Doodlebug (film)

Last updated

Doodlebug
Doodlebug film screenshot.jpg
Official logo
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Written byChristopher Nolan
Produced by Emma Thomas
Christopher Nolan
Steve Street[ citation needed ]
Starring Jeremy Theobald
CinematographyChristopher Nolan
Edited byChristopher Nolan
Music by David Julyan
Distributed by Alliance Atlantis [1]
Release date
  • 1997 (1997)
Running time
3 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Doodlebug is a 1997 short psychological thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. [2] It follows the story of a man anxiously trying to kill a bug-like creature in his flat. Nolan created the film during his university days using 16 mm film. The film was met with a generally positive critical response.

Contents

Plot

The story concerns a dishevelled man in a filthy flat. He is anxious and paranoid, trying to kill a small bug-like creature that is scurrying on the floor. It is revealed that the bug resembles a miniature version of himself, with every movement it makes being later matched by the man himself. He crushes the bug with his shoe but is subsequently squashed by a larger version of himself.

Production

Doodlebug was written, directed, shot and edited by Christopher Nolan. He had written the script while studying English literature at University College London (UCL). [3] The three-minute short was filmed on a negligible budget in 1997 using black-and-white 16mm film. [4] Nolan shot the film over a weekend, a technique he used the following year with his first full-length release Following , with two or three-minute excerpts being shot over the two days. [5] He co-produced the short film with his future wife and collaborator Emma Thomas, [6] while Jeremy Theobald, his friend from university who would also star in Following, was cast as the paranoid man. [7] [8] It was scored by David Julyan, a friend of Nolan's from the UCL's student film society, who would go on to compose the soundtrack a number of the director's later films. [9] Nolan explored the idea of multiple dimensions in its plot: in an interview with The Daily Beast , he opined that "films are uniquely suited towards addressing paradox, recursiveness, and worlds-within-worlds," and further cited the works M. C. Escher and Jorge Borges as influences in this domain. [10] The film has been described as Kafkaesque psychological thriller. [3] [11]

Reception

Christopher Nolan in 2018 Christopher Nolan Cannes 2018.jpg
Christopher Nolan in 2018

Doodlebug was met with generally positive reviews. Christopher Hooton of The Independent deemed it "a fairly unremarkable student film," but considered this to be a "great" thing since "it shows that Nolan was not a master from the second he first got his hands on a 16mm camera but, crucially, kept at it, kept learning and incrementally amassed an impressive set of cinematic skills that put him in command of huge budgets that allow him to fully achieve his vision". [3] Sammy Nickalls, writing for Esquire , expressed the same sentiment, further adding that while "it's certainly no Interstellar , it's filled with Nolan's flair, from his gravitation toward black and white to his abstract imagery." [12] PopMatters ' Jose Solis characterised the short film as "playful" and Following's "most charming bonus feature." [13] Simon Reynolds of Digital Spy listed it among nine "incredible" short films by renowned directors. [7] Film School Rejects ' H. Perry Horton claimed that Nolan "has been one of the most intriguing and intelligent filmmakers working since the first frame of Doodlebug." [14] The Daily Telegraph opined that it "displayed Christopher Nolan's talent for constructing unsettling narratives early on". [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Nolan</span> British-American filmmaker (born 1970)

Christopher Edward Nolan is a British-American filmmaker. Known for his lucrative Hollywood blockbusters with complex storytelling, Nolan is considered a leading filmmaker of the 21st century. His films have grossed $4.9 billion worldwide. The recipient of many accolades, he has been nominated for five Academy Awards, five British Academy Film Awards and six Golden Globe Awards. In 2015, he was listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time, and in 2019, he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to film.

<i>Batman Begins</i> 2005 superhero film by Christopher Nolan

Batman Begins is a 2005 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. The film is based on the DC Comics character Batman, it stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne / Batman, with Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe, and Morgan Freeman in supporting roles. The film reboots the Batman film series, telling the origin story of Bruce Wayne from the death of his parents to his journey to become Batman and his fight to stop Ra's al Ghul and the Scarecrow from plunging Gotham City into chaos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Students' Union UCL</span>

Students' Union UCL is the students' union of University College London. Founded in 1893, it is one of the oldest students' unions in England, although postdating the Liverpool Guild of Students which formed a student representative council in 1892. It was formed with the following objectives: "the promotion of social intercourse and of the means of recreation, physical and mental, of the students of University College, and the financial successes of students' clubs". UCL Union was the first of its kind as it was formed for both athletics clubs and social activities alike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Nolan</span> British-American screenwriter, television producer, director and author

Jonathan Nolan is a British-American screenwriter, producer, director and author. He is the creator of the CBS science fiction series Person of Interest (2011–2016) and co-creator of the HBO science fiction western series Westworld (2016–2022).

