Following (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

Are you a fan of Christopher Nolan? His impressive filmography includes Memento, Insomnia, Batman Begins, The Prestige, The Dark Knight, Inception, and The Dark Knight Rises. But his first feature was Following, and I imagine that there are plenty of Nolan fans who haven't got around to seeing it. My first viewing was just a few months ago, shortly after the Criterion Blu-ray release. Why do I want to review it? Well, one reason is that I wanted to talk about the first first film made by one of the best directors working today. Another incentive was the presence of actual ideas. Following is unpredictable, and does not use proven formulas. It works because it is genuinely interesting and compelling. You have probably never heard of the actors involved. The two principals haven't had much of a career since, but I enjoyed their performances. The film is full of mysteries and revelations, so I am not going to talk about everything that happens. Instead, I'll limit most of my comments to things we learn in the opening 10 minutes. The film grabbed my attention after two minutes during the opening narration by Bill (Jeremy Theobald), who is the main character. He tells us that he's unemployed, and frequently bored and lonely. In order to combat his boredom, he decides to start following people at random. In his own mind, he's an aspiring writer, although he probably views himself that way to justify his miserable existence. He's interested in people and what motivates them. When he's following someone, he has a certain set of rules, such as not pursuing women along dark alleys at night. He's a keen observer, but not a predator of any kind. He follows people of any gender, watches what they do, and then leaves. Bill's problems begin when he breaks one of his biggest rules, and decides to follow the same person more than once. The man calls himself Cobb (Alex Haw), and after noticing that he's being followed, he confronts Bill and questions him. Cobb dresses, acts, and sounds like a successful man, which is in total contrast to Bill's scruffy appearance and less formal way of speaking. Minor spoiler coming: Cobb allows Bill to look inside the bag he's carrying, and Bill realizes that it's full of goods that are presumably stolen. The two form a kind of partnership, and start to do burglaries together. I'm not going to reveal any more specific information, but I want to talk generally about the plot structure, and the overall feel of the film. The plot is fragmented, jumping around in time. If you have seen Memento, you'll recognize the style immediately. Bill's appearance changes, and is always a clue as to the timeline. As he's a writer, there's also a strong possibility that some of the events are things that he is imagining for a future story. Another key element is the music. It reminds me a little of Angelo Badalementi's work, and it wouldn't be too out of place in a David Lynch film. The film was shot in black and white with an aspect ratio of 1.37:1, so be prepared for that. Following was originally shot using 16 mm film, giving the piece a raw feel which suits the story, but the Criterion presentation is superb. The Blu-ray also includes the option to use an updated 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix, as well as the original mono. Like the Memento DVD, the special features offer the chance to see events in chronological order. After viewing the film a second time, I noticed that events had a different meaning because I was in full possession of the facts. Seemingly random encounters have more meaning because some of the people are recognizable. You'll probably ask yourself a lot of questions the first time you watch the events unfold. How does the character know that? Why is he doing that? Why is she acting that way? All of those questions will be answered by the end of the film, so trust that Nolan knows what he is doing and enjoy the ride. The revelations in the final 20 minutes will make you question everything you've seen up to that point, and then smile as you understand the logic. Following cost around $6,000 to make, and grossed just $43,000, but Nolan hasn't made a weak film yet and this deserves to be seen. Although it runs for just 69 minutes, it feels as though it's crammed with ideas. The acting, story, dialogue and music blend together well, and Following is something that you'll probably want to see many times if you appreciate Nolan's style. Buy the Criterion and check it out for yourself. Overall score 4.5/5

