Following

( 1 )

Overview

Christopher Nolan made his feature directorial debut with this 16mm black-and-white British suspense drama, shot on weekends with a $6,000 budget. Wannabe writer Bill, aka "The Young Man" Jeremy Theobald, is "between jobs," living in impoverished circumstances with no prospects, plots, or outlines. Desperate for ideas, he begins following people in the street to "gather material," more accurately described as a venture into voyeurism. When Cobb Alex Haw realizes he's being followed, he confronts Bill. Cobb ...
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Overview

Christopher Nolan made his feature directorial debut with this 16mm black-and-white British suspense drama, shot on weekends with a $6,000 budget. Wannabe writer Bill, aka "The Young Man" Jeremy Theobald, is "between jobs," living in impoverished circumstances with no prospects, plots, or outlines. Desperate for ideas, he begins following people in the street to "gather material," more accurately described as a venture into voyeurism. When Cobb Alex Haw realizes he's being followed, he confronts Bill. Cobb explains that he goes one step further -- entering people's apartments not only for theft but also to spy on private possessions. The notion of illegal intrusions excites Bill, but graduating to the next plateau beyond break-ins sets him up as a fall guy. Shown at the 1998 San Francisco Film Festival.
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Special Features

New, restored digital transfer, supervised by director Christopher Nolan; New 5.1 surround mix by rerecording mixer Gary Rizzo; Audio commentary by Nolan; New interview with Nolan; Chronological edit of the film; Side-by-side comparison of the shooting script with three scenes from the film; Doodlebug (1997), a three-minute film by Nolan, starring Following's Jeremy Theobald; Trailers; PLUS: an essay by film critic and programmer Scott Foundas
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide
The roots of Memento are evident in Christopher Nolan's brilliant first feature, the black-and-white puzzle Following, which previews the filmmaker's fondness for unconventional chronology and deceitful trickery. Influenced by the films of Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, Nolan fills the screen with antique typewriters, old-model televisions, and timeless wardrobes, transforming his shoestring budget into an homage to the French New Wave that might have taken place or been filmed decades ago. It's one of many ways Nolan is conscious of time, a construct he manipulates on the most noticeable level by fragmenting the chronology according to a precise expository pattern in his head. In addition to more traditionally structured scenes, his film contains a series of tantalizing, non-sequential images that reveal themselves as the narrative unfolds, the various haircuts and facial bruises of his lead character (Jeremy Theobald) eventually coalescing into coherence. Following starts as a profile of a man who shadows random people out of a sociological interest tinged with perverse loneliness, which itself might have sustained a brisk, 71-minute movie. But then Nolan changes direction by introducing a different loner, Alex Haw's Cobb, who deflects focus toward a dispassionate treatise on burglary, the value of sentimental possessions and the sanctity of violated privacy. Nor is this the last narrative twist up the director's sleeve. The dialogue and acting are both quite mature for the resources available to Nolan, especially given his own inexperience. In fact, Memento might have been billed as "from the director of Following" if the film had gotten enough exposure to be recognized as the debut of a major talent.
Village Voice - Michael Atkinson
...Christopher Nolan's little-Brit-indie-that-could, Following...trucks in ideas thick with tarnish (post-Hitch voyeurism, the romantic schmo caught between a bruised femme and a sadistic crime lord, the peeling of onionlike layers of double cross, etc.) and still comes off goosey with sweat and anxiety.
San Francisco Examiner - Jeff Anderson
Most of the joy of Following is discovering the little tricks for ourselves.... Nolan seems to be the first of the young independent filmmakers to throw out his wristwatch at the same time he picked up a camera.

Most of the joy of Following is discovering the little tricks for ourselves.... Nolan seems to be the first of the young independent filmmakers to throw out his wristwatch at the same time he picked up a camera.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 12/11/2012
  • UPC: 715515099219
  • Original Release: 1998

    • Rating:

  • Source: Criterion
  • Region Code: 1
  • Presentation: B&W / Pan & Scan
  • Language: English
  • Time: 1:10:00
  • Format: DVD
  • Sales rank: 22,586

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Jeremy Theobald The Young Man
Alex Haw Cobb
Lucy Russell The Blonde
John Nolan The Policeman
Jennifer Angel
Technical Credits
Christopher Nolan Director, Cinematographer, Editor, Producer, Screenwriter
Peter Broderick Executive Producer
Ivan Cornell Sound/Sound Designer
Gareth Heal Editor
David Julyan Score Composer, Sound/Sound Designer
David Lloyd Sound/Sound Designer
Tristan Martin Art Director
Jeremy Theobald Producer
Emma Thomas Producer
James Wheeler Sound/Sound Designer
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Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Following
1. "The Following is My Explanation" [17:00]
2. "Can I Buy You a Drink?" [4:35]
3. Getting Protection [1:04]
4. "He's a Sad Fucker with No Social Life" [2:33]
5. "They Rifled Through My Underwear" [3:32]
6. The Club [:57]
7. A Model's Apartment [5:20]
8. "He Made a Mess on My Carpet" [2:55]
9. The Safe [2:57]
10. "I've Thought It All Through" [8:01]
11. The Money [1:56]
12. "He's Our Man" [8:25]
13. "That's It, Unless You've Got Any Questions" [10:39]
1. Color Bars [:20]
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Menu

Disc #1 -- Following
   Play the Movie
   Chapters
   Commentary
      This Audio Commentary Featuring Writer-Director Christopher Nolan was Recorded in 2001. To Listen to the Commentary While Viewing the Movie, Press the Audio Key on Your Remote at Any Time
         Commentary: On
         Commentary: Off
   Supplements
      Christopher Nolan
         Play
      The Linear Edit
         Play
      Script to Film
         First Break-In
         The Abandoned Offices
         Finale
      Doodlebug
         Play
      Trailers
         Theatrical Trailer
         Rerelease Trailer
   Audio Options
      Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
      Dolby Digital Mono
      Commentary
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Customer Reviews

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Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A Fine Debut Film by a Talented Filmmaker

    For a directorial debut shot on 16mm, shot on weekends, and shot for around $6000, this is a great film! Future filmmakers and students should take notes.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 6, 2003

    5 out of 10

    Too flawed. Bad cinematography, especially in black/white format. The plot was silly also. I liked Alex Haw, the actor who played Cobb. He is a promising actor. I believe this is the only role he has done. I wonder why. Small film, inexpensive budget, no problem. I want to compare this film to Pulp Fiction as regards to use of flashbacks. They flashback sequences were done poorly. I do not see any emphasis on each flashbacks, meanings were too superficial to understand. I keep going ''Yeah he did; yeah thats what happened; so what? what is the point?'' In the end, somewhat chilling conclusion which was okay. Not much of a substance in the film overall. Some style but too flat. It wouldn't have been a difference if the story was told outright without the use of flashbacks. Big hole in this film...I see that the mob boss played a role in this film in a indirect way. How come the mob boss was not much of a factor after the robbery of his safe? That bothered me a little throughout the last part of the film. Overall, it is a weak film. I don't have a problem for a recommendation for you to take a look at it.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews