Any long take shot- which is a camera shot with no cuts- involves meticulous planning and complex choreography. Some draw attention to themselves by using intricate camera movements, others are the very opposite: chosen to immerse the audience into the story with a natural flow. Here are 14 incredible long takes in TV and film....
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City Lights: 1 minute
City Lights was the first Charlie Chaplin movie I watched, and I was instantly hooked. The comedy remain timeless and is always infused with an uncynical sense of delight and whimsy. The long take starts at the 2.20 minute mark in the video above, and may not be the longest on the list but I had to include it for the intricate choreography and superb comic timing that makes this such a special sequence.
Of course, on average, shots used to be longer in the Golden Age of Hollywood, compared to the average length of one in 2007's Transformers, for example, which is about 3 seconds. Even when compared to films from the same period, the combination of Charlie Chaplin's perfectionist style of directing as well as the intricate comedic timing of the scene makes this a technically astounding sequence as well as being hugely entertaining.
Children of Men: Attack on car [4 Minutes]
Children of Men is a beautifully directed film by Alfonso Cuaron that is set in a world where women can no longer have children. The film contains some of the most famously distinctive long take shots in modern cinema. Two stand out in particular: a scene in a car that transitions from light-hearted fun to a nail-biting shoot out, and secondly, a sequence later on in the film (above) where Clive Owen is traversing a war zone trying to reach a hospital. I love both for different reasons.
The first is a stunningly choreographed scene within a confined space that shockingly ramps up tension when you least expect it. The second (shown in the video above) is a brutally realistic depiction of a war zone; it paints a fraction of a picture of what many people have to go through in real life despite its sci-fi setting. The sheer enormity of the task is highlighted by the fact that there is a 'mistake' in the seqeunce where the fake blood splatters onto the camera and stays there for a while. There simply wasn't time to achieve a perfect take so the filmmakers left it in.
Atonement: Dunkirk [5 minutes]
One of the most well-known long take scenes- though criticised for not fitting within the narrative or tone of the movie- feels like a short film by itself in Joe Wright's Atonement starring Kiera Knightly, James McAvoy and a young Saiorse Ronan. The inclusion of the beautiful, haunting singing in particular provides a melancholy tone to the sequence and makes for what is, in my opinion, the most memorable part of the film.
Shaun of the Dead: Popping to the shops [2 minutes]
Edgar Wright is one of the most innovative filmmakers working today and has directed a number of wonderful long takes, for example in Baby Driver (see later in this list!). In Shaun of the Dead, we follow Shaun's (Simon Pegg) uneventful walk to the shops. And then we see it again... but this time after a literal zombie apocalypse. A pair of potentially 'standard' scenes is elevated by the choice to shoot in a long take. Due to the simplistic camera movements, it feels as though we are strolling alongside Shaun, making his obliviousness all the more hilarious.
The parallels between both shots is hilarious, and the juxtaposition between the mundane and the apocalypse is part of what makes this movie so fantastic. (Also, there's something so British about 'popping to the shops' after a drunken night out and not noticing a zombie apocalypse because of a hangover). A couple of favourite moments: Shaun slipping in the blood and, later, telling the beggar that he 'barely had enough money for the shop'.
Avengers: Defending New York [1 minute, digitally achieved]
No Marvel movie will ever come close to the landmark that Avengers was. Sure, there have been plenty of brilliantly unique comic book movies since then, but this film had a spark that no other superhero film had before or since. Seeing all the characters come together- a feat brilliantly executed by director Joss Whedon- is, of course, at its most iconic during that circling group shot.
However, seeing the potential for sheer comic-book style teamwork is demonstrated in a long tracking shot (above), following each of the heroes in turn, something that the panels of a comic book can never equal. It also serves to map out New York- an important character within the Marvel comic universe- and truly unites the individual characters into Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Les Miserables: I Dreamed A Dream [3 minutes]
A lot of the long takes here are impressive on a technical level- aiming to wow or provide realism in action. However, my pick from Les Miserables (2012) sort of won an Oscar all by itself. Okay, that's not entirely true, but the song 'I Dreamed a Dream' performed by the always brilliant Anne Hathaway was all shot in one long take.
The camera stays fixed on her face so she has nowhere to hide- singing live, minimal make-up, shaved hair and crying whilst singing. She absolutely nails it. Despite the fact that I don't like the movie itself much (do they have to sing everything?), hers is one of the most powerful supporting performances I have seen. Hathaway's limited screen-time won her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2013 and I like to think that this scene sealed the deal.
