Christopher Nolan Loves To Go Big, but Thrives When His Movies Are Small

There are a number of things that define a Christopher Nolan movie. There’s the way time flows; it’s never linear but instead hops from past to present and occasionally into the future. There are the star-studded casts, which more often than not feature a few familiar faces that’ve worked with Nolan in the past. Finally, there’s an immense sense of scale — no matter the genre, the man loves to go big. These tropes are present throughout Nolan’s entire body of work, from The Dark Knight trilogy to his historical epic Oppenheimer. But there’s proof that Nolan’s signature style works just as well in his smaller, earlier films. In fact, Nolan delivered some of his best work with those early films.

Nolan’s First Film ‘Following’ Set the Stage for His Later Endeavors

Nolan went fairly small scale with his debut film, Following. It follows an aspiring writer (Jeremy Theobald) who gets caught in the web of a criminal (Alex Haw) and a femme fatale (Lucy Russell). In comparison to Oppenheimer and the rest of Nolan’s more well-known films, Following cost less than $8,000 — with Nolan doing a large share of the work to make the film come to life. Not only did he write and direct the film, but he also served as his own director of photography and edited the film himself.

Despite its humble beginnings, Following has all the hallmarks that would pepper Nolan’s future films. There’s a protagonist searching for his place in the world, twist upon twist, and a modern update of the noir genre. Even one of the characters ended up influencing one of Nolan’s future films — the criminal in this film is named “Cobb,” a surname that Nolan would bequeath to Leonardo DiCaprio‘s thief of dreams in Inception. It also showed that Nolan could craft intense thrills on a microscopic budget; Following‘s ending alone will leave viewers’ heads spinning. Following wound up gathering immense acclaim at festivals and landing Nolan on the radar of other directors, most notably the late Joel Schumacher.

Following

A young writer who follows strangers for material meets a thief who takes him under his wing.

Release Date

April 2, 1999

Cast

Jeremy Theobald , Alex Haw , Lucy Russell , John Nolan , Dick Bradsell , Gillian El-Kadi

Rating

R

Runtime

69

Genres

Crime , Documentary , Drama , Mystery , Thriller

Following is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S.

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‘Memento’ and ‘Insomnia’ Showed Nolan at the Top of His Game

Nolan would aim a bit bigger with his next film Memento, which was based on a short film by his brother and frequent screenwriting partner Jonathan Nolan (Westworld, Fallout). Once again, it took a twist to the noir genre by focusing on how its protagonist Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) dealt with the retrograde amnesia he received in the wake of a vicious attack. Unable to form new memories, Shelby relies on tattooing his entire body and photographs to track down his attackers. It continued the themes of the illusion of control and complex lies that Nolan had established in Following, while using Shelby’s scattershot memory to craft a compelling narrative that leapt between past and present. Once again, it proved to be a critical and commercial success that cemented Nolan as a director to watch.

This led to Insomnia — the sole film on Nolan’s resume that he didn’t write! Nonetheless, Insomnia had Nolan’s signature themes stamped over it. It centers on Will Dormer (Al Pacino), a homicide detective who’s called into a sleepy town to investigate a teenager’s death. But Dormer turns out to be plagued by a shady past, including fabricating evidence to catch criminals, and after he commits an unspeakable crime, he is literally too haunted to sleep. Not only does the film feature standout performances from Pacino and Robin Williams, but it once again highlights how Nolan loves to rip away control from his protagonists when they least expect it. While it may not be the most popular of his films, Insomnia followed Memento and Following‘s success by raking in critical and commercial praise.

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‘The Prestige’ Deconstructed Christopher Nolan’s Filmmaking Process — And Reaped Huge Rewards

After Nolan helped reinvigorate the Batman franchise with Batman Begins, viewers were left to wonder what his next project would be. Enter: The Prestige. It reteamed Nolan with Batman Begins star Christian Bale, who played the magician Alfred Borden. Borden enters into a fierce rivalry with Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) as both magicians craft their signature illusions. The Prestige is filled to the brim with tragedy as well as some amazing practical effects, but it’s well known for displaying Nolan’s signature filmmaking ethos — and the methods behind it.

This is evident from the opening sequence, as Angier and Borden’s teacher, John Cutter (Michael Caine), breaks down the elements of a magic trick. First is “The Pledge,” the magician shows his audience something ordinary, like a dove or a coin. Second is “The Turn,” where the magician does something extraordinary, say, making the object in his hands disappear. Finally, there is “The Prestige,” making the object reappear. This could apply to filmmaking, especially Nolan’s work. First he starts with a seemingly regular premise, then makes it extraordinary by throwing in a number of plot twists, and then tops that by bringing them all together.

Cutter also gives a piece of advice that most modern moviegoers have forgotten: the point of a magic trick (or in Nolan’s case, a film) is to go along with the trick. “Now you’re looking for the secret. But you won’t find it because, of course, you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to work it out. You want to be fooled,” he says. This is what makes Nolan’s films compelling, no matter the budget or the premise. He’s able to hook his audiences and keep them engaged for the duration of the film, so that even if they know what to expect, they’re still entertained. Nolan hasn’t revealed what his next film will be, but it would be interesting if he returned to his low-budget roots to prove that he can continue to hook audiences.

The Prestige

After a tragic accident, two stage magicians in 1890s London engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.

Release Date

October 20, 2006

Rating

PG-13

Runtime

130 minutes

Genres

Drama , Documentary , Mystery , Thriller

The Prestige is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S.

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