The Tenet preview reveals director Christopher Nolan shot all the time inversion scenes twice, once forward and once backward, to achieve the desired effect. Nolan's new film uses the concept of time inversion, where a character travels backward through time while time progresses normally around them, instead of the more traditional time travel. Despite several trailers for the film being widely available on the internet, the plot and details of Nolan's latest mind-bending blockbuster are still a mystery.
Tenet, which has been delayed numerous times due to the coronavirus pandemic, is currently slated to release at the end of August in international markets, and in early September in the USA. It stars John David Washington in the role of The Protagonist, with Kenneth Branagh as a shady Russian oligarch, Robert Pattinson, as a character called Neil and Elizabeth Debicki as the oligarch's estranged wife. The cast has all spoken about how ambitious the movie is, and also how confusing its central concept is, despite being in the film. However, a new preview for the film, screened before the 1oth anniversary release of Inception, means some fans have gotten unique insight into the movie.
Film fan ljwr_Lewis took to Twitter to relay what they learned about Tenet in the preview and revealed that Nolan went the extra mile to make the time inversion scenes look real. Lewis says the preview mentions the fact that Nolan shot each time inversion scene twice - once forward and once backward - to get the time inversion effect correct. This involved just what you think it did - getting the actors to perform their roles backward too.
The revelation is further proof that Nolan's approach to the movie is to elevate it beyond a regular modern action movie. The tweet also mentioned that the professional stuntmen involved in the production had never worked on a film like this, meaning that the director is, as per usual, attempting to push the boundaries of what an action thriller can look like. Added to the fact that no green screen was used, and viewers are in for a treat.
Just how Nolan managed to pull off shooting the time inversion scenes both backward and forwards is as much of a mystery at this point as the plot is. However, given that the trailers boast some impressively detailed action scenes that seem to bend the rules of time, it's clear that what he did pull off is both thrilling and spectacular. And based on his previous movies, Nolan definitely will make sure that audiences are treated to some explosive action set-pieces.
Similar to the release of Inception a decade ago, Tenet is expected to both enthrall and confuse audiences with its time-bending plot. Whether the latest can be as successful as Nolan's classic espionage thriller is up for debate, given that movie audiences are going to be hesitant to pack theaters. At the same time, the pandemic has yet to be resolved, especially in the United States. However, what is clear is that Tenet is going to be something no one has seen on-screen before.
Source: ljwr_Lewis/Twitter
