The 5 Christopher Nolan Scenes Fans Still Can't Agree On

Christopher Nolan makes really good movies. And within those really good movies, he also crafts incredible scenes people never get tired of talking about.

Since the start of his career, Nolan has relished playing with his viewers through time-bending narratives, stunning plot twists, and ambiguous endings. With The Odyssey drawing huge crowds to the cinema all summer long, Nolan's immense pull has truly been solidified. But even his work from 25 years ago still stirs debate.

Here, we break down five of the most memorable Christopher Nolan scenes, and why they still have fans arguing about their deeper meaning to this day. Naturally, there will be some spoilers ahead.

1. Memento (2000): Is Teddy Telling Leonard the Truth?

In 2000, Nolan got his big breakthrough with Memento, establishing that trademark non-linear storytelling approach we love so much. The story of Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) – a man suffering from short-term memory loss while trying to track down the person who killed his wife – is a thrilling one, not least of all because we see the tale pretty much in reverse, as Leonard pieces together the clues he finds along the way.

By the end, we learn that Teddy, the man Leonard suspects as the killer, already helped him get his revenge on the actual murderer a year ago. Teddy has since been manipulating Leonard to earn a little blood money on the side. But the big reveal is that Leonard doesn’t really believe Teddy is the killer – he just wants another target to continue his endless revenge mission.

We see Leonard creating false clues to pin the murder on Teddy. Meanwhile, Teddy himself tells Leonard that it was his fault his wife died, after Leonard allegedly administered a fatal dose of insulin. So, was Leonard to blame? Was Teddy the mysterious “John G” all along? Or was the real killer found long ago? It’s hard to know the truth among this web of lies.

2. The Dark Knight (2008): How Did The Joker Get Those Scars?

Throughout The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger’s Joker repeatedly asks his victims if they want to know how he got those scars. The characters in the film don’t really like to answer that question, but we’re dying to know the origins of his facial disfigurement. In the movie, Joker tells various versions of the story, including an alcoholic father who cut him and a self-inflicted wound to make his wife feel better about her own scars.

Given the Joker’s propensity for deception and the fact that he changes his story at least twice (that we know of), it’s probably safe to assume that neither of those situations is actually true. On Reddit, one fan suggests Joker did indeed harm himself for the sole purpose of having a messed-up story to share with others. Meanwhile, other predominant theories are that he was either a former soldier injured in battle, or an undercover cop who was tortured by the mob once his cover was blown.

3. Inception (2010): Is Cobb Still Dreaming?

Perhaps the most popular debate among Nolan fans is around the closing moments of his epic sci-fi thriller, Inception. After spending the whole film diving through other people’s dreams, successfully planting the idea that Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy) should dismantle his father’s company, Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) appears to get the chance to make his own dreams come true as a reward.

That dream involves getting to go home to see his kids – something he wasn’t allowed to do previously because accusations that he had killed his wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard), made him a fugitive. Cobb passes through airport security and returns to his house. But the moment is tainted by a few clues suggesting this is not reality.

First, Cobb’s kids never turn around, and they’re wearing the same outfits as when he last saw them (an image we see time and time again throughout the film). More importantly, Cobb uses his spinning top, an item he’s been using as his totem to keep a handle on what’s real and what isn’t. If the top keeps spinning, he’s dreaming. Nolan cuts the film before we see whether the spinning top stops or not, so we’ll never know whether Cobb’s dreams came true.

4. The Dark Knight Rises (2012): Does Bruce Wayne Live Happily Ever After?

The ending to The Dark Knight Rises is full of plot holes (and some arguably terrible death acting by Marion Cotillard. But it does also include one moment that has kept Bat-fans pondering for 14 years and counting.

When Batman flies the huge nuclear bomb away from Gotham City, it looks as though he is killed in the explosion over the ocean. However, it’s later revealed that Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) had fixed the autopilot function on The Bat, so it’s entirely feasible that he was able to eject himself from the aircraft before the bomb detonated.

That means that when Alfred (Michael Caine) thinks he sees Bruce and Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) enjoying a drink together in Florence, it might actually be them. While that may seem convenient, I’m definitely on the side of the debate that thinks Bruce did live happily ever after. He gave everything to Gotham, saved the day once again, escaped from The Bat, and knew full well that he could see Alfred again if he popped to Florence for a drink. It’s what Alfred wanted all along, and Bruce deserved an early retirement.

5. The Odyssey (2026): Did Penelope Know Odysseus Had Returned?

More recently, Nolan has sparked more debate with his latest film, the aforementioned box office smash, The Odyssey. Though this movie comes from well-known source material, that hasn’t stopped the director from tweaking things here and there, such as Odysseus's (Matt Damon) guilt for what he and his men did to Troy. But that wiggle room also creates questions about other scenes, particularly the moment when Odysseus and his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), are reunited in their home while he is in the guise of a beggar.

The pair share a heartfelt conversation about Odysseus, his legacy, and why he never returned to Ithaca. It feels like we’re just about to see him reveal his true identity to his long-suffering wife, but that doesn’t happen. Soon after, Penelope announces to her suitors she will marry whoever can complete the bow contest. As we know, Odysseus is the only man who can achieve that feat, but did Penelope know he was there or had she just had enough of waiting?

On the one hand, if Penelope did know that Odysseus was the beggar, she cleverly set up a situation where he could have all of his rivals locked in the castle at his mercy. It would be a superbly sneaky way for the queen to welcome back her king and rid herself of the suitors in one fell swoop. Alternatively, it could be a way for Penelope to appear to be giving the suitors a chance to win her hand, knowing none of them would be worthy of the challenge. Either way, it leads to a truly badass battle sequence.