While Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer nears $900mil at the global box office (at the time of writing), there’s no time like the present to revisit his £6,000 budget debut and see how it all began. Shot on 16mm film – paid for personally out of Nolan’s pocket, showing a love for pure cinema formats that continue to this day – this neo-noir black & white thriller is a fascinating watch for fans of the celebrated filmmaker.
We took a look at 101 Films’ gorgeous release of the film, making its UK Blu-ray debut.
FOLLOWING
101 Films presents Christopher Nolan’s debut feature film Following (1998) on Blu-ray in the UK for the first time. Armed with a 16mm camera, a tiny budget and using his now trademark non-linear structure Nolan presents a gripping Neo-Noir set on the backstreets of London. Shot over the course of 12 months, with Nolan covering the majority of production duties himself, Following a thrilling introduction to one of modern cinema’s great visionaries.
Curiosity develops into voyeuristic fixation as a young writer, Bill (Jeremy Theobald) follows strangers around London to research a novel. After following Cobb (Alex Haw), a well-heeled stranger, who is actually a thief, Bill’s obsession takes a sinister turn. Drawn into Cobb’s world of burglary, prying into the personal lives of victims, he becomes obsessed with an attractive young woman, played by Lucy Russell, an aspiring actress making her movie debut. In Cobb, Bill has found a strange companion, part mentor, part confessor and part evil twin.
Extras:
• Commentary with Actor Jeremy Theobald and Film Critic James Mottram
• Unfollow – Director Christopher Nolan on Following
• Dreamcatching – Producer Emma Thomas on Following
• Wandering – Actor Jeremy Theobald on Following
• The Blonde – Actor Lucy Russell on Following
• Backtracking – Editor Gareth Heal on Following
• Setting the Pace – Composer David Julyan on Following • Pay Attention – Jonathan Nolan on Following
• Following in their Footsteps – Actors Jeremy Theobald & Lucy Russell revisit exterior locations from Following
• Limited Edition Booklet
• Doodlebug – Short Film by Christopher Nolan
• Theatrical trailer
FOLLOWING IS AVAILABLE NOW ON LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FROM 101 FILMS