Following (1999)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Bill, an idle, unemployed aspiring writer, walks the crowded streets of London following randomly chosen strangers, a seemingly innocent entertainment that becomes dangerous when he crosses paths with a mysterious character.
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7 films that influenced Following
What critics say influenced Following
As much as Following riffs on the familiar tone and ethos of film noir, the young man’s romance with an object of his gaze turns it into a variation on Hitchcock’s Vertigo, albeit with a twisty series of David Mamet-like revelations at the end that make it clear that Nolan is ultimately more interested in surprising us with plot developments, rather than unsettling us with philosophical ruminations.
From a visual standpoint, the film looks much more expensive than it was; as Scott Foundas points out in his essay accompanying the Criterion Collection release, Following cost less than both Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi (1992) and Kevin Smith’s Clerks (1994), both paramount examples of mid-’90s do-it-yourself indie ingenuity.
Body Heat, in particular, must have a gaping hole in its side Nolan not only re-tailors its ending to suit his own purposes, he outright steals the face-slapping episode in the bar.
From a visual standpoint, the film looks much more expensive than it was; as Scott Foundas points out in his essay accompanying the Criterion Collection release, Following cost less than both Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi (1992) and Kevin Smith’s Clerks (1994), both paramount examples of mid-’90s do-it-yourself indie ingenuity.
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The movie plays like a feature version of the trick in Pulp Fiction where the John Travolta character gets killed halfway through, then turns up to finish the movie; all through a twist of time.
The debut feature of British writer-director Christopher Nolan, Following is one of those neo-noirs like Shallow Grave that depend on quirky directorial effects and unearned cynicism to score its points.
There's a new interview with Nolan, a side-by-side comparison of the shooting script with scenes from the film, and Nolan's short film Doodlebug (1997).
The Criterion Collection has just issued the little-seen film on DVD and Blu-ray with a new restored digital transfer, along with an audio commentary, an interview with Nolan, and a 1997 three-minute short called Doodlebug that shows the director having fun, but still thinking about sci-fi themes and concepts.