The Spectacular Now: Sutter and Aimee talk [3.5 minutes]
In a similar way to Les Miserables, the long take in The Spectacular Now does not aim to thrill or achieve technical feats of cinematic wonder (see Gravity or Panic Room below), but instead accentuates the charming dialogue and naturalistic performances by lead actors, Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. Following the pair departing a party, we almost feel like we're walking with them, over-hearing a real conversation. This is similar to the style of storytelling in Richard Linklater's 'Before' trilogy, which are essentially feature length philosophical, character-based conversations that work to build an authentic relationship between two characters.
Gravity: Opening scene [17 minutes, digitally achieved]
The use of extensive visual effects for the opening sequence of Gravity allowed for an astounding 17 minute long take, some of which is depicted above. From the same director as Children of Men, this scene is not only a technical marvel but also a nail-biting, dizzying portrayal of a space disaster. And when I say 'dizzying', I'm not kidding. The 3D showings of this needed a warning.
Daredevil, Season 3, Episode 4: Prison Escape [11 minutes]
I know this is a film blog. I know. But, it's also my blog and I bloody love the three long takes in Netflix's Daredevil (#savedaredevil). Though the Season 1 hallway fight remains to be the most iconic and the Season 2 stairwell fight is Daredevil as his peak, I need an excuse to talk more about Season 3 of Daredevil so I'm picking the prison escape scene as my favourite.
When Matt Murdock finds himself trapped in a prison where most of the guards and prisoners are bought off by Kingpin, he must fight his way out whilst also obtaining information on his arch rival. Encompassing a fight scene with the prisoners and guards, transitioning into a dramatic conversation and then back into an intense escape, this scene is an incredible feat of stunt choreography and filmmaking. Though there are a couple of stunt double switch-er-oos, you can feel Charlie Cox's sheer dedication to the role- at this point he is as irreplaceable as Daredevil as Robert Downey Jr to Iron Man.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri- Window [2 minutes]
2017's Three Billboards featured brilliant performances by Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell, winning them both Oscars in that year. The scene above follows Rockwell's walk from the police department to the advertising agency that allowed for the titular billboards to display a defamatory message about the Chief of police, who has recently commited suicide. The use of the long take here builds a sense of dread- we know something terrible is about to happen but the unpredictability of the story means we don't know exactly what. When we see the event unfold, it's shockingly real and therefore more impactful than if it had been a traditional shot.
Baby Driver: Harlem Shuffle [3 minutes]
Another Edgar Wright film! I immensely enjoyed Baby Driver, and I knew I was in for a ride (pun intended) from the opening credits, which unfold in one 3 minute shot. We follow Baby, played by Ansel Elgort, getting a cup of coffee whilst listening to music. What makes this scene, and indeed this entire movie, special is the mind-blowing attention to detail. Every sound effect is timed to the beat of the music, from the shop door to dialogue. It's insane, and Edgar Wright sort of created an entire genre with this unique premise. Also, look out for the lyrics of the song in the street graffiti.
Mission Impossible: Fallout: Halo Jump [2 minutes]
Mission Impossible: Fallout is one of the best action movies of recent years, in part because Tom Cruise actually HALO jumped, rode a motorbike through Paris and hung off a helicopter. The lack of stunt doubles or CGI sorcery allows for some truly impressive camera shots (and it's clear that Cruise is determined to make the audience understand that it is indeed him undertaking these daring stunts) in amongst a film that already has some beautiful cinematography (it was robbed at the Oscars imo).
The scene above shows Ethan Hunt performing a HALO (high altitude, low opening) jump that goes wrong because of adverse weather conditions. Though the storm and lightening is achieved through visual effects, the sequence is breath-taking for its daring stunt all captured in one take. Also major respect to the camera guy who had to jump out of the plane backwards and, according to the director, estimate where the subject would be in focus by instinct rather than use a monitor. Over 100 times.
The Breakfast Club: Andrew's confession [2 minutes]
In arguably the only scene of The Breakfast Club that fully achieves what the film sets out to do- break stereo-types surrounding different cliques in high school- we see the group sharing their innermost insecurities, emotions and memories. The rest of the movie pretends to be breaking these norms, but instead ends up conforming to them as highlighted by a brilliant piece by star Molly Ringwald. However, this scene- ironically, mostly improvised by the cast- is heartfelt and realistic.
The use of one long shot is almost unnoticeable- as many argue that long takes should be- but subtly accentuates Emilio Estevez's already wonderful performance and, like The Spectacular Now, makes it feel as though we're sitting in their circle too.
Panic Room: The Break-In [2 minutes, digitally achieved]
Panic Room is a movie by David Fincher, centred around a mother (Jodie Foster) and daughter (Kristen Stewart) who become trapped in a panic room when burglars break into their house. I read a criticism that this long take (which is not actually one continuous shot but several stitched together using digital effects) draws unnecessary attention to itsef by being very showy. It does depend on your personal preference, but I love camera work like above, especially with David Fincher's stylish direction. It serves to maps out the geography of the house, making it feel like another character in the story.
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