Overview
- A Criterion Collection video circulating online shows Nolan browsing the Criterion Closet and calling Pather Panchali “an absolutely incredible film” that “blew my mind,” while saying he plans to watch the trilogy’s second and third parts.
- In the same clip Nolan picked other classics and noted that Fritz Lang’s The Testament of Dr Mabuse influenced his work on The Dark Knight, linking his creative debt to earlier world cinema.
- Nolan’s remarks arrived as he is promoting The Odyssey and follow earlier ties to India, including shoots for The Dark Knight Rises in Jodhpur and Tenet sequences filmed in Mumbai.
- Indian and international outlets and social media reacted positively to Nolan’s praise, a response that critics and curators say is likely to spur renewed viewership of Ray’s films and interest in Criterion’s restorations.
- The Apu Trilogy—Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (1959)—is widely regarded as a cornerstone of Indian and world cinema, and the Criterion Collection’s spotlight underscores its role in shaping modern filmmakers.