In 1927, cinema was in full bloom, and both Europe and America were experimenting (narratively and visually) in all styles. But without a doubt, one of the most interesting achievements was that of the German expressionist director Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau. Sunrise, released the same year, the director made the first episode of this story. For fifty seconds, the main character can be seen walking up a hill in the middle of the night. The camera never stops watching him, like a subjective spy who In the end, it becomes, one way or another, a subject of great interest in history.
This technique, newly discovered at the time, astounded the nascent world of cinema. But it also showed that anything could be achieved with patience, ingenuity and a skilled cameraman. Very soon, serial shots became not only a mechanical task (of course), but also a new way of telling a wide variety of situations on the big screen. But, as expected, over the decades, what began with a few shots eventually took the problem to its climax. That is, to be able to shoot an entire film from a single, continuous and linear film. The rest is history—and the best part is the movie.
If you’re interested in the topic, we leave you with five films recorded in one take that you can’t miss. From an unusual Oscar winner to a narrative and artistic experiment from one of the most famous directors in the world of cinema, the selection covers not only everything the cinematic world has to offer, but also how far it can go in its need for innovation. The best artistic combination.
Birdman (Disney+)
Alejandro González Iñárritu took the idea of an artist’s decline and journey to his worst emotional moment to also create maximum visual challenge. That is: follow the character as a constant observer in everything he does. This is exactly what the tape does. Birdman or (unexpected virtue of ignorance).
So he insisted that the script, co-written by the director with Nicholas Giacobon, Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Armando Bo, be about the worst days of his protagonist. But it was also a story told through space – where the failed actor played by Michael Keaton was going, or where he should be. For his part, director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki took the task of making a long continuous shot as a challenge.
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Thus, the possibility was examined from two points of view. On the one hand, playing with lighting, blur and choreography to achieve the longest takes, which will then be orchestrated throughout the editing room. On the other hand, the use of a camera on a mobile platform, which consisted of a constant presence at a distance of less than one meter from the main character.
The result is one of the most impressive sequences in film history, which also has the virtue of hiding the editing that made it possible to create such a miracle. Are you interested in knowing the result of all this? If you haven’t seen the film yet, it’s waiting for you in the Disney+ catalog.
1917 (Prime Video)
Unlike Lyubetsky, the operator 1917Roger Deakins decided to abandon most of the tricks to disguise shots and concentrate on longer shots. In particular, not only how to achieve them in difficult lighting situations (almost the entire film takes place outdoors), but also that this point of view was consistent with the film’s intent. As you may remember, Sam Mendes’s work is about a soldier’s desperate mission in the First World War. Who must deliver the message to avoid carnage on the battlefield.
Deakins worked with Mendes to plan the length of the shots, as well as how the narrative would influence the visuals. Thus, they both came to the conclusion that there should be over 60 different scenes with an average length of 7 to 10 minutes. But what was really difficult was capturing the entire journey of the main character. through places with different light sources and in some cases inaccessible.
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So the director of photography turned to German photo studio ARRI to build a camera that would meet two requirements. One, the ability to be lightweight and easy to move around. The other, with optics bright enough to shoot both daylight and dark scenes, so that they could be recorded in one take. The result was the ARRI Alexa Mini LF, which achieved the filmic feat. If you want to see the full result, you can watch the film on Prime Video.
Conversation (Film)
In 2015, Spanish director Joaquin Oristrell shot a single take, much more skillful and no less interesting. Especially since in this case, in addition to optical or technical resources, there was the ability of the script (written by the director himself) to create a unique atmosphere.
It was in close collaboration with director of photography Teo Delgado that they combined their efforts to bring together twenty stories on one stage. What allowed what begins as a heartfelt tribute to the word — andfor all its importance and ability to connect situations, this also becomes a cinematic feat.
Filmed in the Lavapies neighborhood of Madrid, Hablar was filmed in four takes of 70 minutes each. Which turned the conversations, discussions and reflections of the characters into an experiential journey about all the pains of Spain in crisis. The result is a sensitive work that also impresses with its striking visual cut.
Utoya, July 22 (Prime Video)
WITH Utoya, July 22. (2108) Norwegian director Erik Poppe turned this episode into a source of horror. The film, which tells the story of the tragic neo-Nazi attack on socialist youth that resulted in dozens of victims in 2011, is based entirely on one take. Much more, as a work, to allow the viewer to experience, the horrifying moments of an act of violence that changed Norway forever.
At 77 minutes, the film covers the titular island in its entirety, but also shows violence from a very terrifying perspective: namely, the victims’ attempts to stay alive and escape their brutal attacker. Gripping, at times claustrophobic, it’s also a meditation on cinema – in a very brutal game of meta-references – as a vehicle for disturbing ideas. Wonderful and essential for lovers of visual experimentation, you can watch it now on Prime Video.
Rope (Film)
No list of successful film experiments would be complete without mentioning Alfred Hitchcock and the work that laid the foundation for the single-take sequential shot as a narrative resource. In 1948, when celluloid rolls did not allow for more than ten minutes of continuous filming, The Briton managed to achieve a near-perfect performance that is more a display of daring in method than in optics.
How to do it? Using a dissolve, focus on the dark areas, which will hide cuts and blurs. For that time it was not only revolutionary. Also an example of skill and imagination applied to film.
Source: Hiper Textual
