nolan’s penmanship:
Jonathan deserves more recognition. Such a talent.
— Ravi Vora (@RaviVora) February 26, 2024
That’s one of the realest lines 💯 ever to be shown in cinema!
— Batnarc (@batnarc573511) February 26, 2024
Jonathan Nolan, an actual legend
— Seidsan (@sidepictures) February 26, 2024
His brother is a philosopher! That statement is deep!
— XL2LETTERS (@XL2LETTERS) February 26, 2024
Jonathan when he was writing this! pic.twitter.com/eZ1EHC6FVC
— engineer_dude (@milindjoshi1988) February 27, 2024
Its a line that is more relevant today than the day it dropped. Its historic in my book.
— Moosey (@0nlyMeez) February 26, 2024
Jonathan Nolan has also written and directed two of the most incredible shows out there: Westworld and Person of Interest. While the former won nine Primetime Emmy Awards out of the 54 it was nominated for, the latter also took home a handful of awards, including a People Choice Award for Favorite TV Crime Drama. Needless to say, Nolan knows how to capture the audience’s attention!
You can stream The Dark Knight on Max.
