Top 7- Best Long Takes
Let's get real nerdy here. I love films so much that I even have a favourite technique: the long take/follow shot. For those who are unaware, a long take is one continous, uninterrupted take that often follow the characters through some sort of event. They can cut in the middle but the trick is making it look like the camera never stops rolling. With that in mind, let's begin.
7. Gravity- The first space walk
There may have been less choices here than I originally thought so I've been somewhat stuck with this entry which, to be fair, is pretty much the highlight of it's film. As you may have just guessed there, I wasn't such a huge fan of Gravity but you've got to respect this opener. It uses the take to build suspense. After all, you're not expecting this film to go well are you? It uses that knowledge and builds the tension, as well as building up character. If I'd enjoyed Gravity more, this would probably be higher up but it's an above average scene from a decent film. It gets better from here.
6. Goodfellas- Copacabana scene
Now we're getting iconic. This scene had Ray Liotta escorting his new girlfriend into the Copacabana through the back. It is the first real scene in the movie in which we see the exciting way that being high up in crime can benefit those there. There's also real talent involved. Every single actor had to hit their mark and never mess up once. It's difficult to explain what makes this so magical but I think it's a combination of the smooth music and Liotta's irresistible swagger that create one of the most iconic scenes in an already iconic film full of amazing scenes.
5. Creed- Donnie's first fight
The most recent entry of the bunch, Creed's scene was so impressive because it was genuinely one take. This was a fight scene, specifically Donnie's first big one and it was done all in one take to immerse us in his world. All those little bruises and scars you see on the actors during this? All done in real time. I don't know how they did it but there are no cuts here whatsoever. Personally, I found the last fight more exciting but this is still absolutely gripping. Creed strives for realism at all points and never was it clearer than in this stand out scene.
4. The Revenant- Opening fight scene
Alejandro G. Innaritu is a fantastic director and one of his specialties at the moment has been the long take (more on that later). There were many long takes to choose from here because it was pretty damn long and also, they were all so impressive. In the end, I chose the first fight scene in the film because it was simply the most memorable long take and an impressive one at that. Rarely does a long take feature so much violence and chaos as this. You have DiCaprio and Hardy running for their boats and Domnhall Gleeson trying to salvage his people's materials as they flee from an attack by the native Americans. It is this film at pretty much it's most violent and the lack of cuts pulls us in for good.
3. Spectre- Day of the Dead
I know a lot of people weren't fans of Spectre but I was and thought there were a lot of high octane scenes throughout. Where myself and those who aren't fans agree is that the single best scene of the whole film is the Day of the Dead scene at the beginning. It's James Bond strolling through a busy carnival scene with floats and hundreds of extras littering each and every moment. The shot is technically very impressive and turns to build that tension. We know that action is coming, this is Bond. We must wait and it's a very entertaining wait for sure.
2. Rope
This is where it gets impressive. Rope is one of Alfred Hitchcock's lesser appreciated films but certainly one of my favourites of his. The film is made up of three separate clear cuts but is all in real time. The film starts with the murder and hiding of a colleague of the two main characters in a chest in their apartment. The films painstakingly long takes remind us that while the party is going on here, there is still a body in that chest and the two men are both in very real danger of being caught with it. Audiences may not have taken to the film well upon it's release but that's only because of how ahead of its time it was in terms of technical merit. The film is impressive technically and set the bar for my number one pick which, let's face it, you probably saw coming.
1. Birdman
Yeah, no surprise here I'm sure. Even those of you who aren't that aware of what a long take is will probably think "Is that not that Birdman thing?". Well yes, yes it is. The film is almost entirely one long take and an impressive one at that. It's obvious that there are cuts in the film, it doesn't take analysing to see that but it's edited so smoothly that you can barely notice them. It all strings together to make us care and sympathise with the somewhat unrelatable and unlikable character of Riggan (an ex movie star which is simply not relatable for the public). What is most impressive isn't the length of the take, it's the fact that the rest of the film all works together so well. Great performances, an exciting script and tight directing make the single take an exciting pitch but soon just part of the experience and not the ultimate defining feature of the film. It's well worth a watch for the technical side alone but it's a fresh and exciting piece that never stops, just like it's camera.