I bought a DVD copy of this film earlier this year. It was a hard to find item and I'm a huge Chris Nolan fan, so I searched high and low for a used copy. The one I got was okay quality. It appears that it was simply transferred over from film to digital without any sort of restoration to the film itself. Like with any Nolan release, there are some good bonus features on it, including a fascinating director's commentary from the man himself. Now on to the blu ray.... Criterion continues to blow me out of the freaking water with their blu ray releases. I had the opportunity to see this film the Thursday before it was released in the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA, followed by a Q&A with Nolan himself. The film was a newly created 35mm print and in my opinion, this blu ray looks a bit better. The grainy look of the original film is there, but it has been cleaned up and sharpened quite a bit. This is probably the best this film is ever going to look and it was a revelation to see it. The restoration was supervised by Chris Nolan himself. Included are several bonus features such as a side by side view of the script and the film, an in depth 26 minute interview with Nolan done in 2010, the director's commentary on previous releases, and a version of the film in chronological order, like on the Memento special edition DVD release. The Criterion Collection has done this film some serious justice and put out a beautiful looking and worthy title of their name. They've packaged it beautifully, put not many, but enough bonus content and put it out for film buffs to own. If you're a fan of the Dark Knight Trilogy or any other works by Chris Nolan, this is where it all began. Following on Blu Ray -this is a MUST OWN.

Interesting film from Nolan, especially considering how he did using only the resources he had, with only a small budget.

I highly recommend digging in to the behind the scenes story of this movie if you are not already familiar with it. The fact something this good was produced from such incredibly limited resources is unreal. And it’s just a great film in its own right. Highly recommend it to anyone interested.

A great disc and a great and inspiring film as a filmmaker, seeing what a beloved and extremely popular filmmaker was able to do with a shoe string budget basically completely resorted just for the film stock. Definitely a great pick up for any Nolan fan or Criterion collector!

For the materials used, and the type of budget it had, Nolan's first feature is very engaging. The story is descent, but the way the film is edited elevates it to something remarkable. The acting was good, and the dialogue was also really good; it truly gave these characters some life. This should give the up-and-coming filmmaker some hope that they could film some of their own masterpieces. The special features also provides really good info for those looking to start their own film.

A fantastic first feature from a director that would light up the big screen with great movies like Memento, the batman trilogy to this year with Interstellar. The blu-ray is top notch like criterion always does. A company that always restores movies true to the director's and/or cinematographer's vision. Don't expect a crisp clean movie though. Christopher Nolan shot this low budget in the 16mm film stock, so there is heavy film grain and dark blacks in the movie. That said it gives the movie a film noir undertone that matches the films mood perfectly. You'll get sucked into the mystery of the story anyway, and you will lose yourself in the movie and forget about the films look.

