8/11/2019 Following - Short Film Analysis

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Analysis of Following Short Film by Christopher Nolan

Followingis a low budget neo-noir short film, the first of Christopher Nolan, in which the unnamed

narrator, an aspiring writer looks for inspirational characters, following people around the city. He

eventually finds a man named Cobb who breaks in to strangers flats, but doesnt steal anything. The two

break in to a strangers flat, and Cobb teaches our narrator the reasons behind doing it. Nolans ideology is

about people getting the taste for destruction and people who are easily lead; represented in another of

representation theories in film. One of these includes youth; these young people are destructive and causehavoc to society, following Hebriges belief that in film the youth are represented to threaten society.

Another would be Raymond Williams on class, stating that he believed you can recognise types of class,

which he called notions of community. This is part of what I believe fed Nolans ideology in this film, as

Cobb, the character, talks about recognising different classes as he breaks in to peoples flats. Cobb

believes he can recognise the class of characters simply by looking at their home and their belongings. The

film also supports the Genre Theory of auteurism, the theory that filmmaker allows his beliefs, whether it

be a political or social ideology, as well as his creative methods, to be embedded in his or her work and for

there to be a clear relation in that work. This and Nolans other projects are strongly psychologically based,

as well as his creative methods shine through similarly in all his work.

While the two are drinking the strangers wine, Rembrandt

Style side lighting is used on Cobbs face. Half of his face is dark,

while the other half is light. This is used by the director to

confuse the viewer into being unsure whether he is a dark

character and whether to trust him, making us neither side with

Cobb nor turn against him. The Rembrandt Style side lighting

also reflects the mood of our narrator, as he at this point in the

film, is also unsure whether to trust him.

As the narrator leaves the home when the home owners come

in, the narrator steps into very low key lighting. This issomething I think the director has chosen on purpose, as it

suggests that he has been affected by the strange teachings of the character of Cobb, and his character is a

darker one than he was when first entered the flat. This

represents Nolans ideology of how people are easily lead in

to darkness, and how the youth can be destructive,

supporting Hebriges theory. Hebrige came up with two

theories on youth in film: 1) they are destructive or 2) they

feel a need to belong. The first short film I analyse in

Michael Ceras Failuresupports Hebriges second theory,

while this analysis supports the first one. So far, this proves

his theory correct.

When Cobb speaks to our narrator, he describes the class of

the people who live there; his intention not to steal

anything. When they eventually come home, the casting for the characters fits the description Cobb gives.

Nolan here is feeding us his ideology which supports Williams class theory, of the notions of community.

When the home owners return and the two characters make a sharp exit to avoid trouble, the edits are

shorter. This creates a contrast to earlier in the scene when the characters were calmly talking, the edits

therefore mirroring our narrators panic. This alsohelps the audience to worry about the character that we

have grown with throughout the film.

As they enter the flat, non-diegetic music is used for effect. It is a fast paced beating sound. This has been

used to reflect the nerves of our narrator, the fast beating music acting as his heartbeat. The sound is also

8/11/2019 Following - Short Film Analysis

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used when the home owners come home and find the two in the apartment. This has been used to help

the viewer identify the panic of our narrator, also making the viewer tense as we care about him.

The fast paced music also matches the ideology of the film, and the thoughts of the interesting character of

Cobb. The beat mirrors Cobbs quote I do what I do for the adrenaline, as the beat is full of adrenaline.

This has been done by the director to help the viewer realise the ideology of doing what gives you pleasure

and stands for Hebriges belief that the youth threaten society.

As they enter the flat and have their first look around, a non-diegetic screeching sound is played. The

discordant sound aImost sounds like something breaking or being overpowered, suggesting the the idea ofdestruction, therefore mirroring the films ideology of how destruction can be fun, which the characters in

this text do through destroying peoples lives and their homes. The non-diegetic screeching sound is also

part of Nolan being an auteur, as this effective tension building sound is used in his film The Dark Knight.

In both films the sound has been used in a scene where a psychopath or sociopath has been committing

crime. In The Dark Knight, it was The Joker, while in this film, it was Cobb.

The handheld camera used when they enter the flat is shaky and unsteady. This not only represents our

narrators nerves, but shows the destruction that the two breaking in tothe flat are causing; the unsteady

camera mirroring the crime and destruction. This represents Nolans ideology of destruction, which

supports Hebriges belief that youth in film can threaten society.