7. Gravity- The first space walk
There may have been less choices here than I originally thought so I've been somewhat stuck with this entry which, to be fair, is pretty much the highlight of it's film. As you may have just guessed there, I wasn't such a huge fan of Gravity but you've got to respect this opener. It uses the take to build suspense. After all, you're not expecting this film to go well are you? It uses that knowledge and builds the tension, as well as building up character. If I'd enjoyed Gravity more, this would probably be higher up but it's an above average scene from a decent film. It gets better from here.
6. Goodfellas- Copacabana scene
Now we're getting iconic. This scene had Ray Liotta escorting his new girlfriend into the Copacabana through the back. It is the first real scene in the movie in which we see the exciting way that being high up in crime can benefit those there. There's also real talent involved. Every single actor had to hit their mark and never mess up once. It's difficult to explain what makes this so magical but I think it's a combination of the smooth music and Liotta's irresistible swagger that create one of the most iconic scenes in an already iconic film full of amazing scenes.
5. Creed- Donnie's first fight
The most recent entry of the bunch, Creed's scene was so impressive because it was genuinely one take. This was a fight scene, specifically Donnie's first big one and it was done all in one take to immerse us in his world. All those little bruises and scars you see on the actors during this? All done in real time. I don't know how they did it but there are no cuts here whatsoever. Personally, I found the last fight more exciting but this is still absolutely gripping. Creed strives for realism at all points and never was it clearer than in this stand out scene.
4. The Revenant- Opening fight scene
Alejandro G. Innaritu is a fantastic director and one of his specialties at the moment has been the long take (more on that later). There were many long takes to choose from here because it was pretty damn long and also, they were all so impressive. In the end, I chose the first fight scene in the film because it was simply the most memorable long take and an impressive one at that. Rarely does a long take feature so much violence and chaos as this. You have DiCaprio and Hardy running for their boats and Domnhall Gleeson trying to salvage his people's materials as they flee from an attack by the native Americans. It is this film at pretty much it's most violent and the lack of cuts pulls us in for good.
3. Spectre- Day of the Dead
I know a lot of people weren't fans of Spectre but I was and thought there were a lot of high octane scenes throughout. Where myself and those who aren't fans agree is that the single best scene of the whole film is the Day of the Dead scene at the beginning. It's James Bond strolling through a busy carnival scene with floats and hundreds of extras littering each and every moment. The shot is technically very impressive and turns to build that tension. We know that action is coming, this is Bond. We must wait and it's a very entertaining wait for sure.
2. Rope
This is where it gets impressive. Rope is one of Alfred Hitchcock's lesser appreciated films but certainly one of my favourites of his. The film is made up of three separate clear cuts but is all in real time. The film starts with the murder and hiding of a colleague of the two main characters in a chest in their apartment. The films painstakingly long takes remind us that while the party is going on here, there is still a body in that chest and the two men are both in very real danger of being caught with it. Audiences may not have taken to the film well upon it's release but that's only because of how ahead of its time it was in terms of technical merit. The film is impressive technically and set the bar for my number one pick which, let's face it, you probably saw coming.
1. Birdman
Yeah, no surprise here I'm sure. Even those of you who aren't that aware of what a long take is will probably think "Is that not that Birdman thing?". Well yes, yes it is. The film is almost entirely one long take and an impressive one at that. It's obvious that there are cuts in the film, it doesn't take analysing to see that but it's edited so smoothly that you can barely notice them. It all strings together to make us care and sympathise with the somewhat unrelatable and unlikable character of Riggan (an ex movie star which is simply not relatable for the public). What is most impressive isn't the length of the take, it's the fact that the rest of the film all works together so well. Great performances, an exciting script and tight directing make the single take an exciting pitch but soon just part of the experience and not the ultimate defining feature of the film. It's well worth a watch for the technical side alone but it's a fresh and exciting piece that never stops, just like it's camera.
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