Christopher Nolan's directorial debut with a feature-length film, Following clearly illustrated the English auteur's potential and unique perspective in moviemaking that would later establish his name as one of the most respected in the industry. Nolan had only shot three short films until then and the idea for the story was born after his house got burgled and a question began to occupy his mind and stimulate his imagination. How much can a stranger, who breaks forcibly into other people's residences, understand about the character of the proprietors simply by taking a brief glance at their possessions? To address this burning query, Nolan created a stylish neo-noir that rolls smoothly throughout its runtime, featuring an alluring story and a matchless cinematography. The camera is held in hand for the majority of the movie, capturing the aesthetically sound black-and-white images that dominate the screen in the smallest detail. Nolan, who is also the sole screenwriter of the film, is certainly influenced and inspired by the work of the suspense legend Alfred Hitchcock and the American film-noir tradition of the 1940s and 1950s. The rhythm in which the story unravels, the morally dubious protagonists, the well-placed and plausible twists all bring to mind the timeless classics with which we learned to love the medium as well as the genre. There is much intrigue and backstabbing emanating from the witty plot and the audience gets hooked from the first minutes during which Bill, the main protagonist, explains to a man of authority how his compulsive inclination to stalk strangers began and the way this obsession took a tool on his life, becoming an almost independent, autonomous driving force that commands his overall behavior. It is impressive that despite the confined duration of Following, the viewer is allowed to observe brilliantly outlined characters and witness their development. Bill's journey from the initial excitement to the final disillusionment is scrupulously depicted through the film's tremendous optics and watertight, sweeping narrative that flows seamlessly and beguiles us with its craft and solidness. The suspense, reminiscent of that of the most popular and iconic oldies by the mystery genre's titans such as Orson Welles, Billy Wilder, and Nicholas Ray, becomes starker as the plot unravels and the audience is bound to make many guesses regarding the final denouement that proves to be the perfect fit for the story, having a staggering effect and leaving the viewer with the best of impressions. It's chiefly about the slippery alliance between Bill, a broke aspiring writer who spends his days following random people in the streets and the arrogant, nefarious Cobb who becomes kind of a mentor of Bill, initiating him to the art of stealing and a half-baked, pseudophilosophy of life that aims to excuse any kind of criminal behavior based on flimsy, simplistic arguments. The relationship between Bill and Cobb lies in the heart of the story and constitutes the primary narrative vehicle that thrusts the movie forward. In the beginning Bill clings to Cobb who has the upper hand as he obtains critical experience and knowledge on how to commit a perfect burglary, leaving no traces for the police to find. Cobb has a relaxed, nonchalant attitude that makes him all the more charming to Bill who envies his new friend's self-confidence. Bill lacks the necessary orientation and self-esteem to help him set positive goals in his life, so he quickly becomes immersed in this newfound criminal lifestyle and gradually gains points in the hierarchy beginning to take initiative and recommending potential new targets to Cobb. The change in the power dynamics is evident even from the changes that Bill decides to implement concerning his physical appearance. The unkempt, unshaved young bohemian whom we meet in the beginning of the film turns into a slick, well groomed individual who dares to excel himself and find the necessary courage to flirt with a damsel in distress who becomes a major player in the story. There is a bit of jumping back and forth time as we watch the film unraveling through Bill's narration who is seen in the first scene delineating the beginning of his peculiar addiction and his first meeting with the enigmatic Cobb. Nevertheless, the film doesn't become even for a moment perplexing to the audience as Nolan is using this trope prudently, avoiding the kind of deflects that blemish a large part of the genre's productions. The director doesn't attempt to mislead and confuse the viewer through the overuse of a, more or less, cliched narrative trope but, on the contrary, succeeds in employing it in such a manner that enhances the mystery and the suspense oozing from the Following's core. There is a total absence of cheap tricks, prominent red herrings, or implausible decisions that many characters in other movies take and shatter the credibility of the story. This is a masterly written scenario depicted on screen and as much as I find pleasure in spotting holes or weaknesses in every movie's script, in this case I couldn't even trace a single one. Due to the fact that this is essentially Nolan's first movie and it was released in 1998, long before he became one of the most renowned contemporary American directors, there is a large part of the audiences around the world who are oblivious to its existence. That's a real shame as in Following, Nolan for the first time displays the traits of a cinematic genius and delivers a film that would be deservedly studied from the next generation of the industry's artists as a prime example on how to make engrossing movies even when the production lacks a sufficient funding. This is a film that had one of the smallest budgets in the history of filmmaking, around 6.000 dollars, thus validating those of us who claim that a good movie is first and foremost rooted on the artistic craftmanship of creators. It's a rather short watch, its runtime doesn't exceed the 70 minutes, and a title that you will very much appreciate. Keep in mind that this is not a typical Nolan movie such as Inception, Interstellar, or Tenet. There are no long-drawn action sequences or glamorous settings as the focus is centered around the dangerous game of duplicity and deception carried out between the protagonists. This is, along with some of the earlier Cohen brothers films, one of the best neo-noirs ever created and it deserves a spot in your mind and heart.

Fantastic first feature film effort from one of Hollywood’s greatest modern visionary directors. Made not only with undeniable Nolan-esque style and non-linear storytelling, but also with the budget of a 7th grader’s allowance. Great special features too. If you like Christopher Nolan, check this one out. I blind bought this Criterion and have but not one regret.

Increíble layout, todo lo que incluye por un precio asequible.

Criterion Collection’s BluRay release of Chris Nolan’s debut film, so of course it is a must own. It looks & sounds the best it is ever going to, and the bonus features are pretty cool. Overall, it’s a strong debut film from an awesome filmmaker & an awesome BluRay release!

This is the first full film of Nolan. If you have seen Memento or Inception, you easily realize the unique style of not presenting the scenes according to the timeline, but using visual cues (e.g haircut, a bruise) you understand where in the timeline you currently are. Even though the use of black and white film was to reduce cost, it actually suits the type of the film. Lots of extras, including Doodle Bug!

A very special movie, unique, that sets the tone and signature of that now reknowned filmmaker. Criterion makes sure we get the best PQ and AQ along with great features such as a commentary track by Nolan himself. Rare! Highly recommended