Christopher Nolan Names the Steven Spielberg Classics He Loves the Most

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Christopher Nolan‘s Oppenheimer is a remarkable film that combines impressive technical skill with a deeply engaging story, drawing viewers into the mind of J. Robert Oppenheimer through innovative practical effects. The film’s incredibly realistic portrayal of the Trinity Test—the first nuclear explosion—looked and felt genuinely explosive, showcasing Nolan’s ability to create grand-scale spectacles. This combination of massive scope and emotional impact is something Nolan has in common with his biggest influence, Steven Spielberg.

Christopher Nolan’s filmmaking is clearly inspired by Steven Spielberg, as both directors favor big-budget, original stories with compelling characters. Nolan considers Spielberg one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, and two of his films especially shaped Nolan’s own style. While he’s always admired Raiders of the Lost Ark for its sheer entertainment value, Nolan often points to Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Saving Private Ryan as being particularly influential to his work.

Released in 1977, Close Encounters of the Third Kind skillfully combined a personal family story with large-scale, world-changing events. Similar to Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, Steven Spielberg’s film used science fiction to delve into a father’s consuming passion and the impact of making first contact with aliens.

The movie’s groundbreaking visuals, achieved through masterful lighting and practical effects, won an Academy Award and established a benchmark for creating believable worlds – a technique Nolan has often mirrored in his own films.

Christopher Nolan considers Steven Spielberg’s 1998 film Saving Private Ryan a crucial influence, praising its masterful filmmaking. From the harrowing opening scenes on Omaha Beach to its deeply moving ending, the movie showcases Spielberg at his best.

Saving Private Ryan revolutionized war films by focusing on the individual experiences of soldiers within the larger context of historical events. This approach heavily inspired Nolan’s own 2017 film, Dunkirk, which used very little dialogue to highlight the intense, immediate struggles of its characters.

Nolan’s emphasis on personal stories within a visually stunning film is a clear tribute to the immersive techniques Spielberg established years before. This respect is reciprocal, as Spielberg previously supported Nolan’s The Dark Knight in its bid for a Best Picture nomination.

Both Christopher Nolan and Greta Gerwig are currently working on highly anticipated films. Nolan is finishing his new epic, based on Homer’s The Odyssey, which is set to be released in IMAX theaters on July 17th. The $250 million movie boasts a large and impressive cast, including Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as Telemachus, and Anne Hathaway as Penelope, with Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, and Charlize Theron also starring.

Steven Spielberg is heading back to science fiction with his new film, Disclosure Day, which comes out on June 12th. It’s his first movie dealing with UFOs in over two decades, and he’s working again with Jurassic Park writer David Koepp. The film stars Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colin Firth, and promises to be a realistic but visually impressive blockbuster exploring what happens worldwide when humanity realizes it’s not alone in the universe.

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2026-02-23 19:14