Christopher Nolan Says Audiences Aren’t Meant to ‘Understand Everything’ in Tenet

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Christopher Nolan Says Audiences Aren’t Meant to ‘Understand Everything’ in Tenet

Christopher Nolan says that audiences aren’t supposed to understand every single thing that happens in Tenet.

Speaking with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Nolan was asked if he understands everything that happens in his 2020 film Tenet.

“You’re not meant to understand everything in Tenet,” he answered. “It’s not all comprehensible. It’s a bit like asking if I know what happens to the spinning top at the end of Inception.”

When asked if he knows what happens to the spinning top at the end of Inception, Nolan said, “I have to have my idea of it for it to be a valid, productive ambiguity, but the point of it is that it’s an ambiguity.”

Christopher Nolan’s films about the experience

Nolan also said about his films, “If you experience my film, you are getting it. I feel very strongly about that. I think that where people encounter frustrations with my narratives in the past — sometimes, I think they’re slightly missing the point. It’s not a puzzle to be unpacked. It’s an experience to be had. Preferably in a movie theater, but also at home. Hopefully in an unbroken period, a linear period. It’s an experience to be had. That is the point of it, that’s the feeling of it. Everything else — if people are interested to talk about it, debate it more, or if ideas resonate, that’s a huge bonus. But, for me, it’s really all about the emotional experience of watching the film with an audience.”

Tenet stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh.

Having released in United States theaters during the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tenet is getting a one-week rerelease in 70 mm IMAX from February 23 to March 1, 2024.

Tenet is also currently available to rent or purchase on various streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, and more.