<i>Memento</i> (film) 2000 American film by Christopher Nolan

Memento is a 2000 American neo-noir mystery thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, and produced by Suzanne and Jennifer Todd. The film's script was based on a pitch by Nolan's brother Jonathan Nolan, who wrote the 2001 story "Memento Mori" from the concept. Guy Pearce stars as Leonard Shelby, a man who suffers from anterograde amnesia, resulting in short-term memory loss and the inability to form new memories. He is searching for the people who attacked him and killed his wife, using an intricate system of Polaroid photographs and tattoos to track information he cannot remember. Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano were the co-stars of the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Thomas</span> English film producer (born 1971)

Emma Thomas Nolan is an English film producer, known for frequent collaborations with her husband, filmmaker Christopher Nolan. Her producing credits include The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), The Prestige (2006), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), Dunkirk (2017) and Tenet (2020). Inception and Dunkirk were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Walter C. Pfister is an American director and former cinematographer, who is best known for his work with filmmaker Christopher Nolan. Some of his collaborations with Nolan include Memento (2000), The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005–2012), and Inception (2010). For his work on Inception, Pfister won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography and received a BAFTA Award nomination.

<i>Interstellar</i> (film) 2014 film directed by Christopher Nolan

Interstellar is a 2014 epic science fiction film co-written, directed, and produced by Christopher Nolan. It stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, Matt Damon, and Michael Caine. Set in a dystopian future where humanity is struggling to survive, the film follows a group of astronauts who travel through a wormhole near Saturn in search of a new home for mankind.

Jeremy Theobald is a British actor best known for his portrayal of "The Young Man", the main character in Christopher Nolan's 1998 major picture debut Following, and for which Theobald was also a producer. Filming was scheduled around their day jobs. Jonathan Romney, writing in the New Statesman, noted that "Nolan and his cast are terrific finds: I wouldn't normally say this to struggling artists, but they might want to give up their day jobs."

"Memento Mori" is a short story written by Jonathan Nolan and published in the March 2001 edition of Esquire magazine. It was the basis for the film Memento directed by his brother Christopher Nolan. The name refers to memento mori, a symbolic or artistic expression of the Latin phrase meaning "remember that you [have to] die."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoyte van Hoytema</span> Dutch-Swedish cinematographer

Hoyte van Hoytema is a Swiss-born Dutch-Swedish cinematographer who studied at the National Film School in Łódź. His work includes Let the Right One In (2008), The Fighter (2010), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Her (2013), the James Bond film Spectre (2015), Ad Astra (2019), and Nope (2022). Van Hoytema is also known for his collaborations with director Christopher Nolan, having shot Interstellar (2014), Dunkirk (2017), Tenet (2020), and the upcoming film Oppenheimer (2023). His work has been highly praised by film critics and audiences alike and has earned him multiple awards, including one Academy Award nomination and three BAFTA Award nominations for Best Cinematography.

Syncopy Inc. is a production company founded by British-American film director, screenwriter and producer Christopher Nolan, and producer Emma Thomas. The name of the company is a play on syncopation, and was suggested to Nolan by his late father, Brendan, a classical music fan. Syncopy has offices in Los Angeles, California.

<i>Following</i> 1998 film by Christopher Nolan

Following is a 1998 independent neo-noir crime thriller film written, produced, edited and directed by Christopher Nolan. It tells the story of a young man who follows strangers around the streets of London and is drawn into a criminal underworld when he fails to keep his distance.

<i>Inception</i> 2010 science fiction action film by Christopher Nolan

Inception is a 2010 science fiction action film written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who also produced the film with Emma Thomas, his wife. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief who steals information by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets. He is offered a chance to have his criminal history erased as payment for the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious. The ensemble cast includes Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine.

<i>Dunkirk</i> (2017 film) 2017 film by Christopher Nolan

Dunkirk is a 2017 war film written, directed and produced by Christopher Nolan that depicts the Dunkirk evacuation of World War II through the perspectives of the land, sea and air. It is produced by Syncopy Inc. and distributed by Warner Bros. Its ensemble cast includes Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles in his film debut, Aneurin Barnard, James D'Arcy, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance and Tom Hardy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Nolan filmography</span> Wikimedia list article

Christopher Nolan is a British-American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His feature directorial debut was the neo-noir crime thriller Following (1998) which was made on a shoestring budget of $6,000. Two years later, he directed the psychological thriller Memento (2000) which starred Guy Pearce as a man suffering from anterograde amnesia searching for his wife's killers. Similar to his debut feature it had a non-linear narrative structure, and was his breakthrough film. It was acclaimed by critics and was a surprise commercial success. For the film Nolan received his first nomination for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film, and for writing its screenplay he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He next directed the mystery thriller remake Insomnia (2002) which starred Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank. It was his first film for Warner Bros., and was a critical and commercial success.

<i>Tenet</i> (film) 2020 film by Christopher Nolan

Tenet is a 2020 science fiction action thriller film directed and written by Christopher Nolan, who also produced with his wife Emma Thomas. A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh. The film follows a former CIA agent who learns how to manipulate the flow of time to prevent an attack from the future that threatens to annihilate the present world. Nolan continued his relationship with Warner Bros. and his production company Syncopy for the film's production and distribution.

Christopher Hooton is a journalist, podcaster and filmmaker from London, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinematic style of Christopher Nolan</span> Filmmaking style of Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan is a British-American filmmaker known for using aesthetics, themes and cinematic techniques that are instantly recognisable in his work. Regarded as an auteur and postmodern filmmaker, Nolan is partial to elliptical editing, documentary-style lighting, hand-held camera work, natural settings, and real filming locations over studio work. Embedded narratives and crosscutting between different time frames is a major component of his work, and his films often feature experimental soundscapes and mathematically inspired images and concepts. Nolan prefers shooting on film to digital video and advocates for the use of higher-quality, larger-format film stock. He also favours practical effects over computer-generated imagery, and is a proponent of theatrical exhibition.

References

  1. "Doodle Bug (1999)". BBFC . Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  2. Sciretta, Peter (11 October 2008). "Big Directors Small Films: Christopher Nolan's Doodlebug". /Film. Archived from the original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 Hooton, Christopher (10 April 2017). "Christopher Nolan's student short film Doodlebug shows the Dunkirk director's humble beginnings". The Independent. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  4. Nordine, Michael (17 July 2016). "Christopher Nolan's First Released Short Film 'Doodlebug': Watch His Twisted 1997 Debut". IndieWire. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  5. Vice (24 August 2014). "Christopher Nolan on "Following" – Conversations Inside The Criterion Collection". Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2019 via YouTube.
  6. Banks, Alec (5 May 2017). "Coffee Break | Watch Christopher Nolan's First Short Film "Doodlebug"". Highsnobiety. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  7. 1 2 Reynolds, Simon (9 November 2017). "9 incredible short films from Hollywood directors: Nolan, Spielberg, more". Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  8. 1 2 "Doodlebug (1997) – Christopher Nolan: a career in pictures". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  9. Tiedemann, Garrett (5 May 2015). "The music of Christopher Nolan: From atmospheric to aggressive". Classical MPR. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  10. Stern, Marlow (10 November 2014). "Christopher Nolan Uncut: On 'Interstellar,' Ben Affleck's Batman, and the Future of Mankind". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  11. Karkare, Aakash (6 June 2016). "The short film where it all began for Christopher Nolan". Scroll.in. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  12. Nickalls, Sammy (11 April 2017). "Watch This Wild Short Film That Christopher Nolan Made as a Student". Esquire. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  13. Solis, Jose (9 January 2013). "Christopher Nolan Was Never as Playful or Energetic as in 'Following'". PopMatters. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  14. Horton, H. Perry (18 July 2017). "Syncopy: The Perfect Shots of Christopher Nolan". Film School Rejects. Retrieved 23 July 2019.