Writer/director Christopher Nolan has given two of his characters the same name, and that name is unusual enough that it has to be more than just a coincidence. The celebrated filmmaker established his time-manipulating and plot-twist-heavy style with his breakthrough movie, 2000’s Memento, but he pulled off the same tricks with his directorial debut, Following. Visually, the movie couldn’t be any more different from Nolan’s $200 million blockbusters shot on IMAX cameras, as Following had a small budget of $6000 and was shot in black and white. However, narratively, the movie is full of surprises, just like Nolan’s best films.
Following centers on Bill, a writer who follows random civilians in London to help conjure ideas for his characters. Bill gets more than he bargained for when one subject, Cobb, realizes he’s being followed, befriends Bill, and takes Bill under his wing as he burgles apartments. Nolan’s most successful original movie, Inception, follows a group of expert criminals, led by another character named Cobb, who commit heists in people’s dreams. The sci-fi high concept couldn’t be more different from Following’s grounded crime story, but the characters’ shared name hints that there’s some kind of deeper connection between the two movies.
Inception & Following’s Protagonists Are Both Similar
While Following’s Cobb is more of an antagonist, the two Cobbs have similar personality traits, and both movies explore very similar themes. Both characters are mysterious and extremely manipulative, but they’re still personable and recruit people into projects that are way more than they bargained for. Following’s Cobb encourages Bill to help him burgle apartments without revealing the full truth, and Inception’s Cobb recruits an architecture student to design dreamscapes. Both characters are also responsible for their other halves’ deaths too, and the films explore guilt and grief, though Inception’s Cobb is way more regretful than the sociopathic Cobb in Following.
Both movies also explore the idea of memory and what people choose to believe is real, as Following’s Cobb might not exist, just as Cobb’s children in Inception might not exist. Nolan likely gave the characters the same name because they have so much in common that it’s impossible to ignore. The writer thought up Inception in 2001, just three years after Following’s release. In the nine years between thinking of the idea and it finally being theatrically released, the concept could have changed a lot in that time, and the original idea could have been much closer to Following’s premise. However, there could still be more to it.
Nolan Reusing Cobb’s Name Supports An Inception Theory
Both Following and Inception’s protagonists have the same name, which wouldn’t be strange if their name was more common, but Cobb is such a specific and peculiar name, suggesting some kind of deeper meaning. This must especially be the case given that Nolan is so enigmatic when it comes to storytelling and often leaves things open-ended, with Inception’s ending being the case in point. So many fan theories have been thrown around about Inception, such as how Cobb’s real totem is his wedding ring in Inception, but another common theory is that Inception is one big allegory for filmmaking.
Just like how filmmakers do, Cobb pulls things from reality and his memory to piece together something totally fictitious, and he has to collaborate with other members of the crew. Each member of Cobb’s team takes on a specific role, such as Ariadne being something of a production designer, Arthur being the assistant director, and Eames being an actor. This was even somewhat confirmed by Nolan. With Inception’s protagonist being called Cobb, it supports the theory that the movie is about filmmaking, as the name is pulled from Nolan’s memory. It may even be a commentary on the unoriginality of Hollywood movies.
Nolan’s “Cobb” Name Could Reference The Prisoner
Even first using the name Cobb for Following must have come from somewhere, as the name isn’t exactly common. The name could likely be a reference to The Prisoner, a British limited series from 1967. Just like the director’s own work The Prisoner is mysterious, thrilling, full of unique sci-fi concepts, and is left open-ended. Cobb was the name of a character who appeared in the first episode of The Prisoner, “Arrival,” so Nolan could have used the name as an homage. The show was a clear influence on the director, and Nolan almost directed a The Prisoner remake but ironically, Christopher Nolan chose to direct Inception instead.
