Christopher Nolan's Tenet has missed out on what would've been both a smart Easter egg tying into the themes of the movie and a fantastic gag. With the world of cinema currently in limbo due to the worldwide pandemic, Tenet finds itself in a curious situation. Movie theaters across the globe have been shut for several months, with planned releases either delayed or distributed online. While some countries are beginning to ease out of lockdown measures, others are still grappling with the virus, but in both cases it'll be a while before the movie industry is up and running at full steam. Tenet was originally slated for a July 17th release, but that has been pushed back twice to August 12th. Reportedly, Warner Bros. want to delay Tenet until some semblance of social normality is resumed, but Nolan is reluctant.
Potential delay to one side, Tenet's marketing campaign has been incredibly secretive, with trailers revealing very little about the plot and characters. All we know at present is that John David Washington's character is recruited into a clandestine organization tasked with preventing a future apocalyptic event. In his new (or possibly old...) job, Washington's Protagonist makes use of "inversion," a technique that plays events in reverse, such as abseiling up a wall, or collecting a bullet into the barrel of a gun. How this fascinating mechanic will be used in Tenet remains to be seen, along with almost everything else.
Playing on the theme of inversion, the trailers, posters and teasers for Tenet have sometimes showcased the movie's title letter by letter in reverse. Since the word "tenet" is a palindrome (reading the same backwards as forwards), the title neatly fits with the idea of time moving in reverse, giving the moniker an added layer of meaning. However, Tenet had a golden opportunity to extend this overarching concept through to the film's runtime... and just missed out. According to the Korea Media Ratings Board, Tenet clocks in at 149 minutes and 59 seconds, a mere second shy of 150 minutes. Had 60 seconds of footage been added to this total, then Tenet would officially be 151 minutes long, which continues the palindrome theme present in the film's title and promotion.
A 151 minute runtime would also provide a literal manifestation of Tenet's central story. The mysterious act of inversion is all about running time backwards. Run the 151 minute runtime backwards, and you'd get yet another palindrome to go along with the title. Not only would this synergy have felt immensely satisfying for those who enjoy that sort of thing, but it also would've enhanced the sense of all-encompassing mystique surrounding Tenet in the build to its release, whenever that may be. However, the feat also would've involved Christopher Nolan padding out his new release with 60 seconds of filler footage, something the director would no doubt be loathe to do.
It's worth considering the possibility that, since Tenet's reported runtime is so close to the magic 151 mark, the Korean version of the movie might have a short 61-second scene removed for localization purposes, shaving a thin slice off the finished movie. It'll be fascinating to see whether the domestic theatrical release bumps up those 149 minutes and 59 seconds to 151, giving Tenet one of the most elaborate and memorable inside jokes in recent cinematic history.
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