David O'ConnellFollowing
October 15th 2009 03:12
Look no further than Christopher Nolan’s remarkable 1998 debut, Following, for the first indications of a prodigious talent destined for wider recognition in the wake of his follow-up Momento (2001). Filmed in black and white, this self-proclaimed “no-budget” film is actually a precursor to Momento in numerous ways, most obviously in terms of its elusive, non-linear construction; with the deft touch of a showman, Nolan keeps his audience guessing by shuffling the various parts of his protagonist’s downward spiral like a deck of marked cards.
On the streets of London, an unemployed loner, Bill (Jeremy Theobald), scours the streets for interesting strangers upon whom he hones in to ‘shadow’, firstly out of curiosity. In the opening scenes he recounts his modus operandi to a detached voice, but who exactly is he speaking to and why?
His lonely endeavor takes a dangerous turn when his latest subject, intimidating burglar Cobb (Alex Haw), turns the tables, forcing him to back down and admit his motivations. Sensing in Bill a vulnerable, exploitable soul, Cobb recruits him as he targets his next victim to reveal the tricks of his trade; but what ulterior motive could this urbane, persuasive stranger have for pulling back the curtain on his voyeuristic criminal activities and revealing all?
Later, Bill tries to pick up a gangster’s moll, a sultry femme fatale (Lucy Russell) but becomes entangled in another hazardous game, this time doling out favors for a susceptible woman he takes pity on and unwittingly begins a relationship with.
Nolan himself shot the film ‘on-the-fly’ with cheap handheld cameras and virtually no crew, using only natural light. Locations were selected for their familiarity and accessibility, whilst footage from the streets was often obtained without permits. Specifically tailored to work around the virtually zero budget, the film somehow succeeds against all odds, mostly because of the clever, twisty narrative and its ingenious arrangement.
The randomness is vaguely disquieting at first but as the story unfolds, a composite overview begins to form, the subtle details of each strand making more sense. Regardless, Nolan doesn’t tie everything up until the final scenes when a couple of devious twists finally put everything that has come before into a perfect cohesive order.
The fascinating inter-connectedness of all these out-of-order images from Bill’s journey are what substantiate this brilliant screenplay; it’s tight, efficient, without a single word or idea wasted - out of economic necessity more than anything else; it’s not until the final moments that you fully grasp just how meticulous its creation really is.
Nolan’s cast of inexperienced actors aid the overall favourable impression. Most impressive is Haw as the suave but icy Cobb, but Theobald is also solid, portraying Bill with an interesting mix of pained discomfort and strength. Russell plays off the pair with a weary, sardonic casualness that grounds the film in its noir-ish influences.
Following has a mesmerizing allure and was a startling beginning for a director whose affinity for this type of narrative manipulation didn’t end with Momento either. His later adaptation of Christopher Priest’s The Prestige (2006) feels like the continuation of this earlier lineage, even if it didn’t spring directly from his own fertile imagination.
On the streets of London, an unemployed loner, Bill (Jeremy Theobald), scours the streets for interesting strangers upon whom he hones in to ‘shadow’, firstly out of curiosity. In the opening scenes he recounts his modus operandi to a detached voice, but who exactly is he speaking to and why?
His lonely endeavor takes a dangerous turn when his latest subject, intimidating burglar Cobb (Alex Haw), turns the tables, forcing him to back down and admit his motivations. Sensing in Bill a vulnerable, exploitable soul, Cobb recruits him as he targets his next victim to reveal the tricks of his trade; but what ulterior motive could this urbane, persuasive stranger have for pulling back the curtain on his voyeuristic criminal activities and revealing all?
Later, Bill tries to pick up a gangster’s moll, a sultry femme fatale (Lucy Russell) but becomes entangled in another hazardous game, this time doling out favors for a susceptible woman he takes pity on and unwittingly begins a relationship with.
Nolan himself shot the film ‘on-the-fly’ with cheap handheld cameras and virtually no crew, using only natural light. Locations were selected for their familiarity and accessibility, whilst footage from the streets was often obtained without permits. Specifically tailored to work around the virtually zero budget, the film somehow succeeds against all odds, mostly because of the clever, twisty narrative and its ingenious arrangement.
Cobb (Alex Haw) and Bill (Jeremy Theobald)
The randomness is vaguely disquieting at first but as the story unfolds, a composite overview begins to form, the subtle details of each strand making more sense. Regardless, Nolan doesn’t tie everything up until the final scenes when a couple of devious twists finally put everything that has come before into a perfect cohesive order.
The fascinating inter-connectedness of all these out-of-order images from Bill’s journey are what substantiate this brilliant screenplay; it’s tight, efficient, without a single word or idea wasted - out of economic necessity more than anything else; it’s not until the final moments that you fully grasp just how meticulous its creation really is.
Nolan’s cast of inexperienced actors aid the overall favourable impression. Most impressive is Haw as the suave but icy Cobb, but Theobald is also solid, portraying Bill with an interesting mix of pained discomfort and strength. Russell plays off the pair with a weary, sardonic casualness that grounds the film in its noir-ish influences.
Following has a mesmerizing allure and was a startling beginning for a director whose affinity for this type of narrative manipulation didn’t end with Momento either. His later adaptation of Christopher Priest’s The Prestige (2006) feels like the continuation of this earlier lineage, even if it didn’t spring directly from his own fertile imagination.
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I was really impressed with 'Following" too....certainly a sign of things to come.
Fantastic review too, couldn't have penned it any better.
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Comment by Matt Shea
20/20 Filmsight
Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic