John C. Wright's Journal

TENET (Part VI) The Practice of Worldbuilding

Onward to Part V

Time travel is as impossible as an Escher drawing. The staircase going up and going down cannot be the same staircase, nor can the mill wheel raise the water to fill the sluice to create the waterfall to turn the mill wheel. Escher drawings are cunning visual jokes that appeal the mathematically minded.

Despite disliking time paradox stories, there is one thing I like about time travel stories: It is the same thing I like about Escher drawings.

Given the logical constraint that the thing is starkly, simply impossible, what tricks of perspective and aspect can the artist employ to create the plausible illusion of the impossible being possible?

Certain themes and settings make the illusion of the impossible being possible more convincing. Establishing or, more to the point, not establishing the rules of time travel are part of the worldbuilding that can aid or hinder the illusion.

We have discussed the theory and practice of time travel at exhaustive length to show the possible ways the world in a time travel story can be built to attempt the illusion. Let us now, at long last, return to TENET to examine how Christopher Nolan practices his worldbuilding.

In this case, TENET avoids or outwits most of the problems of paradoxes by selecting the spy genre as the jumping off point.

And here I doff my cap in humble salute.

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TENET (Part V) The Practice of Time Travel Not Explained

Onward to Part IV

We are examining the practice of how to write a time travel story, which is, in theory, a story that should be impossible to write. There are several minor or halfway cheats by which this can be done. These are discussed below. 

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TENET (Part IV) The Practice of Time Travel Explained

Onward to Part III

We are examining the practice of how to write a time travel story, which is, in theory, a story that should be impossible to write. There are three major cheats which allow such a story to be written, namely, fatalism, acausality, and myriad worlds theory; there are several minor or halfway cheats; and the biggest cheat of all, which is merely not to bring up the topic. We will discuss each in order. 

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TENET (Part III) The Theory of Time Travel

Onward to Part II

With all this in mind, this brings me to my main complaint and main compliment about the film, which regard the worldbuilding.

My main complaint is that it is time travel film. My main compliment is that is a cleverly done time travel film.

Now, be it known that, as an old hand in the science fiction field, as I said, I have read my share of time travel stories, perhaps one too many, and thought out it, or overthought it, and there are certain themes and conceits to which I have learned to take a hearty dislike.

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TENET (Part II) Theme, Plot. The Theory of Worldbuiling

Onward to Part I

Having said that, the characters are well drawn, but grim and dark and darkgrim grimdark. This is to be expected in the genre: spies and assassins and gunrunners are not a swashbuckling, cheery, upbeat gang, generally speaking. Even a spoof of such a genre is a spoof of what is a grim business, after all.

Despite all this, the theme of this film, while ambiguous (as are all Nolan themes) was not grim and dark, but a paean to the right and duty of every man to make his own fate. Since the background was, of necessity, fatalistic, this is something of a daring choice, and Nolan handles it well.

In less masterful hands, the same theme would have seemed absurd or trite. More on this later.

And, again, as is unusual in time travel films, the victory came at a cost.

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TENET (Part I) Introductory Remarks. Genre, Style and Character

TENET is a 2020 film, written and directed by Christopher Nolan, starring John David Washington and Elizabeth Debicki. A friend of mine urged me with heartfelt enthusiasm to watch this film, and bought me a copy to ensure that I did. I am grateful, for it was well worth the time, no pun intended.

As is typical with Nolan films, TENET cannot be discussed without enormous and unforgiveable spoilers, and it is film worth not having spoiled, so I suggest only those who have seen it look beneath the fold for my remarks.

The film maker clearly meant for an audience not knowing what to expect to watch it, and, as a courtesy to him, if not for one’s own enjoyment, that is the proper way to see it.

Be warned that what follows is more an essay than a review, or rather, a series of essays, delving, perhaps unwisely, into the philosophy behind the film, and the theory and practice of storytelling in general.

It will be spaced over six parts, including this.

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